A small flash of guilt hits me at that, but I quickly push it aside. It was a long time ago, and I know what happened wasn’t my fault. “He died being an excellent husband, and something tells me that he’s alright with that wherever he is now. Now, though, we both know he’s rolling over in his grave knowing what his own brother has done. What he’s doing. What a mockery he’s making of his life.”
His face twists with rage. “You don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about, bitch.” He angrily swipes his foot out at Hades who jumps back and lets out a low, vicious snarl and snap of his teeth.
“Do that again, and I’ll let him take a chunk out of you,” I warn him. “You’re not in charge anymore, Simeon. You never were. All this bullshit about running your own men? They work for your father. They report to him what you’re doing, and they’ll manipulate you into doing what your father wants. All of this? You’ve done nothing more than give him an in to Ilya’s inner sanctum, but even that won’t be enough.”
“You don’t know shit. I want my rightful spot, and I’m going to take it.”
Simeon’s door opens with a sharp bang as the door slams into the wall, and in stalks both Romanovs, Oleg, and a stoic Alonzo. I signal Hades to fall back to my side, and Simeon stupidly bursts to his feet. “Someone needs to teach this cunt a lesson,” he seethes, his body vibrating. “She comes barging in here—Ahhhh, fuck!” he cries as he cups his bloody nose, falling back into the chair.
Alonzo wastes no time, grabbing him by the throat and hauling him up so they’re face level, making him choke and gasp for air. “Speak about her like that again, and the only lesson you’ll be learning is how to speak with no tongue.” The words aren’t loud, but the violence in them have Simeon strugglingharder. Then he drops him back onto the seat, making him land with a thud and slide to the floor.
I look at Alonzo in exasperation, but I can feel my lips twitching. Damn, that’s so hot. Why do I want him to do that again?
No, Aurora, focus.
I hold out Simeon’s phone to Ilya. His gaze turns murderous when he looks at Simeon. “You’re a dead man.”
Simeon, even with blood dripping down his face, pales and scrambles to his feet. “No, Ilya, wait. You don’t understand. I’m trying to lure him into a false sense of security. He needs to think that I’m working with you to benefit him. It’s a perfect double cross. Right?”
Ilya looks at Alonzo. “Hit him again.” Alonzo grins, his fist slamming into Simeon’s gut, more blood spraying.
“You think I’m an idiot?” Ilya continues coldly. “But you made a fucking mistake. You invited your father, and the Butcher, to my home. And you did it deliberately knowing my niece is now here.”
“My turn.” Zakhar steps beside Alonzo and throat punches Simeon, making him fall to the ground, clasping at his throat, trying to get air into his lungs, while also trying not to swallow the blood creeping into his mouth. “I told him we shouldn’t work with you, cocksucker, but my brother had plans for you. We knew you’d pull this shit.”
“Do I get a turn?” Oleg asks.
“No more hitting him,” I order. “We need him alive.” I look at Ilya. “Do you have eyes on Timur?”
“There’s been no activity at their place in twenty-four hours.” He tenses. “You think he’s already on his way here?”
“They have another way out that we wouldn’t be able to see them?” Zakhar asks. He looks down at Simeon, but the idiot just continues to choke and gasp.
“There was out of the basement. Kind of like how Nico was set up,” I say, looking at Alonzo. “It comes out into the canopy of trees and follows along the property line and comes out a neighbor’s driveway a couple miles down. Far enough away, and they used to pay the neighbor a shit ton of money to keep them quiet and to use it. Then when the neighbor died, they bought it and he gave it to one of his higher ranking men.”
“Fuck. Oleg!” Ilya barks.
“Already on it.” Oleg rushes out, and the tension in the room escalates.
“What are we looking at, Aurora?” Alonzo asks, voice tight.
“They’ll have taken a plane into the state and are making their way here,” I finally answer. “My father, though, he’ll have sent whoever it is with him ahead to scope this place out.” I look at Zakhar. “They know your daughter is here, and they’ll know you’re going to move and protect her. She’ll be the first one they use to get in. They won’t come after me right away. They want me alive.”
Zakhar’s face is tight. “What the fuck do I do then? If this fucker has been watching our every move already…”
I glance at Alonzo, lifting my brow in a silent question. He nods. “If you want her out of this, you let me have my men take her to our plane and head for New York. Keep her out of danger. They’ll take her to Nico Armani’s home, where she’ll be protected, and the Carusos’, Cattaneos’ and Armanis’ will make sure that no other Russians will get close to her.”
“You want me to send my daughter to the other side of the country? Trust Italians not to use her against us when this is all over?” Zakhar demands, face bright with indignation.
“Do you see another option?” Alonzo snaps. “There is no place on this coast, or even in your neighboring states that she’ll be safe. And unless you have another safe house she can go that no one else knows about, she is in danger here. And whether youwant to believe it or not, we don’t use children. Ever. She’ll be surrounded by other women as well. Including my sister.”
“Zakhar.” He looks at me, distrusting. I don’t blame him. We’re asking a lot. “She will be safe there. She will be safe with Alonzo’s men. They protected her all last night, and are with her now. She said that they never bothered her, never approached her, and took their jobs seriously. If they were going to hurt her, or use her, they had their chance.”
“She’s the only thing I have left, and if anything happens to her…”
“Then I’ll let you kill me,” Alonzo offers simply. I stare at him. What the hell is he doing? Zakhar’s eyes narrow in suspicion. Alonzo shrugs. “You don’t trust me, so you can use that as collateral if anything happens to her or until she’s back here. But I’m telling you right now, she’s going to be safer there than here.”
“Alonzo, give me your phone,” I order. He arches a brow, but hands it over after opening with a quick password.
