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I open her second text, and the words jump out:Anton is taking me to you.
“Call Anton,” I bark at Pavel, and he speaks to his phone attached to the dash.
My blood runs cold. If Eden meets me, she might be walking into a trap. Would she risk it if she knew? Maybe she’s having second thoughts. I shake my head. Eden hasn’t lied to me, and she’s not lying to me now.
The thought of her beautiful face twisted in the agony of death fills me with a fear I’ve never known before.
Anton’s booming voice fills the SUV. “I’m heading to Jersey City to find Nikolai,” he pauses. “Eden is with me. Life or death.”
“Dammit …” I curse.
My ego mocks me for allowing myself to fall for her. Anger scorches me for still believing she might be involved. The perfect plan to lure me into an ambush. I can’t turn back. I have to go after her. Is this what love does to a sane man? Does it turn him into a paranoid fool, constantly questioning the loyalty of the very person he loves?
“Are we heading for the property?” Pavel asks, his voice rising over the relentless rain outside.
“Try to intercept them,” I reply. “Turn the car around and head back to no man’s land.”
“Understood, pakhan,” he replies, swiftly executing a tight U-turn. The tires screech against the wet asphalt, mirroring the noisy reproofs in my head. The rain beats against the windshield, distorting the view of the dark road. But I barely notice the rain as a new text message flashes across my screen.
It’s from a hidden number, but there’s no mistaking who it’s from.
Give me back my daughter, and you won’t suffer long.
As the SUV speeds to our destination, I replay the nights in bed with Eden, searching for any signs of deceit in her eyes and kisses. But all I saw was love—raw, honest, and consuming. Is it possible that she’s only a pawn, like she says?
Or am I allowing my brother’s demise to cloud my judgment?
Why can’t I shake the feeling that Eden is hiding something from me?
“Nikolai Gennadyevich?” Pavel asks tentatively, his eyes flicking between the road and my reflection in the rearview mirror. “We’re almost there.”
The rain pelts against the windshield in a relentless assault, mirroring the storm about to erupt. The SUV hurtles through the darkness, and my grip tightens on the seat with every mile we cover. Pavel’s knuckles show white as he grips the steering wheel, his eyes narrowed in grim determination to beat Anton to the building.
“Anything suspicious?” I ask.
“Nothing yet,” he replies. “Should I tell them to stop and wait?”
“No, that will make them sitting targets with no cover,” I reply.
“What are we heading into, Nikolai Gennadyevich?” Pavel asks solemnly as he skillfully navigates the slick streets.
“An ambush,” I respond, staring out into the night. “Whether it’s Zakhar or the Lanzzare still remains to be seen.”
“Or both,” replies Pavel. “I’m with you. Until death.” He lifts his chin and answers with a steely resolve.
“Until death.” I pull out my Glock and check it. “And if you see Eden, your priority is to keep her safe.”
I want to trust Eden, to believe that she could never trick me, but everything seems too familiar, as if I’m repeating every mistake Matvei made that fatal night.
This was never supposed to be my burden to bear.
“Nikolai Gennadyevich?” Pavel’s voice breaks through my thoughts. “Gotov?” Ready?
“Gotov,” I lie, forcing a cocky smile onto my lips. “Now or never.”
The SUV slows to a crawl as we round the corner, stopping outside an empty apartment building under construction—the perfect place for an ambush. The spotlights illuminate the building from the outside, but the dark windows facing the street are ominous. Anton’s SUV is idling on the street, and Pavel parks behind it.
“Eyes sharp, Pavel.”
