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Praying I was right as my skin crawled with fear that my apartment would be the next thing to go up in flames, I pulled out my phone and dialed Feliks. I put it on speaker and set the phone on the couch between us.
“Roman,” he boomed. “Have you arrived at your place safely?”
“No,” I lied. “We’re at a hotel. I checked in under an alias.”
“That was smart,” he said. “Just so long as you keep Karine safe, it doesn’t matter where you are. How’s my little girl?”
I could tell by the concern in the old man’s voice that I was right, and when I looked at Karine she had relaxed a little. There was hope in her eyes where there had only been despair a moment before.
“She’s fine,” I said. “Resting right now.”
Karine nodded silently. She may have no longer believed her father had made the order, but she still didn’t want to talk to him.
“Where should I send security?” Feliks asked.
“I’ve got my own guys on it,” I said. “No need to send anyone right now.”
“Are you sure?” he asked, worry dripping from his voice.
“Positive. Oh, and Feliks?” I asked, reaching over and clasping Karine’s hand in mine. “If I ever see that little shit Demian again, I’ll kill him with my bare hands.”
“What’s gotten into you?” Feliks bellowed.
“Why don’t you look into it,” I said, ending the call with a jab of my finger. “See?” I said to Karine. “You were wrong about your father.”
She had to be, or else I’d been found out. And if I’d been found out, why risk hurting Karine when Feliks could have just as easily lured me somewhere and shot me. I was going to meet the man for golf that afternoon, for God’s sake. He could have done it then.
I had an almost overwhelming urge to tell her all that to put her at ease. It was one thing to be betrayed by a friend, but by the father she adored? Of course I couldn’t tell her any of it because then I would lose her. Or she’d kill me herself.
I was beginning to think that was what I deserved. All I could do to redeem myself in any way was to keep her safe.
“We really need to move to a hotel,” I said. “And soon.”
She nodded, not needing me to spell it out for her that there was no one we could completely trust. We headed back down to the car, and I drove around the city for a while, keeping my eyes peeled for a tail. I didn’t want to message Evelina, because as much as it pained me I couldn’t trust the Morozovs either. Not when Karine’s life might have still been in danger. For all I knew, something had gone south, and they were hanging me out to dry.
Was it just two months ago that I had lived the simple life of a billionaire investment specialist? I’d jumped right into a tank full of sharks, and now Karine was swimming along with me.
“I think we’re okay,” she said, craning her neck to look out the back window. “Nobody’s been following us.”
“You’re probably right,” I agreed. “Next hotel that doesn’t look like it’s got bedbugs.”
I was trying to make her laugh, or even smile, but she only nodded wearily. “Maybe we can aim a little higher than that,” she said.
“You got it. Better than bedbug-free.”
I headed toward the airport and pulled into the first luxury hotel in the vast line up of them. After I checked us in, I came back to the car to collect her, grabbing the gun I kept in the glove compartment and stashing it in the back waistband of my pants. We rode up the elevator in silence with our heads down. Karine had pulled the hood of her sweatshirt almost completely down to her nose and kept a tight grip on my hand until the elevator deposited us on our floor.
When I’d first started this endeavor, Evelina had advised me to get an anonymous credit card that I could refill as needed, to use in just such a situation. This was the first time I’d had to take advantage of that good advice and I was glad I hadn’t been cheap when I charged it. There was no reason to scrimp, so I’d gotten us the best available suite.
“Oh, this is definitely better than bedbug free,” she said when we got into the big, airy suite.
“I guess there’s no reason to be uncomfortable when you’re on the run,” I said, setting the gun carefully on the bar before pulling her toward the plush seating area near sliding glass doors leading out to a balcony. “I don’t know what kind of view we’ll get out here, though.”
To my surprise, as soon as we were settled on the loveseat, she threw her arms around me, practically crawling into my lap as she strangled me in a tight hug.
“Thank you,” she breathed against my neck.
I slipped my arms around her and stroked her hair. “What for?” I asked.
