My father has not only sent men after us, he’s sent the cavalry with my brother here. If we don’t get away, I know death with quickly follow for both of us.
Once Father realizes where my loyalties lie now, he’ll kill me along with Valery. The three men he sent after us at Valery’s hotel chase us down the street, shouting instructions to each other.
“They’re going to catch us,” I call out to him.
“Not if I have anything to do with it,” he replies, eyes laser focused as he pulls me through the crowd with a clear destination in mind. “I have a plan, printessa.”
We dodge around people coming the opposite direction and then Valery leads me down the steps into the metro. And then he rushes through the crowd to platform six, where a train is about to leave the station. Hopping on just before the doors shut.
I glance up at the line map above the door. “Where are we getting off?”
“The last stop.”
My brow furrows as this takes us to a train station on the outskirts of Moscow. “And then?”
His jaw works. “We’re leaving Russia entirely.”
“What?”
When he suggested running, I never gave it much thought as to where we’d be running exactly. I assumed maybe St. Petersburg.
“Where did you think we’d run to?” He asks, shaking his head. “You know how powerful your father is in Russia.”
I nod, contemplating a life outside of the Soviet Union and Russia. Strangely, despite knowing only this place my entire life, I don’t feel sad about the prospect of leaving it behind.
“What country are we going to?”
“I’m hoping America.”
“And if not?”
“Then we will remain in England, our first stop.”
I nod in response, thankful that it’s a western country. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to America, land of the free, where it doesn’t matter what I want to read or listen to.
I know he told me he loves me, but it still feels hard to believe that he risked everything, even his life, for me. “You risked everything for me. Why?”
He cups my cheeks, gazing into my eyes deeply. “I told you, malishka. I love you.” He kisses me quickly. “I knew the moment I set eyes on you that I’d never let you go.”
The train starts to move, speeding us away from my father’s men and imminent danger.
“I love you too,” I say, trying to keep it together as pain claws at my throat. “How did my father find out?”
Valery clenches his fists. “I’ve known for a while that not all my men are loyal, and with the price on my head coupled with me stepping down as pakhan, it was only a matter of time until they betrayed me.” His brow furrows. “I did expect a bit more time than one hour, though.”
I set my hand on his arm, which is tense. “Relax, we’re free now.”
“Don’t get ahead of yourself, printessa.” He wraps his arm around me and pulls me against his chest. “Until we’re on that plane, until you are safe from harm, I won’t relax.”
I rest my head against his chest, enjoying the warmth he provides. “I love you,” I murmur softly.
He holds me close. He may be cautious, or some would say pessimistic, but there’s some kind of sixth sense that tells me we will make it out of this alive. Our love will conquer my father’s hatred.
18
VALERY
The taxi pulls into the private airstrip where the jet is waiting to take off. “We’re here,” he says.