I pack enough clothes for a couple of days, and setting the bag down by the door, I then change out of my bathrobe into a pair of faded, black skinny jeans, a light gray t-shirt, and my favorite ankle boots. I tie my hair in a high ponytail so it will be out of my face, and then I look at my reflection in the mirror.
This is as ready as I’ll ever be for war.
It’s getting late, and opening my bedroom door, I walk to the kitchen. I glance at Nikhil, where he’s sitting on the couch, his eyes locked on me.
“Want some coffee?” I offer.
He nods. “Please.”
While I’m preparing two cups, I ask, “Do you think Demitri and Alexei will be much longer?”
“It depends,” is all he answers.
I bring Nikhil his coffee and then go back to the kitchen to sip on my own beverage.
Not able to fight my thoughts off any longer, they stream back. The grief of losing my father. The hurt and worry because of Yuri’s betrayal. The uncertainty and intensity when it comes to Demitri. It all floods through me like a tsunami.
I have no idea what waits for me in Russia. Up until now, I was still able to distance myself from most of it, but since we left the island, it’s becoming more real by the minute.
Part of me wants to say fuck it all, crawl under my bed and hide there until Demitri has taken care of all my problems.
But there’s a bigger part of me that wants to face off with my brother. I want to look Yuri in the eyes and show him I’m not that easy to dispose of. I want to unleash my anger and hurt on him.
I want to purge myself of all these damn emotions.
I want to stand strong before my enemies so they won’t come after me again.
I just wish I knew how to do that.
Chapter 20
DEMITRI
Alexei and I scope the motel and surrounding area, and then we sit in the car and wait for things to quiet down.
My thoughts are inundated with what happened between Ariana and me. While we were on the island, I didn’t have to worry about losing her. I was relaxed.
But now things have changed. Being back in work mode, it’s impossible to hold myself back, and I’m fucking over-possessive of her. Now that it’s all in the open between Ariana and me, I don’t regret it.
She’s mine.
I know this for sure now.
And she fucking loves it.
It’s time for Ariana to see who I really am and not the watered-down version she got to know on the island.
And I have a feeling it’s going to drive her fucking wild.
“What are you thinking?” Alexei asks while he stares at the motel through a pair of night-vision binoculars.
“I claimed Ariana,” I admit to him, finally ready to talk about it now that I’ve sorted through my own emotions.
He lets out a chuckle. “How did she take it?”
“She’s doing her best to resist it,” I say, my mouth lifting into a smirk.
“Why the change? This morning you wanted to rip my head off for bringing it up,” Alexei asks, glancing at me.
I meet his eyes. “I didn’t have to worry on the island. It was like a safety bubble where I could actually relax. Out here, we both know it’s a cut-throat game. It’s time for me to get back into work mode.”
Alexei places a hand on my shoulder. “Thank fuck. For a while, I was worried you’re so fucking pussy whipped you’d never be able to function normally again.”
I let out a burst of laughter. “Fuck off.” I glance around the area, and seeing it’s quiet, I say, “Let’s get this done.”
We both check our Heckler & Kochs and screw on the silencers, then opening the doors, we get out, and I fall into step beside Alexei. My eyes keep scanning over our surroundings, and when we reach the room where Tao is, I kick the door in, and holding my arms in a locked position in front of me, I move into the room.
Tao lunges to the side while taking a shot at us. I avoid his line of fire, and then Alexei fires off a shot, hitting Tao in the leg.
There’s a trickle of excitement in my chest from being back at work.
“Fuck,” Tao snaps as he limps toward the restroom.
“Dude, come on,” Alexei calls out. “Don’t make us run after you.”
“You declined the contract,” Tao calls out.
“Yeah, and you should’ve checked that the girl is an innocent,” Alexei says as I go after Tao. I kick in the bathroom door and then fire two shots, both hitting Tao in the chest.
“No hard feelings, though,” Alexei calls out, his tone filled with amusement.
I walk closer to Tao, where he’s gasping for air, and then plant a bullet in his head. “It’s done,” I let Alexei know while I stare at the body with great satisfaction.