Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 100416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
But she couldn’t take a chance.
The only shot they had at making this work was with the element of surprise on their side. If she texted him and one of the Eldridges saw it… “Damn it.” She set her phone to silent and slipped it into her pocket.
Hold on, Dima. Stay alive until we can get there and rescue your ass.
With that, she didn’t allow herself to dwell any further on all the things that could go wrong—and they were legion. Keira straightened her shoulders and headed for the garage.
She found Alexei and the rest of the men waiting. “I’m going to need a gun. Now.”
He considered her. “Twenty-two?”
“Give me some credit. Nine-millimeter.”
He nodded and went to a cabinet tucked against the far wall on the other side of the vehicles, returning shortly with the requested gun and two cartridges. “If you need more than this, we’re dead and it won’t matter.”
“Noted.” She tucked it into the back of her waistband. It wasn’t comfortable, but it would do for the duration. “Let’s go.” The more time they wasted, the worse Dmitri’s chances were. She couldn’t think of what he might be going through right now. They’d get him out alive. End of story. To believe anything else was to court madness. It will be okay. It has to be.
She climbed into the front passenger seat of the SUV that Alexei was driving and took a slow and steady breath. It was time. You made your last mistake in a long line of many, Alethea—you fucked with my man. Now I’m going to fucking bury you.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Dmitri held perfectly still as Mae cut away his shirt. The time for talking was past. Alethea had cast her lot with her daughter, knowing damn well that there was no future there.
Alethea drained her wineglass. “Kill him and be done with it, Mae.”
“No.” Mae shook her head slowly. “This bastard had us running around like rats scrambling for cover. He owes us, and I’m going to carve his payment out of his flesh.”
“Mae,” Alethea said sharply.
“I said no. Unless you want to join him in the chair?”
Alethea’s face went white. “That won’t be necessary.”
Alethea doesn’t have control of the situation. Mae does. More importantly, Alethea fears her daughter.
He could use this. He would use this.
He focused on Mae. She was attractive enough in a brutal sort of way… until he got to the eyes. Mae’s dark eyes held madness unlike Dmitri had ever seen. She ran her knife down his bare chest, smiling at him like a lover might. “Nice ink.”
He shrugged. “It goes with the territory.”
“Hmm. I guess.” The tip of the knife stopped above his heart, right over the darkest tree in the tattoo. “No domed building tattoos means no prison time.”
He held her gaze. “If you’re looking for secrets, you’re wasting your time.” He swept his gaze across the room and settled on Alethea. “Where is Mikhail?”
Mae sighed. “You have bigger things to worry about, Romanov.” She leaned down. “He was fun to play with. Beautiful skin and unique tattoos.” She sounded downright rapturous.
Still, he kept his attention on her mother. “I’m here. Let him go.”
Mae lashed out, hitting him in the stomach hard enough that he lost his ability to breathe. Stars danced across Dmitri’s vision, but he didn’t take his gaze from Alethea. There was no air for speaking, but she flinched beneath his censure all the same. She turned to the man at her side. “Clayton, see Mikhail dropped somewhere in Romanov territory.” She reached out and grabbed his wrist. “Alive, Clayton.”
At least I managed that much.
Mae hit him again, and sharp pain radiated up from his left side. Broken rib, maybe two. A glint at her fist told him all he needed to know—she wore brass knuckles. This wouldn’t be over quickly. Mae still had that look on her face that could only be described as lustful. He’d bet beating others got her off better than any sex. All well and good to know, but that doesn’t help me now.
Did it?
His breath felt like inhaling fire. “Mae,” he rasped.
“Shh.” She pressed a finger to his lips. “You’re prettier when you don’t talk.”
Alethea shoved to her feet. “Call me when you’re finished.”
“I always do, Mother.” Mae didn’t take her gaze from Dmitri, but he watched Alethea stride out of the room. She had the air of prey, and he couldn’t bring himself to feel sorry for her. If she’d let her daughter stay in jail, none of this would have happened. He would have looked for her, of course, but he wouldn’t have looked hard. If she’d left New York, he wouldn’t have hunted her down and brought her back. With Mae destined for prison, Alethea was just an old woman without an heir or a future.
“Did you like my present?”