Chapter 14
Chapter
Fourteen
Sage
It takes half an hour to get to the dive bar on the outskirts of town.
The whole time I'm on edge, chewing at the edges of my fingernails and then chastising myself for it.
The drive is plenty of time for Nic to have rounded the front gate and charged after me with God only knows what kind of arsenal.
That I've made it this far is a small miracle.
The car drops me off on the street corner; the pavements blackened by wear and the streetlights flickering. I pull my cardigan tighter as I head up the sidewalk to the bar and push open the door.
The air inside is pungent with sweat and body odor.
Scrunching my nose and trying not to gag at the smell, it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the room.
The lighting is purposefully low, patrons quiet and murmuring secrets to each other, a heavy fog of cigarette smoke polluting the atmosphere almost whimsically.
By the time my eyes come to, I spot Angie smirking at me from across the bar. She's sitting at her regular booth, completely alone and swirling a cocktail in her delicate but deadly hands.
I cross the floor and slide into the seat across from her.
"Miss DeMarco," Angie smirks, tossing a row of her flame-colored hair over her shoulder. "I thought you'd never make it."
I roll my eyes. "There's been unforeseen obstacles."
Angie's eyes alight with joy and she removes the umbrella from her drink before taking another sip. "Yes, I heard your uncle had locked down the entire estate."
When I don't respond, Angie raises a brow at me. But there's nothing I can say to her that she won't file away for later, so I stay silent.
"Did you bring what I asked for?" I ask, nervously tucking my hands under my thighs to stop them shaking and desperately hoping that she doesn't notice.
She slams the cocktail glass back down on the table. "I'm afraid we've a more pressing matter. Your uncle is behind on the payments."
I gape incredulously. "What?" Angie is brutal, but she's one of the few people we can trust. One of the few people outside of my father's organization that wouldn't dare to betray us. Of course, it's all a pre-paid arrangement. But her loyalty is bought fiercely. "Check again. That's not possible."
I know Anton and my father never used her discreet services for much. But I also know for sure that Anton wouldn't forget this payment. It's one of the few things we agree on.
"The payment for your-"
"Yes, yes, I know what you mean." I hurry to cut her off. I don't need her projecting our biggest secret to anyone who might dare to eavesdrop. "I'll write you a fucking check."
I don't care if we double pay her. I can't afford to have this slip through the cracks. She makes a show of eyeing me off until it becomes clear we're not moving onto other business until there's a signed check in her hands.
Grumbling, I grab my checkbook from my clutch and write out the funds to her. She accepts with a smile before reaching into her own purse and handing over the technology I've requested.
"As you wish. If you can get close enough to plant it, this should be able to spy any device you like."
I take the small package. "It needs to be untraceable."
Angie scoffs. "All of my pieces are."
I cautiously unwrap the package and study the contents. There is a tiny card that looks like an ancient SIM card, and a bunch of other miniature pieces and wires.
"Need a lesson?" Angie smirks.
I straighten my shoulders and pretend to be cool about it. "If you insist."
A hearty laugh leaves Angie's mouth before she clicks at a bartender and orders us a round of drinks.
For the next several minutes, I enjoy a cocktail on her tab while she teaches me about the device I've purchased.
Specifically, once I've got a hold of a phone, how to install the untraceable spyware and then how to link it back to my own device so I can follow along.
Once she's sure I've got it, she pulls away with another smile. The red of her lipstick hasn't even smudged half an inch despite the glass at her bottom pout.
"This is pretty dangerous stuff you're getting into, you know," she says.
"Don't pretend to care, Angie."
She smiles tightly before putting on a serious expression. "Paired with what you're paying me to do and the other side request you had... I can see where you're going with this."
"And your point is?" I fold my arms.
She regards me briefly before lifting her chin. I have to assume it's a sign of respect.
Hopefully.
"Nothing. Just interested to see how it plays out for you." If I think my secrets are dangerous, the ones Angie is privy to must be lethal.
I nod my head. I'm interested to see how this plays out for me too.
I've never been very lucky and I'll need a hell of a lot of luck for this to end up how I intend.
I thank her for her services, declining her offer to stay longer for drinks and instead order another private car to take me home before Nic has my head.
I have the car drop me off at the neighboring property, which means a slog up the dirt road to get to our expansive countryside estate. But it's much better than them being able to interrogate and likely murder the poor driver.
I don't plan on sneaking in. Nic has already seen me rush off, so I'm perfectly happy to stroll right up to the front gates and face my beating head on. I'm a big girl, after all.
When I approach the front gate, the guard tower light is on and a gentle waft of smoke is coming from nearby.
Getting closer, I see a figure dressed in all black on the other side of the gates, a cigarette hanging between his lips.
When he sees me approach, he stubs out the cigarette with his toe and turns to glower at me.
My eyebrows jump to my forehead as I'm sure my obvious surprise registers clear on my face. "Alexei?"
"Well, well... the prodigal princess has finally deigned to return."
I curl my fingers around the bars of our front gate as I regard him. "Where's Nic?" I frown. "Or Freddie? Or... anyone?"
Alexei gives a cruel smile. "Half are out looking for you. The others are perched at the perimeter walls waiting for you to try to sneak back inside."
"And yet you're at the front gate?" I can't help the fire that clips out in my tone.
"You'd already been seen sneaking out. It made no sense that you'd sneak back in. I hazarded a guess that you'd waltz right up to the gate... and here we are."
I smother a sigh and kick the dirt from the ground in frustration. "Yes, here we are. Can you open the fucking gate then?"
He gives a throaty laugh, the tone deep and raspy, before he regards me with a cruel gaze from the other side of the gate. "Nah, might leave you out there for a while."
I push my hands through the bars and claw at his chest, getting more enraged each time he steps out of my reach with a laugh. "Open the fucking gate!"
The briefest jump of his eyebrow is the only outward tell of his surprise. "You know, you've got a nasty mouth," he says. At least he does what I ask, going to the guardroom and opening the gate. I don't dare ask where the guards are.
The automatic doors swing open for me and I slip inside before securing them closed behind me.
I don't want to let any weakness show in front of this asshole, but my anxiety gets the better of me.
I tug on the gates, rattling them back and forth as I test to make sure they're secure and are actually locked.
Alexei raises a brow at me, but says nothing, only joining me at my side as we walk up the gravel path to the front door.
"You've got the whole property on edge with your stunt."
"I just needed to clear my head."
Alexei gives a dark chuckle that sends a shiver up my shine. I turn to look at him. "What?"
"You don't expect anyone to believe that bullshit, do you?" The cruel glint in his eye remains. I huff a breath as I tilt my head skyward. Were I with anyone else, I'd consider this night romantic, underneath the cool glow of the moon with a star filled sky.
"It's the truth." I pull my cardigan tighter around my shoulders. His eyes track the movement and I'm sure I've inadvertently given away some kind of tell.
"Sure it is. Just like the role you play is true?" He folds his arms over his chest as we stop in the circular driveway, his biceps bulging against his black shirt. This time, it's me who tracks the movement.
"Role?"
I freeze as he stalks slowly into my space. Just as I think he's going to press right into me, he turns and starts to circle me as if I'm prey. His voice seems to come from all angles as he sizes me up. "Weak. Flimsy. Delicate."
I keep my stare forward and try to school my features so it looks like I'm bored and undisturbed by this dance he's doing. But Alexei Rushkoff has a reputation as a psychopathic torturer and now I see why. Not only is he doused in rage, but I feel a psychological war being ignited.
His next words come from behind me, his breath skating over my ear. "An almost convincing role of the damsel. Little DeMarco princess."
He stares at me side on and I can't help but turn my wide-eyed stare on him.
"I'm not weak," I half-heartedly protest, shrinking from his gaze.
"Yeah. I don't think so, either." His jaw grinds on that last part as he runs a heavily tattooed hand through his slick black hair.
I can't look away from the crazed look in his eye.
We stand there for what seems like an eternity, sizing each other up.
Every encounter with this man is stranger than the last. But I find myself intrigued by the notion that he thinks I'm playing some kind of role.
The weak mafia princess... scared look in my eyes...
somehow I get the impression that's not what Alexei Rushkoff sees when he looks at me.
And if that's the case, he might be the only person I've ever met that can see right through me.
We only get two beats of warning, gravel crunching under boots, before our stare off is cut short when Alexei is shoved violently out of my eye line. He staggers, righting himself before he can fall.
"What the fuck do you think you're doing, Rushkoff?" Nic shouts, chest puffed up like he's marking his territory as he attempts to charge at Alexei again. Alexei begins to charge at him too, his nostrils flaring like a raging bull.
"Shit," a voice sounds near my ear. Another body joins the fray and Victor places a hand on both Alexei's and Nic's chests to stop them just before they throttle each other.
"Got something you want to fucking say to me, bodyguard?" Alexei seethes.
Nic pushes against Victor's hold on his chest, the larger man bracing hard to keep him in check. "Several things come to mind, Rushkoff." Nic speaks the last part as a curse again.
"Enough!" Victor shouts, pushing them back harder so they both stumble away from each other. He cracks his knuckles and then his neck, the threat clear.
Nic points a finger towards Alexei. "I don't know what you're up to, but stay. The fuck. Away from her," Nic snarls in Alexei's direction, sparing a glance for Victor like he means to say the same thing to him as well.
Nic grabs me by the shoulders and redirects my attention to him. His eyes are sunken in and worried, his brow furrowed as he looks me over and pats me down as if he's checking for injuries.
"I'm fine, Nic," I say.
When he's finished patting me down, he pulls me in close, wrapping me up in his arms and sinking into me like I'm saving him from drowning just by being alive.
My heart stills. Caught completely off guard by the way he possesses me so openly.
I wrap my arms around Nic's shoulders, hugging him back as I bury my head in his neck.
I can feel his breath against my shoulder as he sinks his head against me too, and it makes my stomach drop low. So low that I have to suppress a groan.
When he pulls away he gives me a look that takes my breath away. Something completely unguarded. Something Nic has never been around me before. His eyes dart to my lips and I widen my eyes, wondering if he's really going to kiss me right here on the front driveway.
We're reminded of our audience when someone clears their throat.
I turn my eyes over Nic's shoulder, where I see two very scary Russians glaring at me.
Victor and Alexei are both watching us with equally confusing but completely different expressions.
Victor's brow tenses as he watches me with a question in his eyes.
Alexei looks at me like he already has the answer.
Victor's eyes shutter for a moment before he turns to his brother. "Come on, you need to ice that jaw so you don't swell up."
Victor goes to move, but Alexei doesn't immediately follow. He scowls at Nic before turning his angry stare onto me. "I'm fucking watching you, princess."
Nic clears his own throat and stands up tall again, clasping his hands behind his back as if he's resumed his own role. The warmth from his eyes is long gone. So hidden now that I question if it even existed in the first place. The loss makes me cold.
"Your uncle will want to see you. You're in big fucking trouble," Nic says.
Great.