“I’ll get the jet ready,” Ryder says, pulling his own phone out and leaving the room.
“You have a jet?” Leo says incredulously.
“Uh. Yeah,” I reply like it should be obvious.
“You never know when you need to escape the country,” Dex says seriously.
“Can it be tracked?” Alexey asks, sitting up in his chair.
Holden shakes his head “Nope. I buried it in a dummy corporation so far that it never leads back to Les.”
“If anyone can make something disappear,” Les points at Holden, “It’s him.”
“You’re sure your friend won’t mind me being there?” Nina wonders, looking nervous again.
I laugh at that. “If anything, he’ll be happy you’re there.”
“Aldo is,” Les waves her hand around, “different.” She takes in Nina’s alarmed look. “He’s a great guy. Just think of your basic idea of an Italian mobster, and that’s Aldo.”
“I don’t know if I like this idea,” Alexey worries.
“It’s your only choice.” Les shrugs. “Take it or leave it.”
“Is that how it’s going to be between us now,Moye sokrovishche?”
“Call her that again, and you won’t be alive to find out,” Holden threatens, causing all eyes to turn to him.
Les laughs. “I warned you,” she says to Alexey.
Ryder strides back into the room. “He can have it ready in two hours.”
“You need to say your goodbyes here,” Les says, motioning between Nina and her boys. “I can’t risk anyone seeing you at the airstrip.” She looks at us. “This is the part you guys aren’t going to like.”
“What is it?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“I’m going to have Zane take her.”
“Absofuckinglutely not,” Ryder explodes. “We don’t need him.”
“He’s the only one no one will expect Nina to be with,” Les says evenly. “Viktor will think this was me with or without proof.”
“I can wipe the cameras, and one of you can take her,” Holden reasons.
“That’s even more suspicious,” Les explains. “Zane can take her openly, and no one will ask questions.”
“One of us could, too,” I add. “We have burner cars for a reason.”
Les stands up so fast that her chair almost tips over, causing Nina to jump. “I didn’t ask,” she grits out. “I’m telling you that Zane is taking her to the fucking airport, and that’s that.” She storms off, phone already to her ear.
Alexey chuckles. “I think you pissed off your girl.”
Nina looks around the room again, and you can see when sheputs the connection together. “Your girl?” she asks anyway, even though she knows the answer.
“Yeah. Our girl,” I answer when no one else does.
Nina smiles, looking proud. “I knew she was a smart girl.”
“Mama!” Dmitri says, looking at his mom in disbelief.
