Page 27

CHAPTER 26

ALEXEI

By the time we are done at Vox, I’m pleased with myself.

Kill count of at least ten. Although I probably need to throw these sneakers in the trash. I’m pretty sure I have brain matter on the soles after I stamped on a big guy’s head.

Ivan can keep sending as many of these goons over as he wants, they all get the same ending.

I’m just waiting for the plan to fall into place where we take out Kirill and Ivan. It’s time for this shit to be over.

Vegas is Mikhail’s.

And honestly, I think he will take back over in Russia, too.

My job now is protecting Lara.

“You heading home?” Jax calls out as we approach our bikes.

His Ducati is a beaut, I nearly bought one, but Lara liked the all black BMW, so of course I went for that.

“Going to check in on Lara first, then I will.”

“You don’t want a beer?” Jax points at the bar.

Grabbing my helmet I turn to face him. I didn’t like leaving Lara earlier, and knowing Ivan does have more guys than we assumed has kicked my bodyguard instinct into overdrive.

“Not tonight. Fighting makes me sleepy.”

He rolls his eyes.

I want to crawl into bed with Lara and cuddle. I can’t, but I want to.

“You’re a good friend to her.” Jax nods.

Friend.

I want to be more than that. That’s the problem. Maybe Jax would understand. Or maybe not. No one understands how my brain works.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Shoving on my helmet, I take off on my bike and head to Lara’s. As I approach her house, I spot a blacked out Audi parked across the street.

I’ve never seen that here before. It doesn’t belong.

Ditching my bike on the side of the road, I pull out my pocket knife, keeping it behind my back and approach the vehicle, tapping on the driver’s side window.

They wind it down slowly, and I’m face to face with a heavy set guy, with slicked black hair in a ponytail.

“You can’t park here. Private property,” I tell him.

He looks around the empty street.

“I’m not causing any problems.” His Russian accent is thick.

My fingers tighten around the blade. It might be small, but it’s mighty.

As he turns his head to the console reaching for his phone, I see the mark. The IV of Ivan’s mob.

The same ones we all covered up.

Before he has time to turn back to me, I jab the knife tip where the tattoo is.

V marks the spot today.

Blood pours down his shoulder. I caught him good.

“You motherfucker,” he croaks out, grasping onto the side of his throat.

Ugh. He needs to die quicker.

I can’t shoot. Not here. It’s a quiet neighborhood and I don’t want to startle Lara.

So, I keep stabbing him.

One through his hand. As he pulls that away and screams out in pain, I shove the short blade right through his eye.

By the time I’m finished adding holes to him, he slumps against the steering wheel, blasting the horn.

“Fuck,” I hiss.

Pulling this dead lump back, I push him so he falls towards the passenger side. Wiping my blade on his black t-shirt, I put it back in my pocket and pull out my cell.

I can’t type in the numbers, damn blood on my fingers.

Using my nose to press the buttons, I dial Enzo.

“What have you done?” His deep Italian voice booms through.

“Audi parked outside Lara’s now has one dead Russian with a lotta stab wounds.”

“I’m on it.”

“Thanks.” I cut the call and head in to Lara’s. I know her security code, and I have a key so it’s easy.

Sneaking in, I’m careful not to wake her.

She’ll be in bed, it’s one am. She tends to go to sleep around eleven.

Taking off my shoes by the front door, I don’t think she will appreciate the mess. I creep quietly up the stairs, pushing open her door and resting against the frame.

I don’t know how long I stand there, listening to the steady rise and fall of her breathing.

It calms me.