“Still,” I growled. “Wren’s under my protection. If you come after her, you come after me.”
“Happy to,” he said, his laugh low and dark. “See you soon, brother.”
He hung up and I could sense Benny behind me.
“The time has come,” I said, staring out the windows.
Benny stood by my side. “Yes, it has. Do you need me to call in the rest of our guys?”
Nodding, I turned to him. “Call them now. We’re going to need them.”
I knew without a doubt that Nikolai wouldn’t come after me alone. He played dirty and I had to play it back.
CHAPTER11
WREN
Before heading over to Seth’s, we stopped by Kali’s place so I could borrow some of her clothes and toiletries since all of mine had been stolen from the hotel. Ripp and I rode in his truck and followed Kali and Valentin in his car, while his men trailed behind us.
We pulled in through the private gate and drove up to Seth’s enormous white house, and I spotted two men standing guard out front. Seth’s place was like a mansion with modern architecture and an intricate desert landscape. It looked to be five times as big as my Venice beach house in California.
“We’re here,” Ripp grumbled, parking behind Kali and Valentin. “I can’t believe it’s come down to this.”
Valentin opened Kali’s door and she beckoned for me to get out.
“Just think,” I said, reaching down to grab the bright pink bag Kali filled with several weeks’ worth of clothes. “The sooner Nikolai gets taken care of, the sooner we’ll all be safe for good.”
His lips creased into a tight line as he glanced away. “Do you think it’ll be that easy?”
As much as I wanted it to, I knew it wouldn’t be possible. Taking a measured breath, I shook my head.
“When are things ever easy?”
Ripp nodded and clapped a hand on my shoulder. “Exactly. I’m beginning to think this will be harder than we thought.”
Even so, I was going to do anything and everything possible to take down Nikolai. I hopped out of Ripp’s truck and walked over to Kali.
Valentin gave a nod of acknowledgment to Seth’s men before facing us. “Seth had more of his guys come in for extra protection. You’ll see several of them around the grounds.”
Ripp grabbed my wrist, stopping us from taking another step toward the front door. “We can still go back to California if you want.”
I tilted my head toward him, lowering my voice so only he could hear. “I want to see Nikolai meet his end, whether it be by my hands or someone else’s. Being around Seth is a sure guarantee I’ll get that chance.”
Ripp’s gaze grew heavy with concern. “You’ll be right in the middle of a mafia war. We’re not a part of that world.”
“No,” I agreed, “but it’s a world I’m not afraid of. I’ve seen the vile things humans can do to each other. Being around killers doesn’t scare me.”
Ripp let go of my wrist and sighed heavily, showing an expression of both admiration and frustration on his face. “I have never met anyone like you, Wren.”
That made me smile. “Is that a good or bad thing?”
He smirked back at me. “Both. But I love you all the same.”
“Back at you,” I replied with a bump on his shoulder.
The two men standing guard by the door moved aside and Valentin walked right into the house. The mansion’s entryway was grand, with a high ceiling and pristine marble flooring. The walls were adorned with modern art pieces that added color to the monochromatic space. A sleek, black console table was placed against one wall, displaying an array of crystal figurines and fresh flowers. The living room was connected to the entryway, separated only by a step-down. The plush white carpet underfoot was a striking contrast to the dark leather sectional sofa that dominated the room. The coffee table in the center was a massive slab of polished black granite with gold accents, matching the modern chandelier overhead.
To the left of the living room was a magnificent marble staircase that led up to the second floor, with another stunning chandelier hanging above it. The walls on either side of the stairs were adorned with art pieces that were probably worth millions. I’d never really paid much attention to art, or even cared about it, but something about those paintings drew me in. They were just landscapes of rolling hills and stunning sunsets, but they had an ethereal quality that made me feel like I was being transported to another world. It made me realize that I hadn’t really been anywhere or seen much of anything in my life. If I survived this ordeal with Nikolai, I was going to make sure I traveled the world.
