Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
“They for her?” he asked as he nodded his head toward Alina.
“Yeah. Bring them by here in the morning and leave them with Bog.”
“You got it, Boss.” He took the card and shoved it in his pocket before heading out the door. “You two have a good night.”
As soon as the door closed behind him, I started back over to Alina, and she gave me a warm smile. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“You need clothes.”
“I do. Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me yet.” I cocked my brow. “I have no idea what the kid will show up with. It could be all pajamas and flipflops. You never know.”
“Whatever it is, I’ll make do.”
And just like that, the tension I’d been carrying started to fade.
Alina joined me at the table, and I unboxed our dinner. We talked a little more about Mother and her horses, and Alina asked a few questions about the casino. But mostly, we just sat there in silence, enjoying our meal. I didn’t mind. After the day I’d had, I actually enjoyed it.
When the plates were empty, Alina helped me clear the table and offered a smile as she muttered, “Thank you.”
“Sorry it took me so long to get you fed. I’ll do better tomorrow.”
“You were great. You’ve done more than enough.”
She held my gaze for a moment, then turned and made her way out of the kitchen toward the guest bedroom. I waited until the door clicked behind her before pulling out my phone. I hadn’t had a chance to check my messages, and I was eager to see if there was any word from Conrad.
I had a few random texts from Viktor, Mom, and Nikolai, and there were two voicemails from Shep and Conrad. I started with Shep. I clicked on his message, and he got right to the point. “Hey, man. Just letting you know that the camera footage has been cleared at all locations. No one’s gonna find anything they shouldn’t. Give me a shout if you need anything else.”
I felt like a small weight was lifted, but there was still more to come. I had no idea what news Conrad might have, so I scrolled down to his message and hit play. His voice came through steady as he said, “Looks like our buddy has fallen on hard times.”
Conrad chuckled at his own sarcasm before adding, “His brother and their lieutenant were murdered two nights ago, and it wasn’t pretty. Damn near beheaded them both.”
Two nights ago. That would’ve been the night Alek beat the hell out of Alina. The same night that she packed her things and ran. That explained the angry phone call and the reason Alek hadn’t chased her down. He was too busy trying to pick up the pieces of his falling empire.
Conrad sounded pleased with himself as he said, “I told you the Albanians were done playing. Hell, they hit them hard this time. Stole a shipment that was worth millions and torched two of their main warehouses. They’re in a full-blown war now.”
War would mean lockdowns across the board. All eyes would be on a counterattack. Not Alina. Hell, I wouldn’t have been surprised if they didn’t even know Alina was gone. I let out a deep breath and let the relief settle in my chest.
We weren’t in the clear.
Not even close, but at least it gave us some time.
“I will stay on top of things, and if I hear any more, I’ll give you a call.”
With that, the message ended. I sent him a text, thanking him, then grabbed the half-empty bottle of wine and made my way to my bedroom. It was time to put an end to this hellacious day. But I had a feeling that there would be more to come.
Many, many more.
I wouldn’t be able to truly rest until I dealt with Alek and the family. It would be the fight of my life, but I was ready. I had to be.
12
ALINA
It had been almost a week since I came to Little Rock searching for Viktor. I’d hoped that he would find it in his heart to help me, but I still haven’t had a chance to speak to him. Sergei had taken it upon himself to bypass his brother entirely and brought me to his apartment. I was a little nervous about the idea. I knew Sergei from my childhood, but only through the time I’d spent with his family and brother.
I remembered him as this fierce being with intense eyes and a chip on his shoulder. That hadn’t changed, but he’d offered his hand, and I’d had no choice but to take it. While I had no idea what it was, he was working on a plan to help me, but it was taking a great deal of time and patience.