Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90084 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 450(@200wpm)___ 360(@250wpm)___ 300(@300wpm)
“Yeah, it’s all good, but what would you do if I said it wasn’t? Try to fight him?”
He snorts and waves a hand in the air. “Hell no. I’d call in the National Guard.”
That makes me laugh, and a lot of the tension between us fades. We’re never going to be best friends—but maybe Luka and I can have a civil future together.
Valentin’s waiting in the hallway, as promised. He gives me a hard stare once Luka’s out of sight then roughly pulls me into his arms. He buries my mouth with a kiss like he’s marking his territory.
The possessive psychopath.
“You need to get in bed,” I tell him, pushing him away.
“I’d prefer getting into bed with you.” A dark smile comes across his lips. “Come upstairs with me. I have a private room.”
This man. He’s absolutely insane.
“Give me a few more minutes with Mama, then I’ll come up.”
“Fine.” He kisses my neck. “I’ll have my men guarding the room.”
This time, I don’t bother arguing, because even though I don’t think my uncle is evil enough to try to kill someone in a hospital, I can’t put it past him.
Chapter 25
Valentin
Ifeel heavy and sluggish, and that’s the only damn reason I let Anton drive.
“You should still be in the hospital,” he complains as the car rolls through Baltimore’s Federal Hill neighborhood. It’s right on the inner harbor and a bustling series of skyscrapers, hotels, bars, and high-end restaurants.
“I spent a night there, and that was enough.” I resist the urge to scratch at the burn on my arm. It’s still healing and it drives me fucking crazy. “At least Karine’s still there watching over her mother and not running off after me again.”
“I’m shocked you let that happen.”
“I didn’t want to argue with her, not when her mother’s house was burning to the ground.” I lean my head back against the seat. “In retrospect, I should’ve done more to protect her from that mess.”
Anton says nothing as he guides the car down an alley. There’s enough space to park at the very end, and he kills the engine. Night floods in around us with only lights from the tall buildings filtering down and lighting the puddle-drenched old stone street.
I climb out and he follows. The sound of laughter and loud talking echoes out from a nearby door. It’s closed now, but I can feel the pounding pulse of a club beat in the ground.
Even though this is one of the best spots in the whole city, Baltimore is still an old town and filled with back alleys, blind turns, and dangerous little corners.
Just like this one.
We lean up against the hood of the car. I check my gun’s magazine, mostly just to give myself something to do. Anton scrolls on his phone, ignoring me as he checks his messages and fires off a few texts.
“You’re sure this is the place?” he asks after a while. I can tell he’s impatient.
“Our contacts with the McNally family say he comes here almost every night and leaves out the back way.” I check the time and gaze over at the door. “It won’t be long.”
Every part of me aches. My skull, my chest, even my arms feel like I tried to lift a thousand-pound boulder over my head. It’s the smoke inhalation, and the doctor said I was lucky that I got out of that fire without too much damage, but that I’d be feeling the effects for a while.
And it was worth it.
The look on Karine’s face when she found out that her mother was going to wake up soon was worth all the pain and the risk.
Because I’m the reason that her mother nearly died, and I would do anything to take that pain away from her.
Now though, I’m driven by revenge, not only for my wife’s mother, but also for poor dead Alexei and the honor of my Bratva.
Aram is under the mistaken belief that he got away with murdering my father.
He thinks I’ll let him roll over me and push my people around.
But it’s time I make him understand that I am not the kind of man he can easily fuck with.
An hour passes. I wait patiently. Anton paces and looks like he’d rather be anywhere else, but he doesn’t have the fire inside of him like I do.
Nothing else matters but hurting the Brotherhood.
When it starts to feel like the McNallys fed me bad info, the door suddenly cracks open. Light spills out followed by the steady, deep pulse of a dance beat. “Come here, what are you acting all shy for?” A man’s voice, low and rumbling. He’s slurring and sounds drunk. “There you go, baby.” He staggers into view, dragging a woman with him.
I don’t know the girl. She’s attractive in a boring way. But the man, I recognize him.