“Not likely,” she answered. Sassy.
He didn’t know whether to kiss her or turn her over his knee—if they survived. She shouldn’t be having so much fun. Miron was leaking blood all over the front seat. Sevastyan looked as if he might shoot both of them, and he wanted to kill every single fucker in the two remaining cars. He’d had enough. These men were not Lazar’s. Not one of them he’d just shot. He knew the men from the lairs in his homeland, and none of them were recognizable. He wasn’t even certain they were leopard.
He glanced at the head of his security. “You recognize any of them?”
The car was on the long circular ramp and about to be spit out onto the highway. Again, Ania was accelerating. Mitya found himself clutching at the seat, his teeth clenched as they burst into the lane almost on top of a little van going half their speed. Their town car was pulling away from it before the driver managed to find his horn.
“Tell me what you want me to do.”
Ania was speaking to Sevastyan, not him. Mitya didn’t know why that enraged him, but it did. “What I want you to do,” he snapped, “Is lead these bastards right into our trap. Sevastyan, I want at least one of them alive. A couple would be better. Get on the fuckin’ phone and make this happen.” He poured command into his voice.
He’d been born to lead, and right then, he was leading his enemies into a trap. His woman was driving the car, but he had to accept that. He’d have a word or two with Sevastyan once this was over. Clearly, there had been some agreement between the two. “Let them catch up, Ania, but just give them glimpses until we’ve got everything set.”
Ania nodded. “They’re on the highway and threading through traffic.”
“Hopefully we don’t have cops out tonight,” Mitya said. “But if we do, lose them.”
“Of course.” She sounded confident.
It was difficult not to have faith in her when she was so at ease with the high-speed maneuvers she’d pulled off.
Mitya texted one-handed, holding his weapon ready in the other. He needed to warn his cousin Fyodor. Telling him what was happening was imperative. He had to know that the enemy was persistent. Whoever had put together the package for the Anwar family was coming after them. He had no idea who or why, but he was determined that this trap that had been sprung on them was going to be turned around and they would benefit.
“Need a helicopter to transport Miron and a surgical team,” Sevastyan said. “I called for that as well. They’ll be waiting at our drop point. Ania, can you circle around and get us back to the road leading to home?”
“I was born and raised in the hills above San Antonio. I know every exit and every back road. That gives me a little bit of an advantage. It helps that I was taught to drive on these roads by both my grandfather and father. I know places those following don’t have a prayer of knowing. That means yes.”
She wove in and out of traffic, keeping her speed steady as she headed for the exit they needed. She wanted a quick turnaround, off the highway and then right back on.
“The boys will set up just before Bannaconni’s ranch.” Sevastyan sent Ania a quick glance. “Can you get us there before they catch up to us?”
Ania didn’t deign to answer.
Mitya had time to take a breath and let himself admire her. The ride, now that they weren’t spinning madly and being thrown all over the car, was smooth even though they traveled at a high rate of speed and had to make lane changes more than once. Ania was absolutely confident behind the wheel of the car. He was used to driving with Miron, who always clutched the wheel and spent half his time looking in the rearview mirror rather than concentrating on what was ahead of them.
As a bodyguard, Miron was one of the best—as a driver, not so much. He’d volunteered and sincerely tried to improve. Maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea to allow his woman to drive—but he enjoyed their back-seat fucking. He wasn’t about to give that up. He had never looked forward to driving around before; now he made excuses to go out.
“Have you been able to stop Miron’s bleeding?” he asked as he peered out the back window, watching the SUV gain a little ground on them. The Audi was caught behind a red Cadillac. When the driver realized there was someone on his bumper, he startled and hastily changed lanes without signaling, just as the Audi did the same. The Audi nearly rear-ended the Cadillac. Mitya smirked a little, certain Ania wouldn’t have made that mistake.