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“Good. Keep her there while I find out whatever the fuck is going on. If she makes a fuss, threaten her with violence.”
Mila snorts. “Like that’s ever worked before.”
But she does as I say, falling back to make sure the littletigrionokstays where she belongs.
“I don’t think it’s a good idea that you go,” Dima says as I resume my jog toward the front of the line. He grabs my shoulder to make me grind to a stop. “Let me check first.”
“Like hell I will.” I shoulder-check him out of my way. He sighs, but I hear his stride pick up as he follows me.
My car was the sixth in line. Benedict was two cars ahead of me. I approach his and pop the trunk to reveal the Bellasio don tied up like a Thanksgiving turkey, with half a dozen Bratva guns trained on his face. Few sights make me more pleased.
Though I do see a glint of excitement lurking behind the venomous glare in his eyes. He thinks he smells a rescue in the air.
“It’s not happening today, motherfucker,” I growl. Then I slam the trunk on his moronic smirk.
I stride the last bit of the way to the first car in the procession and immediately see the problem. A massive tree has fallen across the path, kicking up dirt that I mistook for smoke. It’s three of me in diameter, far too big to cut to pieces without specialized equipment. Driving around isn’t an option, either—it’s densely thicketed woods on either side.
My men milling around the scene of the accident have already reached the same conclusion: the only way out is to retrace our route and go back the way we came from.
“Fuck,” I mutter, looking back over my shoulder. This isn’t right. Something is missing from this equation. “I heard an explosion.”
“Over here, sir,” Stepan says from a few steps off the road. I can see him through the looming trees, squatting down and examining something on the ground.
“What is it?” I ask, inching closer.
“This wasn’t a freak act of nature.” He points at the charred black remains of earth where someone had detonated an explosion large enough to take down the monstrous tree.
“Motherfuckers,” I growl.
Dima straightens up immediately. “This has Gregor’s fingerprints all over it,” he says. “Ilarion, we need to take cover. There’s an attack coming.”
I turn back toward the vehicles where the women are. Armored vehicles can only hold off so much. We’re still entirely too exposed for my liking, and strung out along the road.
Easy pickings.
I grab hold of Dima. For once, I let him see just how panicked I am. “Protect her at all costs,” I growl, my eyes darting around the forests, looking for signs of the hail of death that’s surely on its way. “Over everyone. Do you hear me?”
“Brother…” Dima says gently, forcing my gaze to him. “Protectwhoat all costs? Which one?”
Not so long ago, the world was in the palm of my hand. I had the perfect plan, all outcomes laid out so neatly before me. I was the fucking puppet master.
Now, it’s a disaster. All because of a tiger cub who ran across the road without looking and stood crying in the rain when I asked her what she wanted from her life.
How the fuck did it all go so wrong?
“Taylor,” I say without hesitation. “Protect Taylor.”
Dima nods solemnly. “With my life.”
“Men!” I yell.
The ones closest to me gather around, while the others climb on top of their vehicles so that they can hear and see me. “The Bellasios think they can corner us here and take us out.” My grin is wolfish but it does not meet my eyes. “We’re about to show them just how stupid they are.”
I’m answered with a hearty war cry that sends the blood pumping harder in my veins. “We hold our ground for the next ten minutes while our scouts check the area. Then, we turn around and find another route home.”
They stamp their approval of the plan. Satisfied, I walk towards…
I stop short when I realize I’m not sure which car I’m stopping to check on first.
