Page 12 of Gilded in Blood

Sarah nods, still looking shaken from the earlier scene. “Be careful, okay? Text me.”

I wheel Milana’s suitcase out to the car. While they finish their goodbyes, I open the passenger door and quickly sweep out the shards of glass from the shattered window, making sure the seat is clear. The last thing I need is her getting more cuts. I toss her luggage into the trunk, then pull out my phone and dial the pilot.

“Get the jet ready. We’ll be at the airfield in twenty minutes.”

“Copy that.”

I hang up and head back inside. “Milana. Time to go.”

She gives Sarah one last hug, then follows me out. I keep one hand near my gun as we walk to the car, eyes scanning the street, the shadows, every parked vehicle. No tails. But I stay alert the entire drive, checking mirrors constantly, taking a few evasive turns just to be sure. The city lights blur past as I push the car faster toward the private airfield.

We reach the airport without incident. I park close to the jet, unload her suitcase, and guide her up the stairs with a hand at the small of her back. The pilot nods at us as we board. The cabin is quiet, it’s just us, aside from the cabin crew moving softly in the background.

As the jet begins to taxi, I settle into the seat across from Milana, watching the way she curls into herself, and I force my gaze out the window as the plane lifts off, taking us back to the States.

Milana

The engines of the private jet hum as we prepare for takeoff. I’m sitting across from Ilya, and I can’t seem to shake the intensity of his stare.

This close to him, I can now make out the real color of his eyes, a striking steel gray, piercing in a way that feels like they see straight through me. When the cabin lights catch them at the right angle, they almost look silver, sharp and metallic, like polished blades reflecting danger.

He breaks the silence first. “So, you can’t shoot?”

I shake my head. “No.”

He studies me for a long moment. “Then how do you protect yourself?”

“I know some self-defense. I’m not completely helpless.”

The look he gives me as his gaze drags slowly from my face down my body and back up again says he doesn’t believe a single word. Just because I’m slender and look delicate, people always assume I’m fragile. I’m used to it. Right now, though, I’m too exhausted to argue.

I rub my temples. “Can I have my phone back? We’re about to take off. I need to let my brothers know I’m okay.”

Ilya leans back in his seat. “It’s not safe yet. I don’t know who might be tracking it. Until I can install a secure encryption and make sure there are no trackers, it stays off.”

I sigh. “But I need to tell them I’m on my way.”

Without a word, he reaches into his jacket and hands me a burner phone. I take it and see my brothers’ numbers has been selected. I dial Mikhail.

He answers on the first ring. “Ilya?”

“It’s me.”

“Milana, I take it you’re with Ilya now?”

“Yes, we’re about to take off.”

“Good. You okay?” His voice is tight with worry.

“I’m fine.”

“We’ll be waiting for you when you land. Don’t give Ilya any trouble.”

I almost smile. “Okay.”

“Safe flight, little sister.”

I end the call and hand the phone back to Ilya. A wave of gratitude washes over me. I hate how this pulls me back into the family chaos, but I’m so thankful they sent someone. If they hadn’t… those men who attacked us could have taken me. Or worse, they might have gone after Sarah next.