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“Hop the fence?” I suggested.
“With all the patrols? That’s insanity.” Sophia held up a cell phone with the word ‘Niko’ flashing into the dark kitchen.
“What is your cousin going to do?” I hissed. Already, I didn’t like this. Going behind Viktor’s back wasn’t the way to ingratiate myself with him. But what other choice did I have? The marriage contract was damn near unbreakable. “When you said you had a plan—”
“He’s here! Run!” Sophia shot back.
Although my gut clenched in warning, I ignored the fact that this was likely a bad idea and dashed behind her out the back door, running around the house and spilling onto the drive. A powerful German vehicle prowled around the circular driveway, pausing only long enough for us to enter. I couldn’t help pausing and looking back at the house. Viktor would be furious. Falling into the car, we gasped for breath. Sophia had a huge smile on her face, but I couldn’t stop shivering with regret.
“The guards will have told Viktor. Go cuz, go!” Sophia laughed.
“He will geld me,” Nikolai complained.
“And I will consider our debt wiped,” Sophia placated. “Duck, Bri!”
The Bratva prince barely paused at the gate. I made eye contact with a guard and saw him reach for his radio, but Nikolai sped through the partially lifted gate to the sound of Sophia’s breathless whoops of delight.
Leaning back against the seat, I squeezed my eyes closed.He told us not to...
“Where do you need to go?” Nikolai asked.
“The Hyatt Regency on Colorado Boulevard,” Sophia rattled off.
“Soph,” her cousin warned.
“I need to talk to my future sister-in-law about bridesmaid dresses.” Sophia rattled the lie like a pro.
He didn’t argue and it was hard to say if her cousin bought it or wanted to play ignorant. If knowledge was power, Sophia was the queen of the underworld. Good thing we were besties.
As we drove into the night, my phone buzzed. I chewed my lip and didn’t look at the screen. I knew who it was, and the great grizzly wasn’t going to be pleased by this display of defiance.Rashact of defiance, my brain chirped.
“Do you need a ride back?” Nikolai asked as the car slowed.
“Nah, we’ll call Viktor.” Sophia squeezed her cousin’s shoulders and then sprang out of the car right as it came to a stop.
“Thanks,” I managed to choke out before following her.
Even though it was nearly midnight, the entry to the luxurious hotel was buzzing as people arrived after a long dinner or in search of nightlife. The chilled blast of the airconditioned interior swarmed out to meet us. There were two bald men standing sentinel in the lobby, and they zeroed in on us immediately.
As Sophia glided to the front desk, I heard a guttural Slavic curse behind us, and I looked over my shoulder to see Nikolai throw his keys to a valet.
“The Volkov suite, please,” my best friend said in her most charming voice. “Tell them Sophia Markovich has a message for Anya.”
Nikolai caught up to us and grabbed his cousin’s arm. “We need to leave. This is insanity.”
While he spoke to his cousin, he cut a look to me. I read accusation in those beautiful eyes, the same vibrant blue as Sophia’s but not as earth shatteringly dark as my hulking grizzly bear’s.
The receptionist spoke into the phone and looked between us all. Then she held the phone out toward us warily.
Sophia pushed Nikolai’s hand off and tsked under her breath, “Stop it.” She reached for the phone. “Hi Anya, this is Sophia. I’m downstairs and wondering if you’d come down and join me for a drink?”
There was a pause.
“I do know what time it is, and I wouldn’t have come if it wasn’t urgent.”
Another pause. I risked a glance at the goons across the lobby. This meeting needed to happen; there wouldn’t be a second chance. I snapped my fingers and gestured to the phone. Sophia arched a brow at me.
“What are you doing?” Nikolai hissed to his cousin.
