Page 44 of Dark Desires

Shit.

Mario’s voice booms from one of the side doors. I glance back to see him standing there, his arms crossed, his expression stern.

“I just needed a quick breath of air!”

He doesn’t take the bait. Instead, he starts striding toward me, his long legs closing the distance faster than I’d like.

“Oh, come on! I can’t be stuck inside all the damn time.”

I break into a run and turn the corner, leaving him far behind.

He picks up the pace, and for a second, I actually consider stopping. But where’s the fun in that? I flag down a nearby cab, the yellow car screeching to a halt in front of me. I fling open the door and dive in.

“Drive!”

The driver hesitates for half a second, then shrugs and pulls away. I glance back to see Mario standing at the curb, his hands on his hips, glaring after me. The sight makes me laugh again, a sound I haven’t heard from myself in what feels like ages.

“Sorry, Mar,” I say to myself, pulling out my phone. I quickly turn off location tracking. No need to make it easy for him—or anyone else—to find me.

The cab weaves through the city streets, and I lean back against the seat, letting the sights and sounds of downtown Chicago wash over me.

For the first time in days, I feel like myself again. I pull out my phone and fire off a quick text to Mario, letting him know that I’ll be back soon. He replies with a thumbs-down andmake it quick. Or I tell your dad.

The cab stops at a red light, and I’m about to pull out some cash when the door opens. I look up, startled, as someone slides in beside me.

“Hello, Isa.”

My heart skips a beat.

Alexei’s sitting there like he owns the damn cab, his signature smirk firmly in place.

But how did he know I’d be here?

“What the hell are you doing?” I demand with a glare

“Enjoying the city,” he replies smoothly, slipping a few hundreds into the driver’s hand. “Keep driving.”

The driver looks at me for confirmation, and I groan.

“Fine. Whatever.”

Alexei leans back, his long legs brushing against mine. “So, sneaking out now, are we? Should I be concerned?”

“Be whatever you want to be,” I snap. “What are you even doing here?”

“Right place, right time,” he says casually, though there’s a glint in his eye that tells me he knew exactly where I’d be. “You looked like you could use some company.”

I roll my eyes. “I was fine on my own.”

“Sure you were.” His tone is laced with amusement. “Running from Mario and flagging down cabs like a fugitive? Very fine.”

That confirms the little fact that he’s been watching me.

“Didn’t know being a Bratva boss left time for stalking.”

He chuckles, not bothered in the slightest by my comment.

“You call it stalking, I call it being smart. I know your father’s keeping tabs on you, but I figured that with everything going on, he might be a little distracted. So, I had a couple of my men posted around your house. By the way, they were impressed with your climbing skills. They said you made it look effortless.”