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“They will. The cargo is too valuable to leave sitting around like that. If they leave it, they’re missing out on millions of dollars’ worth of precious stones,” he explains. “And they don’t want us coming back for it either, so they’ll be quick to come down on it, like vultures to a dying beast.”
“And they won’t suspect a trap?” I ask, raising a doubtful eyebrow.
“Our job is to convince them that we’ve really abandoned it. Of course, they’re going to approach it with caution, but if we park it somewhere away from civilization and enough of us leave the train to create tracks through the snow, they’ll believe we had no choice but to cut our loses and run.”
“Again, that’s probably what we should be doing,” I say, but I know he’s not going to listen to me. He’s in too deep, and he’s not the type to turn back once he’s sunk his teeth in. I know that about him already.
Jasha gives me an impatient look. “We’re going topretendto give up, and that’s how we’re going to win. Lorenzo and his goons will come down on the train and try to figure out if anyone is inside. Once they realize it’s probably empty, they’ll board it, and then we’ll hit them from both sides – inside and out.”
It’s not a bad plan, but I feel like it’s more complicated and dangerous than he’s making it sound. It’s really easy to turn off my brain and trust Jasha when he’s talking with this much confidence, but I have a baby to consider. It’s not just me.
“You’re hesitant,” he says, taking a sip of his coffee.
I resist the urge to say something sarcastic. I know he’s just trying to help, and I probably don’t have a choice now that I’m having his baby. I’m damned if I do, damned if I don’t, but I think the damning on thedon’tend would spell certain death for me.
“I see where you’re coming from, but I’d like to know what kind of numbers we’re dealing with. Like, how many guys do you think Lorenzo is bringing in?” I ask.
Jasha’s eyes light up immediately, and he dives into another long-winded explanation. If we weren’t talking about killing people, it’d probably be cute.
Maybe it still is.
“The helicopter that came by could probably only hold four or five people, so I doubt they’ll return in that, and the only thing that’s fast and agile enough to catch up to us out here is another helicopter, probably a retrofitted cargo helicopter. I’ve used those before, and they probably fit around ten people.”
“Any chance they’ll bring multiple?”
“On such a short notice? No. I bet they won’t even be able to fill one of them. My estimate is less than ten, but they’ll be heavily armored. That’s why it’s important for us to take them by surprise.”
Without any experience, it’s difficult for me to poke any holes in his plan. Ultimately, he’s the boss, and I need to put my trust in him if we’re going to make this work long-term.
I bury my face in my tea for a moment, allowing the peppermint to soothe the anxiety that has a vice grip on my internal organs. Jasha reaches over the table and rubs my arm, and I let out a sigh I feel like I’ve been holding in since I sat down.
I look up at him, our eyes locking and my heart nearly stopping like it always does. “Okay,” I say, my voice catching in my throat and squeezing into a whisper. “Let’s do it.”
23
Jasha
Before I gather my men together and explain the new plan to them, I owe my brother a real explanation about what’s going on. I’ve been hiding the pregnancy from him, covering up my feelings for Lola, and it’s not fair for him to be helping me so much and remain in the dark about why I’m going to such great lengths to protect her.
It’s time to come clean.
Nikolai answers the phone almost before I’ve even finished dialing his number. “All filled up?” he asks.
“Yes, but that’s not why I’m calling.”
I can hear the tension between us through the phone, a small buzz of static that grows louder the longer it takes Nikolai to speak.
“What’s up?” he finally asks.
“The girl, Lola,” I reply, forcing myself to cut straight to the point. “I’m bringing her to the house once we get out of this shit. She’ll be living with me from now on.”
Nikolai lets out a deep belly laugh. “Here I was, thinking you were about to die or something and you wanted to call me to say goodbye, and you’re talking about some girl. She must really have your nuts in a twist.”
I shake my head, pressing the phone into my head like I’m trying to cut my skull open. “You’re not getting it, but that’s okay. I haven’t really explained it to you yet. What I’m saying is that Lola is pregnant with my baby.”
The moment the words leave my mouth, I know everything is going to be okay. I was crazy to be nervous about it in the first place. Nikolai went through almost exactly the same thing with his wife, unexpected pregnancy and everything. I was there to witness it.
And now, he’s going to be here to witness my journey into becoming a father. I’m not ready for it, but neither was he. I’m sure I’ll figure it out somewhere along the way.
