Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 45957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45957 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 230(@200wpm)___ 184(@250wpm)___ 153(@300wpm)
“This will get us to the airport faster than my other vehicles,” he said as he rounded the car to slide into the driver’s side. Once we were seated, he continued, “Igor is working on trying to track down who did this to James.”
“Cameras were wiped,” I ground out through clenched teeth.
Ivan nodded. “We know. But Igor is a fucking technology genius. If anyone can find the fucker who did this, it’s him. Trust me.” We hit the highway, and Ivan floored it. “Explain to me the plan Darren and Jaxon have.”
I sighed. “Until we get there, they’re sitting tight. No one is allowed near the wives or the kids except them. Darren would like to get them to a safe house, but the only way he’s getting Emmaline away is if she’s no longer breathing. She’s not going to leave James.”
Ivan nodded. “She’s a strong one.” He slowed down just enough to safely make a turn, then sped back up. “When we get on the plane, I need you to give me your safest safehouse location. As soon as James is stabilized, your family will need to be moved to a secure location.” He grabbed his phone and began dialing a number. A moment later, he cleared his throat, the phone held to his ear. “Dr. Lebedev, I need a favor, and I’ll compensate you well for it. I can’t give details over the phone, but I need you to meet me at the airport and prepare to fly to America with us.” He paused for a moment. “Thank you.”
He tossed his phone down. “Dr. Lebedev will be flying to America with us. Once James is stabilized, we’ll move him to a safehouse, and he’ll have his own personal doctor.”
“We have our own doctor,” I reminded him.
Ivan shrugged like he didn’t give two fucks, which he probably didn’t. “I trust mine more than I trust yours right now.” I didn’t say anything because to be real, I didn’t trust anyone apart from immediate family either. “James was shot in your home. He almost died in your home. Right now, no one that works for your family can be trusted. Someone has been bought out by Boris and Ninel, and until we find out who, we treat everyone as the fucking enemy.” He turned onto the road for the airport. “I will not play games with your safety, kotik.”
I scoffed. “I’m more than capable of taking care of myself.”
Ivan shrugged. “Fucking tough. You’re mine. And I take care of what is mine.”
18
Ivan
The jet ride to America was quiet apart from the roar of the engine filling the cabin. Adrian was tense the entire ride, not that I was fairing much better. I’d given explicit orders that no one on board was allowed to eat or drink anything, and we had a second pilot on stand-by just in case something did happen. And that pilot wasn’t allowed out of my fucking sight.
I would not take another chance that someone might target us again. Granted, no one had time to actually find out where we were going or that we were leaving, but just in case there were eyes on us, I wouldn’t take the chance someone got here before we did and paid someone off.
When we landed, Mark hurried off to get our rental car. Adrian took the time while we waited to call his family and check-in with them. I stayed sitting beside him, ready to be his anchor if he needed me to. Adrian was strong as hell—one of the strongest men I knew—but I knew this was hitting hard. James was his brother in every sense of the word but blood, and they hadn’t parted on all that great of terms. Adrian had been furious when he left to come to Russia.
I knew that was all he could focus on right then.
“Darren? Hey. Any update?” Adrian’s features were pinched as he listened to Darren speak, and then, his shoulders slumped. He leaned forward, and with his elbow braced on his knee, he covered his face with his palm. “Fuck,” he breathed. “Okay. We’ve landed, and we’ll be there soon.”
He ended the call, then sat back in his seat. I arched a brow at him. “Well?”
“He’s out of surgery,” Adrian said. “He made it through. Now, we’re just waiting on the anesthesia to wear off. We should be able to move him soon.” He scrubbed his hands over his face again, then dropped them to his lap with a quiet smack. “I’ve got an idea for a safehouse, but I need to run it by Darren and Jaxon first. Because I need to make sure they can hold it all down without me.” When he looked at me, his eyes were cold and flat. The monster inside of me rose at the sight of his.