Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Dante sighed. “Ivanov and Dimitri don’t deserve to live. I’m doing the world a service by eliminating them.”
Remington called them over, and I let them walk away, praying I was doing the right thing.
I turned to see Lancelot, holding out more mango for Tony. He inclined his head toward Niko and Alina. “Take care of those two, and ignore my brother. You’re good for Nikolai. Tony knew what he was doing giving him your watch.”
I shook my head. “Tony just likes shiny things.”
“Tony likes pissing Remington off, but he also has a great sense for people he trusts. Nikolai is one of them.”
I wanted to ignore Remington’s orders. I wanted to shout to anyone who would listen that I’d claimed Niko and no one else could ever touch him, but what real choice did I have? How could I keep Niko with me when he’d constantly be in danger, when he wouldn’t be able to choose his own future and would constantly be reminded of his connection to Dimitri.
25
NIKOLAI
Lorenzo’s cousin Ambrose was nothing like Remington and Lancelot. They looked polished, like they came from old New Orleans money, while Ambrose looked feral. His bushy beard, long hair, and camo pants looked out of place in Lorenzo’s living room. He belonged outdoors in the jungle or, apparently, deep in the bayou, where he’d come from.
“How remote is this safe house?” As Ambrose had driven us deeper and deeper into the bayou, I’d started to worry the trip to the safe house might be as dangerous as staying here at Lorenzo’s.
The truck came to an abrupt stop, but I didn’t see any structures around. I tensed when I saw a man standing in front of the truck and realized Lorenzo had his hand on his gun.
“That’s Landry. He’s going to camp near the safe house to help guard you.” The man was huge, broad-shouldered and probably six five. “And the safe house isn’t too far, probably about a half-hour walk.”
“Walk?” I asked.
“The vegetation’s too thick to get a car through. That’s part of the charm.”
I didn’t think that sounded charming at all. There had to be a million mosquitoes out here, not to mention all kinds of other creatures that were far more dangerous, including people like Ambrose and Landry. It was so hot and humid I could barely breathe. I wanted to complain, but I thought about the alternative: being caught by my father or Ivanov, Lorenzo being killed trying to save me or Alina. I could do this.
Alina tapped my arm. When I looked at her, she mouthed, “Landry is cute.”
She was right. He was hot in a backwoods man kind of way, but he couldn’t compare to Lorenzo.
“Keep your voices down out here,” Ambrose said. “I don’t sense anyone, and I haven’t seen any tracks, but if there’s someone out here, they aren’t the kind of people we want to attract.”
That wasn’t what I wanted to hear, but I didn’t have much choice but to go along with him. We started our trek with Ambrose in the lead and Landry bringing up the rear. The path was only wide enough for one person, so we had to walk single file. I was dripping with sweat, and I could see droplets running down Lorenzo’s neck as he walked in front of me.
I wanted to take his hand or press mine to his back, but I didn’t dare. I wasn’t sure when I’d have a chance to be alone with him again. What would I say if we were though? Was I really going to ask him if I could stay with him once this was all over? That was insane. He enjoyed fucking me, but I would be foolish to think he wanted more than that, even though the way he’d looked at me earlier, like he treasured me, could almost convince me my fantasy could come true.
None of us spoke for a while, and then Alina asked Ambrose, “Do you live near here?”
“Yes, but you’d never find my house unless I wanted you to.”
Lorenzo huffed. “Seriously. You have an actual address now.”
Ambrose sighed. “Fine. But the house I originally built. No one’s finding that.”
“That’s true.”
“And you like that no one can find you?” Alina asked.
“I value the ability to disappear. If you turned around for a second, I could disappear, and you’d never track me.”
“That’s… disturbing,” I said.
“Yes,” Lorenzo agreed. He didn’t sound happy about it.
I felt something on my leg. When I looked down and saw a lizard, I screamed and grabbed onto Lorenzo. The lizard jumped off and scurried into the undergrowth.
“Remember how I said to keep quiet? Ambrose asked.
Lorenzo responded for me. “He’s not used to being out in the bayou. He’s been sheltered.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry. I don’t like lizards.”
Lorenzo took my arm. “It’s okay. Those little guys are completely harmless.”