“Eight. Maybe more.” I straighten, ignoring the way my ribs protest. “Two waves. Well trained. Coordinated attack. They knew exactly what they were doing and what they were up against.”
Vanya whistles and brushes back his wave of styled rich brown hair. I’m pretty sure he did that just to show off his rings and the silver stud in his ear. “And yet you’re still breathing. Always the overachiever, Kolya.”
“There are four bodies in the garage that need to be disposed of.” I don’t smile. Can’t. Not with Chloe’s image branded into my mind. “The other four took her.”
“The kindergarten teacher?” Kirill barely masks his contempt as he enters the kitchen, opens what’s left of the fridge, and pulls out a beer. The domestic gesture belies the destruction surrounding us. He snaps the non-twist-off bottlecap loose with his teeth, which never fails to impress.
I scowl. “Her name is Chloe.”
Alexei’s eyebrows rise. He exchanges a glance with Vanya, who winks a hazel eye and waggles his own eyebrows in response.
I ignore them. There’s no time to get irritated.
The scars on Alexei’s knuckles flash in the pale light as he gestures to the one intact chair. “Sit down before you fall down and tell us what happened. A clean-up crew is already on the way.”
I remain standing. “Gio Falcone’s men. Has to be. They came in hard and fast. I took down four, but then another wave of assailants followed.” My jaw clenches painfully. “She was their objective. They kidnapped her.”
Max scans the safe house, his dark eyes almost hidden beneath a prominent brow. “This makes it personal. How’d they find this place? Did they track you?”
“No way. I spent hours driving in circles to make sure. And we’ve been here for nearly a day. This has to be related to the attacks Roman mentioned. They were happening while we were still down south too.” I wait as they absorb the implication that another crime family knows about our safe house locations. “Gio wants the diamonds, and he thinks she knows where they are.”
Kirill rests against the counter with his beer in one hand and his phone in the other. “Does she?”
“No.” My tone brooks no argument. “She was on the island that night and saw some of what happened, but she doesn’t have the diamonds. Never did, as far as I can tell.”
Kirill’s eyes narrow as he pockets his phone and drags one massive hand through his shaggy hair. “So…if she doesn’t have the diamonds or even know anything about them, why are we going after her?”
I see that same question mirrored in the other faces.What’s the point?
My fingers twitch with the urge to curl into fists and experience the satisfying crunch of bone. “Because Gio’s back, and he took her. And she’s mine.”
I have a hundred pressing reasons for retrieving Chloe, and none of them have anything to do with diamonds.
Max grunts in disgust, his dark hair falling in his face as he shakes his head. “We’re risking our lives for some fucking woman you barely know?” He spits the last word. “You’ve gone soft, Kolya.”
I hold his gaze so he can see exactly what I’m capable of right now.
He doesn’t flinch—Max never does—but his lips press into a thin line.
“I like women.” Vanya brushes dirt off that single remaining chair and sits, careful not to soil his designer suit. “I’ll help save her. One save per damsel. That’s my rule.”
Under normal circumstances, I might appreciate his attempt to defuse the tension.
Not today, with Chloe in Gio’s hands. Not with the clock ticking in my head, each passing second another opportunity for him to hurt her.
“None of you have to come.” I avoid all their eyes. “Dispose of the bodies. I can do this alone.”
“Bullshit.” Alexei pushes away from the wall. “She’s yours, and someone took her, so we get her back. They don’t get to abduct one of our women and keep her.”
His statements ripple outward like stones landing in still water. I didn’t expect this response from Alexei, of all people. We’ve worked together for years without being especially close. He’s Roman’s wild card, not mine. But I recognize the spark in his gaze.
He has the look of a man who understands exactly what it feels like when a woman burrows under your skin and into your blood.
That’s right.Alexei defied Roman, his father,everyone. Not just to clear MJ’s name, but also to protect that cocktail waitress he ended up marrying. Aurora. He’s all about loyalty.
“Alexei’s right.” Vanya waves a hand. “Bad for business if people think they can steal from our head enforcer. Sets a precedent that will only make things harder for us down the road. We can’t let this stand.”
I watch as they reframe this mission into one about territory and respect. About the Kozlov Bratva rather than a woman or the emotions seething in my chest.
