AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Scarlett grips my hand, subtly steering me away.
“What the fuck was that about?” I shoot her a glance.
“Nothing,” she shrugs, looking back at me. “She popped up out of nowhere. I think she’s harmless. But I suppose she’s curious; she was the one who showed me the ad for the job with you, after all.”
“That right?”
I can’t shake a feeling of unease as we leave the emergency ward. A feeling that there’s more to Lena’s interest than meets the eye. But I push it aside for now.
“Any news on Art?” I glance around as we head through the reception. The rest of the team has melted out of sight, which is smart. The last thing we need is more attention than we’ve already drawn.
“They’re keeping him in for a couple of days,” she says. “The bullet went straight through. Carl convinced them that it was a hunting accident.”
“They believed that?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Do you think they’d argue with Carl?” Scarlett snorts.
I give a mirthless laugh. “Right.”
We make our way to the parking bay, where I spot the van idling nearby.
“Let’s get back,” I say, brushing Scarlett’s hands away as she tries to help me into the back. “We still have a long road ahead.”
The drive back to the estate is tense, each bump and turn reminding me of the woman at the hospital, filling me with a sense of unease. I’ve worked with shady motherfuckers long enough to know that something is off. She was there for a reason.
I glance at Scarlett occasionally, her eyes shut as she leans her head back against the side of the van, lost in thought.
“Tell me what you're thinking,” I say, breaking the silence.
She hesitates before answering, her voice low. “I, um… I guess I’m just worried about what’s next. There’s still so much we don’t know. About…” Her voice trails off before she takes a breath. “About us,” she says, shooting me a glance.
I don't answer because I'm not sure what to say to her. She’s right. I hadn't thought beyond getting through this night alive. A part of me wasn’t even sure we can pull it off. All I knew was that I’m going to tear Volkov apart, even if he takes me with him to the grave.
Without a response from me, Scarlett falls back into silence, and I let the conversation die.
We pull up to the estate, greeted by Luka and Ivan’s men. The air is heavy with the aftermath of our escape – casualties, injuries – but there's an undeniable sense of resilience and triumph in their expressions.
“Good to have you back, boss” Luka grins, clapping me on the shoulder. “I almost can’t believe we made it out.”
“Da,” I respond, suddenly realizing that despite the late hour, I’m ravenous. “Let’s get everyone together. We need to eat.”
Luka nods and walks off to make arrangements. Half an hour later, we all sit around the table, over some takeaway food Luka ordered from a nearby restaurant. Though I can feel everyone relax a little, I continue having a sense of unease crawling up on me. An unease that tells me something is off. That this is not over.
And I know better than to ignore it.
I glance around, watching as the strange assortment of characters getting along in a way that is bizarre to me. Hardened men rubbing shoulders with tech geeks and jewel thieves. The skinny kid and the woman have wedged themselves between Luka and Ivan, and all traces of animosity are replaced by casual banter.
“Here’s to being alive,” Scarlett raises a glass of water, her deep dark eyes meeting mine. “And… to whatever comes next.”
That line again.
“Na zdrovie,” I toast, clinking glasses with her as the others join in.
We drink, the warmth of the alcohol somewhat soothes my frayed nerves. We might not know what comes next, but tonight, we celebrate a battle won.
As I watch Scarlett in her seat beside me, her face alive as she speaks to Ivan, something tugs at my gut. Or maybe someplace higher…I feel my chest tighten.
This feels good.
