I video call the phone number I know by heart, trying to ignore the furious beating in my chest. The moment Sienna’s face fills the screen, that beating turns sharp and painful. Her hazel eyes widen in shock, and then relief. “Rori!” she cries. “You’re alright. Thank God.” Then her expression morphs into fury. “I’m going to kick your ass the minute Alonzo gets your ass back here, do you hear me? I’m going to make you black and blue. How dare you go off without us? Not trusting me with all this shit.Me! Me!Your best fucking friend.” She launches into a tirade that, despite everything, makes me smile.
Zakhar and Ilya inch behind me, looking at the screen, until I can finally yell loudly, “Sienna, stop! Shut the hell up and listen, you needy bitch, or I’m going to have Alessio tie your ass to the bed and edge you for days.”
“He’s tried that and never lasts more than a few hours,” Sienna snaps, a righteous smile pulling at her face. Then she sees the men behind me and arches a brow. “Bitch, are you having an orgy over there? Damn. Those Russians are hot. Are you getting every hole filled, because go you!”
“Shut up, you horny nympho.” I sigh.
“I’m trying my best,krasotka,” Zakhar flirts shamelessly. “Your delicious friend is far too—Fuck off,” he grunts when Alonzo slaps him upside the head.
“Get to the point, Aurora,” Alonzo orders gruffly. “And, Sienna, tell Alessio to get ready to meet the plane. We’re sending an important package back.”
Sienna’s grin disappears and nods. “What do you need?”
“Coniglietta, what’s going on?” Alessio demands, stepping into the frame. His eyes connect with mine, before they take in the men behind me. His expression turns cool, assessing. “Alonzo, I take it you have a report?” he finally says.
“Important package, decade and a half old, heading your way. Protection at all costs, and these two want assurances that she won’t be used in any kind of way against them, or as a pawn in a game they think we want to play.”
Alessio’s eyes harden, and they zoom in on Ilya. “And you are?”
“Ilya Romanov. And you must be Alessio Caruso. I’ve heard of you.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of you.” He looks at Zakhar. “You must be the brother. Package yours or his?”
“His,” Ilya replies tightly.
“Fine. Send the package. Updates will be sent every hour until it arrives. After that, updates will be sent whenever you need. We don’t use children, Romanov. Ever. Women either.” He gives me a pointed look. “Even ones that hide things toprotect their friends, and seem to think that they have to handle everything on their own.”
I hold his stare, but his words still hit their mark.
“What do you want in return?” Ilya finally asks.
“Nothing. Consider this a sign of good faith.” Then he looks at me and Alonzo. “And you two better get your asses back here in one piece.”
“Working on it,” Alonzo answers. “Package will be incoming in six hours. They’ll be leaving in half an hour.”
“I haven’t agreed,” Zakhar snaps. “And stop calling her a fucking package. She’s my fucking daughter, not cargo.”
“Then you’re an idiot.” Alessio ignores his furious glare. “Your daughter will be safe here. Nico Armani’s home has just survived more attacks in the last month than yours ever has. Not to mention, it’s fucking huge. She could be there for months and she could avoid all of us. Send her here, Romanov. We’ll keep her safe, and the moment you give the word, we’ll send her back. Or you can come here to get her.” He looks at Alonzo. “Get her on the plane. You sending all the men back?”
“I want to keep Titus, but the others will see her back.”
“Good.” Then he looks at me. “Love the hair, by the way. Be less for Sienna to use when she’s grabbing it and punching you in the face.”
“She can try. Put her back on.” Alessio moves the phone to Sienna. “You can fight with me later, babe,” I tell her when she opens her mouth. She snaps it shut. “I need you to make sure that Mila is looked after and kept safe. She’s a smart kid.”
“I’ll make sure Gia, Amara, and Kida know. We’ll keep her safe, Rori.” Then she looks at Zakhar and her smile softens. “I promise, she’ll be safe.” Then she winks. “Probably influenced by some badass women, but that’s not a bad thing. We’ll just make sure that she doesn’t come home with a mohawk. Well, unless she wants that. Then you’ll have to just deal with it, big guy.” Shelooks back at me. “I love you, bitch, and if you get yourself killed, I’m going to drag your body back here, resurrect you, and kill you again, but much slower and painfully. I’ll start with plucking out every single pubic hair you have with the tiniest tweezers I can find, before I start on your head.”
“Then it’s a very good thing I wax, isn’t it?” I give her a soft smile. “Love you too, Sienna. Bye.” I hang up and hand the phone back to Alonzo. “Tell your men to get ready to leave. We need to get her in the air as soon as possible, and before Timur or my father realize she’s gone.”
Zakhar looks at me. “You’re certain she’ll be safe?”
“Yes. You want me to add myself to the collateral with Alonzo?”
He looks at his brother, they have a silent conversation, and then he turns and storms out of the room.
The same door that Simeon is trying to sneak out of, and Alonzo stops him with a hand on the back of his shirt, yanking him back with a yelp. “Where do you want him?” Alonzo asks.
“I need to see to a few things. I’ll leave him with you,” I tell Ilya. “Then we need to talk and make a plan.”
