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Roman had been gratified by Lyon’s insistence on coming. Roman was owed assistance — he’d done his part when Lyon had needed help in Chicago — but he’d expected Lyon to send some of his men. That Lyon was coming himself spoke to an honor code Roman shared and Roman was relieved they would have the other man on their team. Roman couldn’t afford to pilfer his street soldiers for the operation, not with both Igor’s men and Russia’s on their asses.
“Pavel is still on-site?” Roman asked.
Max nodded. “Freezing his ass off, but he’s there.”
The city was showing signs of spring, but it was always colder upstate, a blessing in the summer and a curse in the winter. It wouldn’t matter. Once Roman and the men were moving on the house that had become Igor’s command center, cold would be the last thing on Roman’s mind.
The city gave way to suburbs, then to sprawling snow-covered fields and sheer granite cliffs along the highway. They passed several medium-size towns — commuter meccas for anyone looking to pair higher salaries in the city with lower housing prices — and stopped at a rest stop to use the bathroom and buy coffee.
By the time they passed Albany, it was dark and nearing midnight. Traffic had thinned on the highway, the Escalade driven by Mat clearly visible in Roman’s side mirror.
“ETA?” Roman asked Max.
“Forty-two minutes,” Max said.
It seemed an impossibly short amount of time to end the war he’d been fighting against his father, a war he’d been fighting his entire life.
In the next two hours, Roman would seize the bratva’s crown.
He would be king — or he would be dead.
33
RUBY
They sat on the sofa, a plate of homemade cookies on the coffee table with a glass of milk for Olivia and a cup of tea for Ruby.
“Come join us, Vera. The kitchen can wait,” Ruby said.
“Psht,” Vera said. “Is lazy to leave kitchen dirty after baking.”
Ruby didn’t bother trying to convince her. Vera was stubborn as a mule.
She’d been around more since Igor had left the city with Roman’s mother. Ruby always enjoyed having Vera in the loft — and Ruby loved her — but she was especially grateful for Vera’s presence tonight.
It was strange being in the city knowing Roman was moving farther and farther away from it. Maybe it was because his inner circle — Max, Pavel, Mat — had left the city as well, but Ruby felt vulnerable.
She would never admit it to Roman, but she didn’t feel as safe knowing he would be hours away.
She silently chided herself. She and Olivia were fine. Vera was here, and Georgiy was patrolling downstairs just like always. She’d just gotten used to having Roman nearby.
“Mommy…” Olivia whined.
“Sorry honey,” Ruby said, pressing play onGremlins. It was one of the few older movies Ruby hadn’t shown Olivia and she’d promised they could watch it after Olivia made cookies with Vera.
The movie started with a swell of cheerful music and Ruby settled back on the couch and pulled the blanket from Olivia’s bedroom over them, cocooning them in warmth.
Olivia’s gaze was glued to the screen, the water running in the kitchen sink as Vera did the dishes.
Ruby looked at the wall of windows, the sky dark over the lights of the city. She wondered where Roman was, how many hours away.
“You’re not watching, Mommy,” Olivia said.
Ruby forced her gaze back to the screen. “I am.”
She sank deeper into the sofa. She was being ridiculous.
34
