“I don’t want you to leave,” she says quietly, clutching my hands in hers as Adrian, Levin, and Max are talking. “I don’t know if I’ll ever see you again. I’ve only just met you–”
“I don’t plan on letting Art win,” I tell her firmly. “One day, when all this is over, and we’re safe again, we’ll have a chance. I have to believe that.”
She nods, swallowing hard. “I hope so.”
“What are you going to do?” I glance towards Adrian and Levin. “Has anyone talked about that?”
Natalia nods. “I’m going to stay here with Adrian for now. He said–”
“I’ll make sure she’s safe,” Adrian cuts in, turning towards us. “She and I will come up with a plan for what she can do next, once some of that heat that Volkov was talking about has died down.” He glances at me. “I promise, while she’s here, I’ll protect her.”
Even with the kindness he’s extended to us, I’m hesitant to trust him, but it’s Natalia’s decision. In the end, it comes back to the fact that Max and I trust Levin, and Levin has put his trust in Adrian. I nod, and Natalia reaches for me, pulling me into a tight hug. “We’ll meet again one day,” she whispers into my ear, and I nod fiercely, fighting back tears of my own.
There’s a plane waiting for us at the private hangar where we arrived. The ride there is silent, Max’s hand in mine, a feeling of steadily approaching dread filling us both. We hadn’t meant to go back to Italy for a long time yet, and we both know that there’s a very real possibility that this won’t turn out the way we hope it will.
The best-laid plans can fail, and this is far from being one of those. Though neither of us says it aloud, we both know we might never leave Italy again.
By this time tomorrow night, both Max and I could be dead.
But this time, whatever happens, it will happen with us together.
That’s all that matters to me now.
27
MAX
When we arrive on the tarmac in Italy, Levin has managed to arrange for a car to be there waiting for us. However, when we leave, we don’t head into the part of town where I’d normally stay. Instead, Levin drives us to a small town further away from where Sasha and I had stopped when I’d first brought here, paying for one room in cash for us under a false name. It’s not until we’re in the room, with the curtains drawn and furniture in front of the door, that Levin turns to me with a grim expression on his face.
“Call Art,” he says simply, sitting down on the edge of one of the beds.
Sasha is sitting crosslegged on the other bed, her hands in a tight ball in her lap, her normally pale face even whiter than usual. She looks terrified, and I can’t blame her. I wish all over again that I’d been able to leave her and Levin in Santorini, that I’d been able to go into this at least knowing that she would be safe.
The comfort of having her with me isn’t worth the risk of her dying, or being in Art’s clutches. But I’ve made too many mistakes trying to do what I thought was best for her, trying to keep her safe and subvert her judgment. If what she wants is to walk into this fire with me, then I have to let her.
Levin motions to Sasha to stay quiet as I dial the number that Art called from, leaving the phone on speaker as it rings.
He picks up after the first two. “Brother! I thought you might go back on the deal. Truthfully, I thought you’d think better of showing up yourself, let alone with Sasha in tow. Is that what you’ve called to tell me? That you’re willing to sacrifice your housekeeper for the woman you love? Or were you stupid enough to follow through and come with her?” Art laughs coldly. “You are just righteous enough to keep your word, even if it means trading her for a fucking glorified maid.”
“Giana spent her entire life serving and caring for our family,” I grind out between clenched teeth. “She cared for you as much as me, forallof us, like we were her own. I’m not going to let the end of that be her giving her life for us.”
“Is that supposed to pull at my heartstrings?” The sneer in Art’s voice is palpable. “Just answer the question, Max, before I get impatient. Did you bring Sasha? She’s what I really want, after all, even more than I want to see you dead.”
“She’s here,” I snap.
“Well, I’m going to need some proof of that, just like you want proof that your precious staff is alive,” Art hisses. “Five seconds, Max, or I start giving you new incentives.”
I motion quickly to Sasha, who moves closer to the edge of the bed. “I’m here,” she says, and I’m astonished at how calm and even her voice sounds. “We’re in Italy, Max and I. Just waiting on you to tell us where to meet.”
Levin has remained absolutely silent and motionless throughout it all, without giving the slightest hint that he might be in the room as well. He watches us both, his face giving away nothing.
“Good.” Art pauses, and there’s a rustling on the other end of the line. “Let him know you’re both alive,” he barks, and a moment later, I hear Giana’s tired voice.
“We’re alright,tesoro,” she says softly. “He hasn’t been gentle with us, but he hasn’t hurt either of us. Tommas is having a hard time, but we’re alive and well enough. Just not young enough for this sort of thing,” she adds with a hint of dark humor in her voice.
“Satisfied?” Art snaps, and I grit my teeth together to keep from cursing at him.
“I want to hear Tommas, too.”