Total pages in book: 64
Estimated words: 61142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 61142 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 306(@200wpm)___ 245(@250wpm)___ 204(@300wpm)
I freeze, but Lev springs into action.
He’s gone in a second, and by the time I get to the bedroom, I see Josh standing at the open door looking up at a woman. Lev is beside him, hand on Josh’s shoulder, one leg almost blocking Josh’s view of the stranger.
“I brought towels, sir. We didn’t clean the room today.”
“Thank you,” he says and takes them.
A moment later she’s gone, and I can breathe again.
Lev turns to Josh.
“When someone knocks, you let Mommy or me open the door, okay?” His voice is tight even though he’s trying to sound more casual than I know he feels.
Josh looks at him in confusion, then his lower lip begins to tremble because he must sense this shift in Lev’s mood too.
“You’re not in trouble, Josh,” I say, gathering him up in my arms. “It’s just that we have to be careful with strangers, that’s all.”
He nods, burying his face against my chest.
Lev straightens, puts the stack of towels on the bed, and looks at his watch.
“We need to go, Kat. The car should already be here.”
16
Kat
Josh and I sit in the back of the SUV while Lev rides in front. I’m anxious as we weave through rush-hour traffic, the driver not saying a word and Lev texting something into my phone. Since his was dead, he left it in the room charging and took mine.
“I’m hungry, Mommy,” Josh says.
“We’ll get you something to eat soon,” I tell him. He hasn’t eaten since our late lunch, and I don’t have a snack with me.
“We’re almost there,” Lev says, turning a little.
I nod, biting my lip. A few minutes later, the SUV comes to a stop, and both Lev and the driver climb out. The driver opens my door, and I slip out. Lev grabs Josh up in his arms and keeps hold of him. We walk toward the two men standing beside the door.
“Bag,” the one says to me.
I’m confused, and I look back at Lev who nods. I open my bag for him to look inside. Lev took the gun and placed it in the hotel safe before we left.
After looking through my bag, the man tells me to stretch my arms out.
“I’m going to get Josh a pretzel. We’ll be right back,” Lev says, signaling for me to do as they say while distracting Josh.
I watch how he keeps Josh’s head turned away as the men search me. Once they’re satisfied, I watch Lev and Josh return, Josh chomping on a huge soft pretzel.
“Why don’t you and Josh wait inside? I’ll be right there,” he tells me, handing Josh to me. I know Lev is armed, and I guess they’ll take his gun and cell phone from him like he said they’d done earlier.
I wait just inside the door the man opens, and a moment later, Lev joins us. He takes Josh from me, and his hand rests on my back as I follow the man through the busy club to a staircase at the back. I glance at Lev again before descending, and he gives me his nod.
Downstairs is quiet. There’s a bar here too, but far fewer people are in this one, and all are men.
I know instantly which one is Gleb. I’d know this was the man in charge even if I weren’t here knowing what I know because he radiates power.
He’s older than I expect because he’d have to have been at least twenty years older than my mom. He’s tall, too, as tall as Lev. I see it when he stands and buttons his suit jacket, dark eyes zeroed in on me.
“Lev?” I hesitate, turn.
“Go on, Kat.” He takes my hand, and when we get closer, Gleb pulls out a chair and looks at Josh. Although I can’t read the man, I swear surprise crosses his features.
“Katerina,” Gleb says when I get as far as I can, the only thing between us the chair. He searches my face, takes in my dye job, which I admit is a little messy, but I didn’t have the luxury of time. His eyes are intense, and he almost smiles as though he’s just thought of something. “Turn around.”
“What?”
“I need to see something.”
I turn my head, not sure what he wants, but then I feel his hand at my hair, brushing it away from the back of my neck before pushing my sweater down a little. That’s when I realize what he’s looking for.
He makes a sound, and I turn back to face him.
“Every member of my family has that same mark. Looks better on a woman,” he says with an attempt at a joke, but I get the feeling this meeting is heavier on him than he expected.
The mark he’s talking about is the heart-shaped birthmark on my back, just below my neck. Josh has it too in exactly the same place.