Priceless. (boyxboy)

Chapter 17.

“Aiden, there!” He suddenly called and I blinked, looking at the place we were at. We had arrived in front of that room, and the man who guarded it had moved to another location. The door was closed and we were hiding behind a couch, so we had to act fast and quiet.

“Right, on three then—“

“No time for that, you idiot, the guard could be here any moment.” Joon hissed and quickly ran towards the door, opening it with ease. I followed, my heart beating like crazy, even though this was my own home. I was intruding in my room, at my house, but I suppose desperate situations required desperate measures.

Thankfully, the room was empty. Joon quickly sat in front of the computer and checked the cameras, where Cassie’s men were visible. You could even see them outside my house, scattered like vermin!

I went behind the Sheriff to see the recording, but before I could get the headphones, he took them first and placed them on his head.

Of course, that didn’t go as planned. The headphones were too wide and big for Joon’s little head, and he sighed once more, giving up. Perhaps his pride had taken too many blows today …

I smiled gently at him and took his headphones, positioning them on his ears. I kept holding them like this, and after a couple of seconds, Joon got the hint that I wasn’t going to let them fall on his neck until he’s done listening.

He didn’t say anything, of course, but I could feel his smile as he muttered a quiet ‘Thank you’ and played the recording, listening carefully. His eyebrows were curled in a worried expression as he strained his ears to hear as much as possible. His free hand took a pencil and began writing something on my own, which soon turned out to be numbers of a street I couldn’t tell if I knew or not. It was definitely not in this part of the city, that’s for sure. If it was in this city at all.

“Ukraine.” Joon quickly said and wrote a “U” on my arm. My skin tickled and shivered from his gentle writing, but I ignored this slightly romantic situation as I listened to what he was saying.

“There, see the bald guy? That’s Yanukovich.” His little, white finger pointed at the fourth recording on the lower right and I gasped, recognizing that guy as the person in the café and the club. So they were the same guy after all!

“I’ve seen him!”

“Remember when I told you earlier he has a whorehouse that’s still functioning? It’s this one in Ukraine, Pavlohrad. It’s an industrial city, and that’s where they gather all prostitutes before they sell and ship them. Looks like our Noel is worth twice his price.”

“That’s bullshit, Noel is fucking priceless, he can’t be sold for—“

“Forty-five million.”

“Forty-five mil—… w-what?”

“Yes. Forty-five million. According to Cassie – you can see her next to Yanukovich – he’s worth two people. He seems to be compensating for someone, but they don’t say who … Wait. Cassie asked about the buyer.”

“H-Have they sold him already?” I stuttered, feeling my heart being crushed by an imaginary elephant.

“No, not yet. It’s supposed to happen in … four hours and thirty minutes, or in other words – at midnight. The buyer is some guy who seems so eager to get Noel that he’s paid already and all they have to do is get him on the ship and send him to … Sweden, it seems. The street is Dneprovska A, the number is on your hand and if you don’t want to miss the flight, you have to leave in fifteen minute—“

“Going somewhere?” A female voice interrupted Joon’s words and my golden eyes quickly looked up, seeing no one else but Cassie and two of her men. She was wearing a red dress this time, which was definitely not from the ones I had bought her, but her hair was still a bun.