“Are we moving this on, Carlos?” Igor says impatiently and I watch Simon get into the vehicle with Jules. He doesn't look at me or say anything. I can only watch as they drive away, leaving smoke from the gravel in their wake. But he’s safe.
“I can’t believe a son of mine would sell himself to the enemy. For what? Him?”
“For something you would never understand. Loyalty.”
My father stomps down the steps toward me. “You think you’ve won.”
I pull a gun from out of my holster, hidden inside my lightweight jacket and point it at his head.
“I know I have,” I say. As we stand facing each other, I hand over my final gift. “Igor, did you bring the collateral?”
“Ahh yes. Boys, bring him out of the car.”
Enrico is roughly pulled out of the car by two of Igor’s men and pushed to the ground at my father’s feet.
“I brought you your dog back,” I say, grinning at the fact that my father can’t believe he has been outplayed.
“I underestimated you, son,” he says.
“Not your son. I’m just a stranger passing through.”
I lower my weapon as Lucas grabs hold of my father, Mark grabs Enrico, and one of Igor’s men takes Bruno, binding them and taking them back into the house.
“How long do you need?” Igor asks.
“Two hours and we’re gone.”
“Have fun. My men will guard the area in case word has gotten out.”
“Trust me, nobody will come to save him.”
35
SIMON
“I ’m glad you’re okay, Simon,” Jules says to me from the driver's seat while I lay on my side in the back of the car. I thought I would feel happy when they came, relieved to be leaving, but I feel nothing. A dead void in place of my soul.
“Where are we going?” I ask quietly. I’m so tired.
“To the airport. We’re leaving as soon as the guys are done. We have our own section for private planes. Noah really pulled through for us, I doubt we would've been able to get to you so fast otherwise.”
“Great,” I say. So lucky.
“Simon, it's okay to show emotion after what you’ve been through.”
“Can we just not talk about it? I can’t talk about it, not with you or the others, I just can’t.”
“Okay. Aaron is excited to see you.”
“At least his incessant talking will take my mind off things.”
Jules laughs.
“Why isn’t he with the others? I thought he would be in on this.”
“Nah. Lev wouldn’t allow it, being in a different country and not knowing who we’re dealing with. He wasn’t happy being left behind.”
“Lev’s right. He’s doing the right thing not taking someone he cares about into a bad situation. Knowing Aaron, he would make it worse.”
