I exhaled a frustrated breath, briefly closing my eyes. I now knew more about the operation, but still felt like I was back to square one all over again.
“I’m sorry I can’t be more help,” Mikhail offered. “It’s my understanding Victor Kane has gone into hiding. I’ve told my men to put the word out. He?—”
“That won’t be necessary,” I interjected.
Mikhail studied me for a beat, then huffed out a laugh. “You took care of him, too?”
“Not exactly. Ariana did.”
He whistled. “Impressive. I wouldn’t have pegged her as the type.”
“There’s a lot about Ariana Kane most people don’t know.” I gave him a look that said everything I didn’t want to say out loud.
But I didn’t have to.
Mikhail seemed to figure it out anyway.
“I may not be the most upstanding citizen, but even I draw the line somewhere. If I learn any of my men have mistreated a woman, I have no patience for that.” He raised a single brow. “I get the feeling the same goes for you.”
“If you ask me, Victor got off easy compared to the shit he put her through.”
He nodded, looking forward once more before returning his attention to me.
“If I learn anything else, I’ll reach out.”
“You will?” I asked, trying to hide my surprise.
“What can I say? I can’t help but have respect for a man with the balls to do what you did. If it were my daughter…” He trailed off, not finishing his statement.
He didn’t need to.
“But I do not give gifts,” he continued, his voice turning commanding once more. “If I require your assistance in the future, you will provide it. Is that understood?”
I gave a small nod. “Of course.”
“Good.”
Mikhail pressed a button, and the doors of his car unlocked with a soft click. I took that as my cue to leave, reaching for the handle and opening the door.
I somehow managed to climb out of the Mercedes, despite every muscle in my body protesting. Breathing in the humid Florida air, I reached into my pocket, finding my keys there, despite Mikhail’s guards having confiscated them earlier. I slid into my SUV and closed the door, letting out a long breath.
As the Mercedes beside me pulled out of its spot, Mikhail met my eyes one last time before he drove away.
I pressed the ignition button on my car, absentmindedly wondering if they’d planted a bomb and I was seconds away from death.
But when I put the car into drive and stepped on the gas, there was no loud explosion.
So I steered out of the parking lot and headed home to Ariana.
Chapter Seventeen
Ariana
The clock in the living room didn’t just tick.
It echoed.
Each sound ricocheted off the high ceilings of Henry’s house, bouncing down the marble hallway and settling deep into my bones. The French doors were cracked open, letting in the ocean breeze and the distant roar of the waves rolling in and out with the tide.
