Total pages in book: 155
Estimated words: 141532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 708(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 141532 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 708(@200wpm)___ 566(@250wpm)___ 472(@300wpm)
There was a small silence. Ania glanced at Sevastyan. Mitya saw her hand tremble for the first time. Her unease had nothing to do with the fact that their exit was coming up fast. She began to make her way over to the slow lane.
“Took the car to Houston. The Anwar family outfits cars like ours,” Sevastyan said.
Ania had known that. Of course, she knew. She grew up around all the families in San Antonio, Houston, probably other places as well. She knew the shops, anything at all that had to do with cars or a crime family. Her grandfather and father had groomed her to take over the business. They’d been friends with Bartolo Anwar, his two sons, Enrico and Samuele, and she’d probably met Bartolo’s daughter, Giacinta, as well.
“They’re following,” Ania announced. “No cops following, they’ll be coming at us aggressively.”
Mitya glanced back. “Move it, Ania, keep us out in front of them.”
She accelerated immediately, and used a road he’d never been on, a shortcut he presumed. The surface wasn’t asphalt, but more gravel, stone and rock set with oil. She didn’t slow down, even when she made the sharp turn onto the road. It was narrow with a deep drainage ditch on either side. Mitya and Sevastyan exchanged a long look, and Mitya shook his head. His woman was a little terrifying, and sexy as hell with her confidence and driving skills.
“Miron?”
“Hanging in there. I got the bleeding under control, but he needs a medic. They’ll have one waiting,” Sevastyan reiterated.
“They’re on us,” Mitya told Ania.
She didn’t so much as glance at him but kept driving down the narrow road. There was water in the ditches and occasionally a very large culvert. She looked relaxed, as if she were driving leisurely on a country road, not hurtling along at a high rate of speed over what amounted to gravel.
He saw the passenger in the lead car stick his head out the window, gun in hand. Mitya threw himself to the passenger side and immediately had his window down. The driver accelerated. Ania suddenly hit the brakes. The Audi tried to do the same when it realized they were going to hit. The shooter caught at the door frame and Mitya shot him in the head. Ania hit the gas just as the other car hit their bumper. Had they not been moving forward so quickly, the car would have taken quite a jolt, but they barely felt it.
She shot the town car through the narrow lane and up around a curve to a dirt road that threw so much powdery dust into the air behind them, Mitya couldn’t even see the other cars. Then she made another swift turn and they were on the main road leading to the high-end estates back in the hills.
“We’re about to reach a half mile from Bannaconni’s ranch. Tell me where you want to go,” Ania ordered.
“Get us right past the cattle road there.”
“Do you want them on our tail?”
“Absolutely. By a couple of car lengths. We’re cutting them off, giving them nowhere to go.”
“They’re leopard,” Mitya reminded. “They’ll want to shift when they see they’re caught in a squeeze.”
“We’re prepared,” Sevastyan said.
“I’m letting Dymka loose,” Mitya said. “He can mop up. Let Fyodor and the others know.”
“Don’t like that, Mitya,” Sevastyan cautioned. “He’s difficult to protect and so are you when you turn into a loose cannon.”
“I want you with Ania,” Mitya said. “I mean it, Sevastyan. I don’t want a fuckin’ scratch on her.” He was already shedding clothes again, calling up his raging leopard, feeding the animal his own wrath. They’d come at him over and over. They’d killed Ania’s family. He’d had enough.
“Mitya, it’s my job to protect you.”
“It’s your job to do what I ask you to do. She’s my world. You take care of her.”
Ania opened her mouth once to object, but his eyes met hers in the mirror and she closed her mouth, seeing who he really was. He wasn’t taking shit from anyone, not one objection. The car accelerated slightly as the two cars giving chase picked up speed to catch up.
“The minute they come in behind you with a barrier, you drive to the house,” Mitya ordered Ania. “Straight to the house. I want her in the safe room, even if you have to carry her there yourself.”
Ania drove past the cattle road and instantly accelerated to get out of the way. Behind them, a huge semi rolled out straight across the road, hauling a cattle trailer filled with hay. As it did, the first, then second car slammed into it. Immediately the sound of gunfire filled the air as the men concealed behind the hay opened fire on those in the Audi and SUV.
“Stop.” Mitya had the door open and was already shifting before Ania could stop the car.