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Sean made a face, not happy about hearing about his brother’s sex life, and Jo laughed. I saw Viktor shaking his head out of the corner of my eye, and when I turned to look at him, he looked disgruntled.
“What’s wrong?” I asked quietly.
He scowled. “That man runs the entire city. We had to meet with him when we set up here to not start a war. And he is led around by his cock.”
Jo scoffed. “Like you’re any different. Are you saying if Rosie asked to stay with you when she was scared, you’d tell her no?”
When he hesitated, Jo raised her eyebrows. “Exactly. Stop pretending you’re better than him. Now, we’ve got a plan for getting Rosie to Mariana’s. What’s the plan for getting you there unnoticed? I’m not sure if people have connected you with her yet, but I don’t want to chance it if we don’t have to.”
* * *
While they went over ideas on getting Viktor to Mariana’s, Sean handed me the tray that Jo had set on the nightstand. He encouraged me to eat before my super secret trip. He was going to be going with me, since Liam decided it wasn’t safe for Sean to go back to the hospital while he was still refusing security. Sean didn’t argue, his focus on making sure I was okay. We’d be traveling separately, though. Just in case.
“Okay, so let’s go over it one more time. We’ve got a grocery delivery coming in soon. We’ll put you in a box to get you to the van, and someone will help you out and into a more comfortable position for the trip. Once you arrive at Mariana’s, you’ll go back in the box and they’ll bring you inside. You’re not claustrophobic, right?”
I shook my head. It didn't really matter if I was or not, since I needed to do this, but small spaces never really bothered me. The dark was another issue, but it made me feel better that they weren’t expecting me to hide in the box for the entire drive. I could handle a few uncomfortable moments, especially knowing Viktor was going to be waiting for me.
“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t exactly glamorous, but it’s the safest bet right now.”
Forcing a smile, I shrugged. “I-I’m okay. I really appreciate your help.”
She squeezed my hand gently, smiling back at me. “Just take deep breaths. It’ll be over before you know it.”
Sucking in a deep breath, I let her and Sean help me to my feet. The pain meds he gave me weren’t as heavy as the night before, but I was still a little wobbly.
“I will head there now. Keep me updated,” Viktor demanded.
Jo nodded once. “I will. Keep your head down and stay safe.”
He hung up, and fear trilled up my spine. This felt easier when he was right there with me. Jo noticed my trepidation and shot me a reassuring smile.
“It’ll be okay. The sooner we do this, the sooner you’ll get to him. Okay?”
“Okay…”
She squeezed my hand, leading me to the kitchen, where a few crates of food were being emptied. Marcus, the house attendant, was waiting by an empty crate. He flashed me a small smile.
“I tried to make it as comfortable as possible to ease your journey. Be safe.”
He’d tucked a few blankets and pillows inside. It was better than being on the hard wood. And when they helped me inside, I felt more like I was curled up in a little nest than hiding in a crate to escape my evil ex husband. Jo squeezed my hand one last time, and the lid closed. I’d done a lot of things in my life, mostly to escape Carson’s grasp. This was one of the craziest so far.
ChapterTwenty-Five
The journey was easierthan I’d thought and went without a hitch. When they pulled the lid off the crate and helped me out, I found myself in an absolutely massive Spanish style kitchen. It had exposed beams on the ceiling and beautiful tiles along the walls. The expensive appliances weren’t silver like you’d see in most luxury kitchens. They were bright blue and vibrant. Wide eyed, I stared around in wonder. Even Carson’s home wasn’t this beautiful, and he liked to brag about how much money he spent on upgrading it.
When my gaze finally shifted to the couple standing nearby, I flushed. I’d completely ignored them in favor of looking around. “I-I’m sorry.”
Mariana beamed. “It’s okay, Rosie. I’ll give you a tour after you’ve had some rest, okay?”
The man beside her nodded. “Mi mariposa, she was cut off from her culture for most of her life. I have made it my life’s mission to give her back the connection she had lost. Our home is a representation of our combined cultures. It is, however, quite large, and you look tired. Waiting is probably best.”
The trip was stressful, and lying down was probably for the best, but that wasn’t what I wanted right now. Not until Viktor showed up.
“Is he…”
“I am behind you, ?????.”
Spinning around, I winced against the pain. I’d been so busy looking around, I hadn’t even seen him. Without hesitation, I darted forward. He met me halfway, pulling me into his arms and leaning over until I was surrounded by him. It was just like I remembered, warm and safe, and I melted against him.
