Total pages in book: 36
Estimated words: 33695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 168(@200wpm)___ 135(@250wpm)___ 112(@300wpm)
There was a round of applause and a mass congratulations.
“Seriously, you brought me here to celebrate?” he asked.
“I figured you’d prefer a quiet celebration between us two, before the folks take over, and it’s party central, and everyone is swarming the two of you.”
Mikhail sat at the counter. “Your best coffee,” he said, talking to Bob. “So, this is where you come?”
“Where I don’t need to have my parents’ bodyguards watching my every move, and I can breathe without them going down my neck. Yeah, it’s all good.” Peter sipped at his coffee. “I can’t offer you a drink, but this is the next best thing.”
“You know what, this is perfect.” He glanced around, knowing Galina would want to be here. She was already sensitive to coffee, and that had made her teary-eyed this morning before he left. “You know, it’s a good thing I didn’t call Galina.”
“You wouldn’t have called Galina.”
“And what makes you think that when we both know she helped you the last time?”
“You love her, and we both know that if I fall off the wagon, you’re not going to want to hurt her. It would be my fault but we know Galina would blame herself. It’s what she does.”
Mikhail sighed. “You’re right.”
“Which part?”
“All of it, and you know it.”
Bob put a coffee in front of him and he lifted it up and took a sip. It was pretty good coffee.
“Any news on Vik?” he asked.
His father had reached out and checked each place Vik was known to have hidden out in the past, but no one had seen or heard from him. His closest men hadn’t been seen.
They had accessed security footage, which showed them getting into black cars, but there was no way to see the license plate, so they were screwed. They didn’t have a single thing to go on. Mikhail didn’t like it, so he’d tried to stay as close to Galina as possible.
Vik would try and use her to get to him. If what his father said was true, then Mikhail had tried to make himself the easier target, which wouldn’t work if his father kept sending men to him.
“Nothing concrete. There was a potential he was in the city, close to your building, but when I went to check it out, there was nothing. I don’t understand how Vik and his men could hide. They stand out in a crowd.”
Mikhail agreed and then a chill went down his spine.
“Crowd,” he said.
He frowned as that one word seemed to capture something in his mind.
His building had a picture, an opening picture. It was a Belsky building. His father and Vik Kuzlov had built it together, and in the main reception of the building there was an image of Boris Belsky and Vik Kuzlov, both holding a set of keys.
Mikhail dropped his mug and ran out of the bar. He didn’t care what kind of scene he had caused. After getting the call from Bob, he had no choice but to go to Peter, and he’d left her alone. Now, he felt like a fucking asshole.
“Dude, what’s the deal?” Peter asked, coming out of the bar.
“Vik’s in my building. He doesn’t need a key or code to get inside because he’s part owner of the fucking building, and I bet that son of a bitch has been there all this time. Fuck!” The call went to voicemail. “Pick up, Galina. Pick the fuck up.”
He turned to Peter. “Call my dad, I’m going back to my place.”
“It’s a trap.”
“I’m not leaving Galina in there. I don’t give a shit. I promised I would protect her and that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
He rushed to his car, climbing inside. He turned over the ignition as Peter got into the passenger side.
“You need to get out.”
“No, I’m not going to leave you to go at this alone. Galina would kill me. She may not know it yet, but I believe she’s falling in love with you, and you’re going to be the dad to my little niece or nephew.” Peter was already on his cell phone. “Just drive, I’ll deal with your dad.”
Mikhail pressed his foot to the gas, not caring what kind of speed limit he broke. He’d deal with the cops later. He needed to get to Galina.
Chapter Eleven
Galina had seen dead bodies before. That was nothing new, but even still, knowing that the two guards assigned to her care were now dead filled her with a deep regret.
Kneeling on the floor with a gun pointed to her head wasn’t exactly fun, and she found herself getting even more pissed off as the seconds passed.
Mikhail had been gone twenty minutes after getting what looked like an important call for Vik Kuzlov to make his move. One of her eyes were already starting to swell shut and her lip was split.