Adria: You had your chance.
Adria pushed block on Maxim’s number.
“I need your phone,” she said to Eric, just as her phone lit up with another call.
It was an unknown number. No doubt Maxim calling her from another line.
She added some numbers to Eric’s phone and twisted hers until she heard a crack.
Rolling her window down, she flung the ruined burner out onto the road. The little thud was drowned out beneath the engine’s hum. She ignored Eric’s questioning gaze in the rearview mirror.
Seth’s hand weaved into hers, and Adria gave him a reassuring squeeze.
Hours later, Eric turned left onto a nondescript drive, the entrance nearly hidden by the dense foliage surrounding it. The single-lane road wound through the jungle, flanked by towering trees and thick underbrush that tapped against the vehicle. They followed the twisting path for several miles until they reached an imposing iron gate, with a small intercom mounted nearby.
Eric pressed the button and a static crackling voice came from the speaker. “Hello, who is calling?”
“Miss Federov. I believe Vega is expecting us,” Eric replied, tone steady.
Silence hung in the air for a heartbeat before the gate creaked open. They drove past armored guards stationed like sentinels, their watchful eyes following the car as it maneuvered through a series of sharp turns. Gradually, the jungle thinned, unveiling a sprawling terracotta mansion that rose majestically against the backdrop of the vibrant landscape, its warm hues glowing softly in the dappled sunlight.
Vega’s home had three stories with huge arched windows. Manicured hedges with a bright green hue surrounded the estate.
Elena’s SUV was already parked.
Beyond that, Bryson was leaning against his car, arms crossed. Kaydon started running towards them the instant he spotted their vehicle.
Adria barely had the door open before he scooped her up. Heat flared where his palms cupped her cheeks, fingers brushing the purple mark blooming along her jaw. She tried to pull away. “It’s just a bruise,” she murmured.
Kaydon’s warmth and proximity threatened to pull tears from her. The tension from the day’s events easing away.
“It’s okay, it barely hurts,” she said, trying and failing to turn away.
“Killer,” Kaydon said as Seth got out of the car.
“He’s gonna need some new kill tattoos after today,” Adria said, leaving the two of them and moving to Bryson.
She watched as he uncrossed his arms and then crossed them again. But when she got closer, he pushed off the car and surprised her by wrapping his hand around the back of her neck and pulling her into a painful kiss.
He pressed his face into hers, and Adria felt his body mold against her.
When he finally let go of her and caught her gaze, he said, “I’m not separating anymore, understand?”
She nodded and was surprised at the relief she felt. They were in this together.
CHAPTER 24
POLANCO
Vega wasn’t available to greet them, but uniformed housing staff in crisp white polos helped with their luggage, leading them through corridors of polished stone and hand-painted tiles. The estate sprawled across the hillside, its terracotta roof glowing amber in the late afternoon sun.
Adria, Seth, Kaydon, and Bryson were given a main suite in the west sector, where wrought-iron balconies overlooked the private beach below on one side and the sprawling jungle on the other.
“Dinner will be served at seven in the courtyard,” the demure house boy said, shutting the heavy mesquite door behind him.
A sweet smelling breeze billowed through sheer curtains, carrying the scent of salt and Dahlia flowers. The distant rhythm of waves against the shore mingled with the calls of colorful birds. Bryson looked around at the high beamed ceilings and hand-woven textiles.
For the first time in months, they were alone.
