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Pulling me closer to him, he continues. “But for all the darkness, I remember a mother who loved us, who would try to lose our protection detail and take us to art galleries, who would sneak us chocolate chip cookies and warm milk in our bed at night, or pile us all into her car and drive us to Jersey shore, just so we could splash around and experience a normal childhood. But the life got to her. I was young, but I knew something wasn’t right. I just couldn’t help her.”
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper, trailing my hand down his biceps.
“You lost your mother, too.” He acknowledges, pulling back so he can look at me.
“Yeah.” I sigh, a hollow ache blooming in my chest. “It was hard, but I was so young. Just turned four years old when my mom got sick. That’s why my dad is so important to me. He’s the only family I have.”
“I know, and I’m going to make sure you get back to him.”
“Will you let me design a tattoo for you? One representing Kira?” Anticipation buzzes in my veins. He’s quiet for a moment, looking past me into the shadows of the room. “If I find her, that is.”
“If you find her, I’ll give you the world.” He lowers his face, meeting my eyes. It’s almost too much, too intense, like staring into the sun. His lashes are spiked with moisture, his thick hair tousled and sexy looking. He traces his thumb over my bottom lip and kisses me softly. I don’t know what any of this means, but I know I’ve never felt safer or more protected in my life.
Maybe it’s foolish, but I do trust him. I trust him with my life.
“Please promise me something?” I ask. “No matter what happens, you’ll look after my dad.”
“Nothing bad will happen to you, krasotka.I swear it.” His voice is hard as nails. Conviction seeped into every word. Andrei seems to believe he has the power to control the moon and stars, but I know that anything in life is possible.
“Fine, I believe you. But still, I need to know before I go back to Oleg. No matter what—”
“You have my word.” He curves his big palm around my jaw, his thumb brushing over my cheek as he gazes down at me. “I will take care of everything, including your father. But you can’t be worrying about this right now.” His voice is nearly a whisper—an erotic caress over my skin. “Now it’s time you slept. I used your body hard, and I intend to do it again before the sun is up.”
I yawn and stretch out, feeling deliciously satisfied. “I look forward to it,” I say, as I drift to sleep secure in his arms.
Chapter28
ANDREI
Trailing behind Leo, I keep my gun at my side, alert for any sounds or movements around us. We are creeping along the perimeters of a long-forgotten industrial warehouse close to the Newark airport, where Oleg has stowed his latest shipment of illegal weapons.
My family doesn’t deal in arms trafficking, preferring white collar cybercrime that comes with way less red tape and political machinations, and much more profit. But I’m not fucking around anymore. Taking over this shipment is the first of many injustices I have planned to make sure Oleg’s legacy dies with him. Which is going to be very fucking soon if I have my way.
I am out to destroy Oleg Antonov anyway I can. And that means taking over each and every racket that he controls. When we walk away today, this warehouse and everything in it will be ours. Moving forward, my organization will be the primary contact for arms into the U.S. I’ve met with the Nigerians and the Saudis and we’ve come to an understanding that I now control arms trafficking all along the east coast.
Today is both payback, and a message tied up with one bloody bow.
“Exterior guards have been taken out,” Leo murmurs. He pulls the Glock out of his holster, checks the chamber, and keeps it in hand. “We’re good to go in.”
“Let’s move,” I say, ready for action. Craving it. With the Antonovs, revenge is personal and Iwantto get my hands dirty.
The warehouse is a wide-open cavernous space. I didn’t expect the goods to be displayed so prominently, but aisles of metal racks are piled high with smuggled submachine guns, assault rifles, and heavy machine guns—whatever goodies the latest shipment brought in from Liberia. Crouching low, we take cover in the dark outer edges of the room. It’s the center that’s lit up, a dangling light fixture shining down on the brigadiers like a spotlight.
Weapons are spread out on the table in front of the three bozos, all of them smoking and talking in rapid fire Russian, excited about something or other. They’re relaxed, no sense that danger is imminent, no prickle on the back of their neck to alert them that predators lie in wait. Even the four guards—one in each corner of the room—look bored.
I stay behind Leo as we army crawl deeper into the room, still bathed in the shadows. Daniil and Yulian are positioned on the roof, providing intel and cover. The rest of my men are fanned out in a tactical position around the premises, including on the opposite end of this room. We have the warehouse surrounded, though Oleg’s men don’t know it yet.
Leo holds up three fingers, then two, then one. It’s showtime.
Chaos erupts around me as my men step out of the shadows and into the light, each one focused on a different target. My elbow meets the nose of the guard beside me. He’s practically a kid, but that doesn’t stop me from slamming bone into his brain. He goes slack in my arms, but I hold his body tight to mine, using his girth as a shield as gunfire explodes around me.
With a tortured cry, another guard lunges towards me, but I don’t give him time to do any damage. Tossing the dead guard, I pull a gun from behind my back, shooting my attacker in his right shoulder. He drops his gun, grabbing his arm and howling in pain as I tower over him.
“Not so fast, my friend.” Fear flashes in his eyes as he looks straight at me. “I just want to make sure that you send our regards to your bratva friends. Oh wait, you won’t be around long enough to do that. Too fucking bad,” I say, pulling the trigger. This time, I hit him square between his eyes.
Leo is at my side, head tilted towards the door as I drop this idiot like a sack of potatoes. “The room is clear. Let’s go.”
“That’s all?” I frown. It was barely two-minutes of fun, but we sure accomplished a hell of a lot in those two minutes. Bodies litter the room, all of them loyal to Oleg. At least there's that.
