Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83221 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“She’ll be safe with us,” Lev says, his brooding eyes holding a promise.
I let them lead me away. I have to get out and get back to her as swiftly as possible. If it takes longer than it needs to, heads will fucking roll.
I will find who orchestrated this and I will end them.
I look straight ahead as they shove me into the back of a cruiser. The officer driving exhales, as if she’s been holding her breath, waiting for me to retaliate.
I’ll retaliate, but it won’t be the officers that have to worry.
Someone is behind this. Someone wants me taken away from my wife so she’s at risk, I’d bet money on it.
Someone will pay.
Why didn’t Aria look at me when I left?
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Mikhail
I pace the cell over and over again, waiting for a call from Anton. This must run deep. Under normal circumstances, I never would've seen the walls of this cold, dark cell, but here I am.
My fists are clenched with barely suppressed frustration. My worst fear in the world is being helpless, and knowing the people that I love are at risk. If I didn't think it would break my fist, I'd slam it against this wall to help release the fury that’s cascading through me like an erupting volcano. But that won’t solve anything. When I was younger, though…
"Mikhail Romanov? Is that you?" I look into a corner of the cell. It turns out I'm not alone.
"Who is it?" I don't recognize him from where I sit. He stands, uncoiling himself like a snake.
"Has it been that fucking long?"
“Jesus Christ.” I cross the cell and embrace my former military brother, Saul Bianchi. We were rivals for a short time but laid that to rest. Sometimes it helps to have friends, and sometimes it's more helpful to have allies that hate your enemies alongside you.
"There was a time when I would've wanted to kick your ass for coming in here,” Bianchi says, and when he grins, I see he's missing a tooth. Newly? Who knows. "But I heard how you stood up to Volkov. Fucking brilliant. You know we all want Volkov dead."
Of course they do. He runs all of New York with an iron fist, mercilessly and selfishly. He annihilates anyone in his path, after building a group so large no one has a chance to withstand him.
"He's why I’m in here."
Bianchi swears. "Of course he is." His voice drops. "You need to get out, don't you?"
I nod. Of course I fucking do. I tell him about Aria and the baby. His eyes shine with conviction. "We’ll bust you out of here." He lowers his voice even more and brings his mouth to my ear. “Do you see that guard over there?”
I nod.
"He's on my payroll. I'm here voluntarily. I have connections, and I needed face-to-face interaction with a couple of the detainees. I get out tomorrow, if all goes as planned."
“Yeah?”
"You have an informant, yeah?"
I nod.
"And you're willing to pay?"
I laugh out loud. "What do you fucking think?"
Bianchi grins at me. He reaches a fist out, and slams his knuckles to mine, a universal code of loyalty. We may have rival clans, we may be in different groups, but loyalty runs deep when it comes to the law.
"Romanov.”
The guard comes to the bars, looks at Bianchi. Bianchi nods, and the guard gestures for me. "You have a call. Let's go."
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Aria
It turns out Ekaterina's home is closer to the office than ours. Or…Mikhail’s. Whoever's.
I can't think of it as my home anymore. Not now.
If only I had somewhere to go. A part of me feels as if it would be not only a betrayal, but an act of great cowardice. Yes, my husband used me. Yes, I've been betrayed. But I didn't make this commitment to him out of love. That only happened as a result of drawing close to him.
A lump rises in my throat, and I put a hand to my forehead. I don't want to cry. Not now. Not when I have so much to do.
A knock sounds at the guest room door. "Who's there?"
"It's me, Polina."
I open the door and let my sister-in-law in. She takes one look at me and gathers me into a huge hug. "I know, I know. But don't worry, you have to believe me, they get arrested all the time. It's fine, I promise. We have ways out. It's not what you think it is."
It's kinda sweet that she thinks I'm upset because Mikhail was arrested, although…I'm not immune to that either. The vision of my husband being taken away in handcuffs is something that I won't easily erase from my memory.
"You'll see, he knows how to get out. You just have to give him time. It's probably fucking killing him, knowing that you're here and he's there. He’s been glued to your side ever since you had those two lines on the test.”