AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I’m driving,” she says in case her seat choice didn’t make it obvious.
“You know your father doesn’t like that.”
“And I don’t care.”
I lean in closer and whisper, so I’m sure Igor, who’s at the passenger door, can’t hear, “I want a better life for you. You’re too good for this.”
She eyes me curiously. “What are you offering?”
Silence meets the question I can’t give her an answer to yet.
She huffs, “You have nothing. I’ll prove myself, yet.”
Lilia must have clicked the locks when she got in, and she only unlocks the back doors. As Igor and I hesitate, she says, “Fine, don’t get in.”
She slams her door, and we both jump in, knowing the stunts she’s pulled with other bodyguards.
“I see you, Lilia. You’re not like them,” I say from the back seat, carefully choosing my words with Igor present. “You don’t want to run the show.”
“Don’t tell me what I do and don’t want.”
“I’ve heard you talking to the other women. You don’t want to run criminal activities.”
Our eyes meet fleetingly in the rear-view mirror. Is she shocked that I’ve paid attention?
The potentially tender moment is killed when she says, “Shut up or get out of the car.”
“Pakhan won’t allow me to leave.”
“I don’t need two bodyguards. Tell him you need a different assignment.”
Why is she directing her words at me? Igor is the backup. “I’m your protector.”
That came out wrong. And feels way too wrong. I’ve never been swayed off task like this.
“I’m not a child who needs babysitting.”
No, she’s definitely not a child, but she just threw a kink in the entire plan to maintain her innocence. “I’m not babysitting, just trying to do my job. Do you want to get me fired?”
“No. Sit back and enjoy the ride. You’re about to see how my negotiation panned out.”
Four
Lilia
I’mproudofwhatI’ve accomplished—negotiating that the three best Lazovski Ubiytsa won’t shoot at any Soloniks. It’s only a piece of the puzzle since they have more Ubiytsa coming up through the ranks, but it’s something. Their three most skilled marksmen won’t take shots at us anymore.
While I fully consider my accomplishment a win, I didn’t like kidnapping Margot and Maverik. No matter how comfortable I made them, they couldn’t help but be afraid. But if that’s what I have to do to gain power, it’s a small price that will ensure less of the bad stuff happens in the future.
My father showed his true colors, though. A dwindling part of me still hopes this will be enough for him to see that I’m worthy, that I have a brain. There’s nothing about a Y chromosome that denotes better gray matter. In fact, I’m starting to wonder if it means you get a little bit less.
I fill Igor and Erik in on the fact that we’re heading to drop off, but don’t offer much more.
The Lazovskis pull up and I waste no time getting Maxim to verbalize his terms.
“We’ll never shoot another Solonik.”
I have his brothers do the same and finally release Margot and Maverik. Thank goodness. I hated keeping them captive. I don’t ever want to do that again.
