Chapter Twenty-Four #2
He stares down at me for one agonizing second, checking my face for any sign of weakness. Finding none, he lets out a rough breath, grabs my hand, and pulls me along with him.
We hurry out of the war room, marching through the stark hallways until we reach the main entrance of the compound.
The cool night air hits my face, carrying the sharp scent of exhaust and damp asphalt.
In the courtyard, the men’s blacked-out SUVs are already lined up like a fleet, their headlights cutting through the darkness.
Leonid strides purposefully toward the lead vehicle. He doesn’t let go of my hand.
He opens the passenger door for me first, his grip lingering on my waist as I slide into the seat. Then he slams the door shut, rounds the hood, and throws himself into the driver’s seat.
The moment his fingers wrap around the steering wheel, the powerful engine revs, a deep, guttural roar that vibrates straight through my bones, heightening my anxiety.
With a tight, determined expression, Leonid shifts into drive.
Our car surges forward, leading the fleet of vehicles as we speed through the secure gates and into the night.
***
The drive is long, and the blurred trees outside the window prove how fast we’re actually moving.
Inside the car, the silence is thick, broken only by the low, steady hum of the engine.
Leonid keeps his grip tight around the steering wheel, his eyes locked on the dark road ahead, but I can feel the weight of his attention as he throws sharp, intense glances at me every few minutes.
Without taking his gaze from the windshield, a low rumble vibrates in his chest.
He speaks a phrase in Russian, and the words are smooth, heavy, and intimate as they roll off his tongue.
I turn my head on the headrest to look at the sharp profile of his jaw. “What does that mean?”
His fingers flex slightly on the wheel. “It means you’re beautiful,” he says, his voice dropping into a register that makes my stomach flip. “You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen, Elena. Like my peace in the middle of the storm.”
A bittersweet warmth floods my chest, but the gravity of where we’re going forces a small, breathless laugh from my lips. “You’re choosing a very interesting time for flattery, Leonid Nazarov.”
He smirks, a lazy but attractive twist of his lips, and offers a slight shrug of his broad shoulders.
He doesn’t say anything else, and the rest of the ride falls back into a quiet, heavy stillness as the bright city lights fade entirely into the background.
Finally, the car slows down, pulling to a halt at a secluded location tucked away from the main roads. It’s dark, with barely any flicker of light in the surrounding buildings.
This must be it.
Leonid cuts the engine, the sudden absence of the familiar rumble making the night feel louder.
He gets out of the car and I immediately push my door open to do the same, the cool night air biting at my skin.
As I step onto the gravel, I notice the movement of the fleet.
Half of the blacked-out cars drive right past us, their taillights disappearing down the dark trail ahead, while the remaining vehicles idle in the shadows behind Leo’s car.
“Why are they leaving?” I ask, walking around the hood to meet him. “And why are the others waiting?”
Leonid stops in front of me, his eyes scanning the tree line before dropping to my face. “They’re waiting for me,” he says flatly. “I have to drop you off first.”
My eyes dart past his shoulder, and that’s when I see the tiny red dots blinking in the dark.
I don’t even have to guess. After months of living with Leo, I know what those are: hidden security cameras.
And at the center of the red dots are the heavily reinforced steel doors of an unassuming concrete building tucked into the tree line.
The realization hits me like a bucket of ice water.
He’s dropping me at a safe house.
“No,” I protest immediately. My heart hammers against my ribs as I take a step closer to him, my hands gripping the lapels of his jacket. “No, Leo, this wasn’t the plan.”
He keeps his features masked, completely devoid of any emotion. “We didn’t expressly talk about a plan for you. And the only one I have now is to keep you out of harm’s way.”
“No.” I shake my head. “No, you’re depriving me of an opportunity to be a part of this.”
He looks down at me with a profound, heavy sadness flickering in his dark eyes before his jaw locks tight.
He slowly shakes his head, his large hands coming up to cover mine, gently but firmly loosening my grip.
“Come on,” is all he says before he begins marching toward the building.
I hiss. “Leo!”
He ignores me, maintaining his laser focus on the doors.
“Leo!”
The sound of heavy bolts unlocking echoes through the darkness and he steps aside, waves a hand, and beckons for me to come closer.
“You can’t do this.”
“Go inside, Elena.”
“But I want to come with you. I helped you plan this. I’m not sitting in a bunker while you go into that butcher shop!”
“This entire fucking mission is too dangerous for you,” he says with an air of finality, leaving no room for negotiation. “I can handle Vasili’s men. What I can’t handle is the thought of you in their crosshairs.”
I tilt my head back and set my jaw. “I can handle myself, Leo.” It’s a lie through my teeth, but I can’t give up now. “If it’s too much, I’ll find a corner in the house to hide, and I’ll come out when everything’s done.”
“Old office complex.”
I blink. “What?”
“You called it a house.”
“And you think now is the best time to correct me?”
“Come here.”
Before I can argue further, his hand wraps around my waist and he pulls me flush against his chest.
He leans down, positioning his face inches from mine. Intense gray eyes burn down at me as he clenches his jaw.
“You stay here, Elena. For me. No one can know where you are. If anything happens out there, this is the only place on Earth where you’re completely safe. You do not leave this place until I come back for you. Do you understand me?”
The sheer finality in his voice terrifies me, making the reality of the next few hours crash down on my shoulders.
I don’t care about the rules or the safe house anymore.
I cling to him, my fingers digging desperately into the leather of his jacket until my knuckles turn white.
“Promise me,” I choke out, hating that my voice cracks. I look straight into his soul, refusing to let him look away. “Promise me you’ll return to me alive, Leo. Bring Tatiana back. And you come back to me. Don’t you dare leave me alone. Do you understand?”
He doesn’t hesitate.
He leans in, and his mouth finds mine with fervent urgency. It’s desperate, like he’s struggling to put all he feels into this kiss.
In these few seconds, it’s everything—an imprint of pure reassurance and raw, undiluted desire.
A bittersweet moment to keep me grounded while he walks into hell.
When he pulls back, his breath is hot and ragged against my mouth.
He nods once and his eyes burn with a terrifying determination, and then he turns away.
The sudden loss of his warmth makes the air feel freezing.
He steps over the threshold, and my pulse races in a frantic rhythm as the thick steel doors swing shut with a thunderous roar.
The deadbolts click into place, sealing me inside.
And the sudden silence becomes utterly terrifying when I sense that he’s no longer on the other side of the door.