Distant bass thumps from inside the nightclub as I walk around the vehicle and look around the alley.
I’m not here to dance.
I’m here to meet Elias Agin, my informant.
I spot him farther down the darkened alleyway and immediately feel a sting. He called me about an hour ago, telling me to meet him here as a matter of urgency.
I took his word for it. Elias is the kind of guy that takes things at his own pace, cruising through life like the world is his oyster. Nothing is an emergency situation unless it has something to do with his hair. So, when he rang telling me to get my ass down here ASAP, I knew it was something serious.
I stride toward him, eyes set on his face. He’s been helping me stay under the radar for the past four years, keeping me out of Aslanov’s ears. Things haven’t always been smooth between us, but he’s done his job and he’s been rewarded generously for it. He’s not a good man, but then again, there aren’t many good men in my world. What matters to me is that Elias knows what he’s doing. He’s a resourceful bastard; that’s why I hired him.
Shortly after escaping Aslanov’s attempt to kill me, I approached him and asked him to help me stay under the radar. Elias promised to keep me hidden in the shadows in exchange for an explosive paycheck that hurt the bank a little too much. But I had no choice, especially since Lauren and Hannah’s lives were on the line if Aslanov discovered that I escaped death. Elias understood this and demanded double his usual fee.
Zhadnyy mudak.
“I’ll cut to the chase, Niko,” he says, kicking off from the wall as soon as he sees me approach. He comes to stand in front of me, stern eyes set on mine.
“Skazhi mne.Talk.” Whatever he’s about to tell me, it better be worth my time. I’ve got better things to do than spend my day in a dirty alley that smells like piss.
Elias exhales an uncharacteristically shaky breath. “Aslanov knows you’re alive.”
I stop short.
He what?
The words hit me like a sledgehammer to the chest. My blood turns to ice in my veins, and for a moment, the world tilts on its axis. He knows I’m alive? Four years of careful planning, four years of staying in the shadows, four years of sacrificing everything to keep Lauren and our daughter safe—all of it crumbles in an instant. This is the nightmare scenario I’ve been hiding from, the one that’s haunted every single decision I’ve made since that night in the warehouse.
I shake myself, for a moment hoping that my ears are deceiving me.
“Say that again.” I grit out, clenching my jaw so hard my teeth almost crack.
“You heard me, Niko,” Elias says. “He’s been watching Lauren and the kid,” he adds, keeping his eyes on me, searching my face for signs of unwanted aggression. He’s probably wondering if I’m going to lash out and snap his neck.
Blyad!
Motherfucker!
Aslanov watching Lauren and Hannah?
Fuck!
I abruptly turn away from Elias, forcing myself to keep my composure. This is bad. No, it’s worse. The last fucking thing I wanted to hear today. Or ever. This is exactly why I have been inhiding like a fucking camouflaged snake for the last four years, to protect Lauren and our daughter, waiting for the right moment to strike and take out Aslanov.
Instead, my cover has been blown.
That bastard is a step ahead of me again, just like four years ago.
Ublyudok!
Elias’ words sting like bullets to the chest. It takes all of my willpower to keep my features neutral, to suppress the rage that’s surging in me. I knew this day would come eventually, but I was hoping for more time so I could surprise Aslanov and take him down first.
Instead, I’m fucked.
Colossally.
My plans just went out the window.
And that’s not even the worst part. If Aslanov knows I’m alive, he is going to go after Lauren and Hannah. He’s going to use them to lure me out.
