Pam slips out of the bed as carefully as she can, pulling the blanket up over Elijah’s small form. She doesn’t say a word, but the look she gives me says everything—she’s worried, and she knows something’s wrong.
I set the gun on the dresser as Pam walks out to gather Elijah’s things.
I move fast, yanking off the ruined dress and pulling on jeans and a shirt, grabbing a few more clothes, bras, and underwear from the dresser. I head to the closet, my mind racing as I open the hidden drawer at the bottom. Cash. Passports—mine and Elijah’s. I grab my backup phone from the safe.
My mind’s spinning as I shove everything into a bag.
Something’s not adding up.
Everything Leonid said is running through my head, twisting in ways that don’t make sense. But one thing’s clear—those eyes.
Why the hell are Leonid Kuznetsov’s eyes brown?
I freeze for a second, the thought swirling through my head like a storm I can’t control.
What the hell is going on?
thirty-nine
Leonid
The city hums beneath me, but it’s distant—irrelevant. My focus is on the screen in front of me. Clara Caldwell.
Ah, my little mouse, thinking she can scurry away from me.
But no matter where she goes, I’ll always find her.
There she is, driving that beat-up Toyota Camry.Chert,my dick’s twitching like a goddamn metal detector at the sight of her. Tight bun. That don’t-fuck-with-me attitude radiates off her even through the screen. Her fingers tap rhythmically on the steering wheel, like she’s thinking she can escape.Cute.
The feed comes from my man tailing her in a black SUV, tucked just far enough away so she won’t notice. The view is steady, catching every detail of her route. It’s almost too easy to follow.
Where are you running off to, little mouse?
I lean back, fingers tapping lightly on my desk as I watch her. She takes a turn toward the highway, picking up speed. Smart, but not smart enough. I raise an eyebrow.
What’s your plan, Red?
Just as she merges onto the highway, something catches my eye—a tiny figure in the back of the car. It’s small, almost a blur, but it’s there. I lean forward, narrowing my eyes.
What the fuck is that?
There’s a kid. Small.
Suka, why is she lugging a kid?
My earpiece crackles, my man’s voice cutting in. “Boss, you want us to stay on her? She’s picking up speed.”
I hesitate for a second, watching the figure.
“Hold back,” I order, my voice low, the tension in my chest building. “Switch to the bike. Don’t let her spot you.”
There’s a brief pause before the response. “Copy that. Switching vehicles now.”
It’s not long before I hear the subtle rumble of the bike through the earpiece, the motor’s hum much quieter than the SUV’s. It’ll be harder for her to notice, especially at highway speed.
She can’t know we’re onto her. Not yet.
I listen as my man expertly shifts gears, weaving the bike through traffic, closing the distance between him and Clara without drawing attention.
