Chapter 16 Cristian
CRISTIAN
I press my body against Valentina, feeling her heart race from fear.
The beam of light sweeps past our hiding place again, lingering just long enough to nearly break and fire toward them. But that would reveal our location.
I hold and protect Valentina as I listen to footsteps come close. I slowly bend down, my hand on the ground looking for something to throw.
A rock.
A stick. My hand finds something round.
I rise and throw it, hoping it lands far enough away to fool our pursuers.
It makes a cracking sound and the men immediately veer toward it, away from us.
"They're spreading out," I whisper, my lips brushing her ear. "We need to move."
When I'm certain the immediate threat has passed, I ease away from her. She's trying to be brave, but she trembles against me.
“We move quietly but quickly,” I say.
She nods and looks up at me like I’m some sort of superhero. Fucking hell, if I fail her now…
We move deeper into the woods, away from where I believe Maksim’s men think we’re heading to.
Instinct would have us moving toward a populated area or the road to get help.
But we’re going deeper into the woods toward the other side of the 175-acre park.
We’ll avoid the trails and paths, keeping to the woods until we come up behind one of the residential areas where I’ll steal a car and get us the fuck out of here.
We move quietly, careful of the hidden roots and loose rocks. One misstep could send us tumbling, announcing our position to everyone within earshot.
Every few minutes, I stop and listen. The sounds of pursuit grow fainter, but I don't trust it. Maksim's men are professionals. It won’t be long before they decide to change direction.
Valentina’s heel catches on something and she stumbles. I grip her arm, probably too hard, but it keeps her upright.
"Cristian," her voice cracks. "This is my fault."
I hate that she’s blaming herself. Even when she’s doing stupid shit that provokes Alessandro or Maksim, it’s not her fault. It’s the fault of the fucked-up world she lives in.
"No. This is Maksim showing his true colors."
A branch snaps somewhere behind us. We both freeze.
"I've got you," I promise, hoping to hell I’m telling the truth. "I won't let him touch you."
Nothing follows the sound, so we push through the woods for what feels like hours, though my watch says it’s been forty-five minutes.
Finally, the trees thin as I reach someone’s backyard. I slow our pace, scanning for threats before we break through the tree line.
"We made it," Valentina says.
"Not yet. We're still too exposed. Maksim will have men covering the main roads.”
“Alessandro must be looking for us.”
Shit.
I should have considered that.
I pull out my phone, knowing he’s not calling me to not expose me.
As I check it, I see it’s dead.
Cracked.
“Do you have your phone?”
She shakes her head. “I… I left it in the car. I’m sorry—”
“Hey!” Using the crook of my finger, I lift her chin. “Don’t be sorry. We’re okay right now. We’ll get safe and then call.”
We step into the drive alongside the house, careful not to alert anyone inside.
My eyes catch movement down the road.
Headlights appearing, moving slowly.
Too slow for the speed limit.
I pull Valentina back into the shadows.
When the car passes, I guide her along the back tree line several houses down.
We come out along the house and there, in the driveway, I see a nondescript four-door sedan that’s at least thirty years old, old enough that it can be hotwired.
“Come on.” I open the driver’s door. “Get in and put the car in neutral.”
“What are we doing?” Her nose crinkles. The car smells like cigarette smoke and old burger wrappers, but as long as it works, I don’t care.
“I’m going to push us out onto the road and down a few houses so whoever lives here doesn’t realize we’re borrowing their car. Then I’m going to start her up and we’re getting the hell out of here.”
“Borrow?” She lifts a brow.
I shrug.
I half expect her to argue. Instead, she puts one hand on the steering wheel and the other on the gearshift, moving it into neutral.
I push her out to the road and down a few houses.
Then I move her to the passenger seat.
It takes me a few minutes to get the car running.
It’s been awhile since I had to hotwire a car. But soon, we’re moving.
I navigate back roads, constantly checking the rearview mirror. Valentina sits beside me, tense and yet, calm.
I keep to smaller roads as I head back to the Intestate.
“We’re not going home?”
“No. They’ll be expecting that.”
She nods and goes quiet again. Just as I’m merging on to 295 heading across the river toward the Bronx, she turns her pretty grays on me. "He meant to take me.”
“Probably.” I can’t imagine Maksim wanted to kill her, so she’s probably right.
Then again, he’s a fucking sociopath so who knows what he was thinking.
Maybe this was about me and punishing me for putting a gun to his head.
“Will Alessandro still make me marry him?”
I glance at her, not prepared for that question.
I want to tell her no, but I can’t be sure. If this is about me, then the answer is to hand me over.
Perhaps that’s my leverage.
I agree to let Maksim kill me if the wedding is canceled.
“Not if I can help it.” I grip the steering wheel as the feeling that Valentina and I are on our own overtakes me. "First, we get somewhere safe. Then we figure out what comes next."
Just a few hours ago, she was talking about driving away from all this. I start to wonder if maybe we should.
I drive on, not sure where I’m heading except north. It’s not a warm beach, but it’s away from Maksim and that’s what matters.
Of course, Alessandro will be furious, first at Maksim for the ambush, then potentially at me for disappearing with his sister.
But what choice did I have? If Maksim had gotten his hands on her…
“How will we call Alessandro to let him know I’m okay?”
“We’ll find a phone somewhere.” I don't mention that I've been waiting, calculating how far we need to be before making that call.
Alessandro needs to know she's safe, but I need time to figure out my next move.
Her head tilts against the window, eyes closing briefly. She looks exhausted.
She’s so strong, but even my fiery Valentina has her limits.
"Almost there," I promise, spotting signs for White Plains.
I find what I'm looking for on the outskirts, a modest two-story hotel with just enough cars in the lot to suggest occupancy without being crowded.
Anonymous.
Forgettable.
Perfect.
I park around back, away from the security cameras I spotted near the entrance.
"Wait here." I step out, scanning the surroundings.
Nothing seems out of place. No suspicious vehicles, no men watching from windows.
I don’t have anything to hide my identity, so I keep my head low as I enter the tiny lobby where a baseball game is playing behind the reception area.
An older woman steps out.
“I need a room for tonight.” I pull out my wallet and the cash tucked away for situations like this.
“I need your information and ID.”
“Kyle Wilson,” I say. “Oh, man…” I look out toward the car. “I left my license in the car.” I set four hundred dollars on the counter. “I’m just here for one night. Any chance—”
She takes the money and then hands me a key. “Two-oh-six. Second floor.”
I smile, knowing she’ll pocket two or three hundred of that money. “Thank you.”
I return to the car, opening Valentina’s door and offering my hand. “Second floor.”
I link my fingers through hers as if it’s the most normal thing in the world. I tell myself it's for show.
In case anyone is watching.
But who am I kidding?
This isn’t about duty or loyalty to Alessandro.
This is about her.
Just her.
"Thank you," she says quietly. "For saving me. For being there every time I need you."
"Always," I promise, knowing I can’t keep it but wishing desperately that I could.
"I'm sorry about Carlo," she says as I open the door to our room.
The mention of her driver, his body left on the side of the road, does cause me guilt even though he signed up for this possibility just as I did.
Maybe I should have anticipated the ambush.
Should have been more vigilant.
"He was a good man," I say, letting her enter the room first. It’s tired-looking but looks and smells clean. An upgrade from the car.
"He had children." Her voice cracks. "A little boy and girl."
I look at her and see tears. "The family will take care of them," I assure her, though I know it’s not enough.
"I never wanted this," she admits, letting her sorrow out. "Anyone to die because of me."
I wish I could tell her it will be the last death. But in our world, that would be a lie.
Instead, I pull her to me, banding my arms around her, hoping to offer her comfort.
She leans into me, and we stand like that until I’m intoxicated by the feel of her body against mine.
I clear my throat and step back, putting necessary distance between us. “I need to find a phone somewhere else and call Alessandro.”
“You have to leave?” Her eyes widen with panic.
“I can’t call from here… just in case.” We have no backup. No resources except a few bullets and our wits. It’s just Valentina and me against whatever comes next.
“Please don’t leave me.” Her hand grips my arm so hard, I’m sure there’s a mark. “I don’t want to be alone. Not yet.”
“Your brother—”
“He knows I’m with you and that you’ll protect me. He’ll know you need to lie low to keep me safe.”
“Your brother doesn’t think so highly of me anymore.”
She tilts her head. “Why not?”
Fuck. “The incident with Maksim.”
“But you were doing your job, just like you are now.” She looks at me in confusion.
I scratch my brow and sigh. “I might have confronted him on this marriage and how he’s throwing you under the bus.”
Both her brows shoot up. Her lips twitch upward, but she bites her lip as if she knows smiling isn’t the right response.
“He nearly killed me.”
She shakes her head. “He wouldn’t do that. I guess that’s why you were demoted?”