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But she chose to leave in the morning, and the sun of a new day is already shining, so the clock is ticking. Leaving the protection of my estate going to get her killed, no doubt, but I’ll do everything in my power to prevent that from happening.
Not the leaving part, unfortunately, but I do have plenty of security at my disposal. Now that I know the Red Hitters are back to their devious ways, security is going to be much tighter. Nobody comes into this estate, and nobody leaves unless they’re escorted by a dozen armed guards.
That includes Lily, whether she likes it or not.
Plus, I’ve decided she needs to be tracked by GPS. Not only will it satisfy my curiosity about where she lives and works, which she has declined to tell me, but it will make her easier for my security detail to follow her without being spotted.
I slip out of bed, my feet hitting the warm rug beside the bed with a muffled thud. I look over my shoulder at the divine female form before leaving, wishing things could be different. One night isn’t enough, but a lifetime in her arms wouldn’t be enough either. She’s so perfect that it’s painful.
Tearing my eyes from her delicate body, I walk carefully over to the dresser and pull my phone out of the top drawer. Dialing Donovan’s number, I slip out of the bedroom and walk down the hallway naked.
“Ivan, I was waiting for a call,” Donovan blurts the moment he picks up the phone. “What have you been doing?”
“Laying low,” I reply, leaving out crucial information on purpose. I don’t want him knowing I got distracted by a woman. That would make me look weak.
“Probably a good idea,” Donovan says, his voice relaxing a bit. “They’re looking for you. Everyone is, really. Make sure you have security turned up to eleven at your estate.”
“Already on it,” I assure him. “What I want to know is why they’re coming down so hard all of the sudden. It’s been six months since we heard from them, and now they’re doing drive-by shootings at public cemeteries? It’s awfully bold.”
“I’ve gotten intel that new funding was approved for the department. They’ve added an entirely new set of people, at least a dozen, and now they’re buying military grade weapons. Things are about to get a lot more dangerous.”
I ball my hand into a tight fist, cursing under my breath as I reach the staircase. I descend it at a rapid pace, heat rising to my face as I process what he’s just told me. “We need to take them down. It’s got to be fast, before they come rolling through my house in a tank.”
“There’s going to be blood,” Donovan warns. “We already had an innocent person get hit at the funeral, and the police are all over the place, claiming the Bratva is behind it. Everyone who gets hit by a stray is going to be blamed on us.”
“That’s always been the case,” I reply. “Let the media write their stories and get their clicks. We’re not going to let it interfere with our business.”
“Fair enough, but you want to make sure the public doesn’t turn against us. We have deals with a lot of people around the city that would sooner drop us than get mixed up in a situation that’s going nuclear,” he says, his voice tight with concern.
I shake my head. “Nothing we can do about it, unfortunately. Besides, the money we get from those clients is nothing compared to what we’re going to get once we finish what Dimitri was working on. Project G. Don’t forget about that.”
“Do you have the research yet?”
I grip the phone a little tighter. “No, but I’m going over to his house today to get it. Care to join me?”
“That place will be crawling with Red Hitters,” he replies, his voice drenched in reluctance.
“Don’t be a pussy,” I growl. “That research is the only thing standing between us and nearly unlimited wealth. Do you realize how powerful we’re going to be once we finish it and begin selling the finished product?”
There’s a long pause, and I can tell Donovan is having doubts. He’s always the more skeptical one, the guy who doesn’t believe in things until he sees them with his own eyes. He keeps me in check, but the Bratva needs visionaries as well. Dimitri was a brilliant dreamer, but now that he’s gone, I have to take his torch and move us forward with the research.
“Project G is still alive. You’ll see,” I say, breaking the uncomfortable silence as I enter the kitchen. “I want you to meet me there is evening, just before sundown. We’ll move quickly, and with few people.”
“And if the Red Hitters are already there?” he asks.
I laugh. “Then we shoot the bastards. This is war, Donovan. Blood will be spilt, and I’m tired of walking on eggshells around those motherfuckers.”
“I guess I’ll bring my vest, then.”
“Bring grenades if you must, but make sure you’re prepared to move quickly. All we need to do is get the files and get out.”
“Easy enough,” he replies, but I sense sarcasm in his voice.
I ignore it for now, switching topics as I pull a glass bottle of sparkling water from my fridge. “I have something else for you to do in the meantime, by the way. A special mission, if you will, but keep it secret. This is just between us.”
“I though Project G was the secret,” he replies, sounding curious.
I smile. “That’s the main thing, but I have something more urgent. Dimitri didn’t die without leaving something behind. He has a niece, a twenty-five-year-old woman named Lily.”
