Chapter 26
RORI
Exhaustion pulls, and all I want to do is sleep a few hours, but not yet.
This new wrench has just fucked any plans I was making.
Why the fuck did Tatiana send Mila here?
What could she hope to accomplish by putting an innocent teen girl in this shit show?
And why would Tatiana have disguised herself as a friend in the first place?
There are too many unknowns, and the sand in the hourglass is falling faster.
I don’t have any time to waste. I make quick work of gathering what I need, securing a balaclava over my face and sliding in colored contacts.
Only the skin around my eyes shows, but in the darkness of the forest, no one will see the small patch of skin.
It speaks to how upset and freaked out Ilya is when no one stops me from walking out of the house and onto the grounds with Hades at my side. Unlike Nico’s giant maze, Ilya hasn’t bothered with something so elaborate, instead letting the scenery be what draws the eye.
His home is situated deep in the hills, the Rocky Mountains a grand backdrop, the white peaks glowing under the full moon. Below it sits a large lake, the water glittering like the stars reflecting the moon directly above. Even with the moonlight, the forest surrounding it is dark, foreboding.
I’ve always thought that the Washington forests had an eerie feeling, but as I make my way silently through it, Hades ahead of me, it cloaks me. Perhaps I should fear it, but instead, I embrace it. The silence other than the wind rustling through the trees, can be used to my advantage.
I took Hades’s collar off as well to make sure he isn’t creating too much noise.
Deep in my gut, I know someone is out here, waiting and watching.
Not Ilya’s guards, but someone who wants to see just what’s happening now that I’ve arrived.
Because I know Simeon was an idiot and announced it to the wrong person.
Ilya does too, which is why I’m betting he’s freaking the fuck out his niece is in the crossfire.
So I need to make sure that she’s as safe here as I can make it happen. Even if it means working myself into exhaustion.
Sleep won’t matter if I end up dead.
I seamlessly blend into the shadows, Hades doing the same as we make our way carefully through the woods.
I’m careful not to step on any branches or twigs, only the whisper of the leaves rustling under my feet.
My old training blends with the years of tracking bounties that did everything they could imagine to avoid capture.
The hours drag on, but I never stop moving, weaving my way through the trees, turning in random directions, including back tracking to make sure that no one is following me. I hear soldiers moving, but none of them spot me, completely unaware of any kind of danger they might be in.
Hades stays quiet, lying in the underbrush like I taught him with just a wave of my hand, or a whispered command.
I’ll give it to Ilya, his men are professional, smart, and value their jobs, because not one of them could be considered lacking or lazy.
They move with practiced precision, altering their routes, but not enough that I can’t detect a pattern.
Most people don’t truly do things randomly, their brains unknowingly pushing them into using a pattern.
Straight, right turn, right turn, left turn, left turn, straight. On and on they all move, covering a large portion of the forest. Yet none of them notice me, Hades, or anyone else lurking.
I make my way to the other side of the forest, slowly and methodically, but still, nothing stands out.
If someone is hiding out here, they’ve been very good at disguising their tracks.
I don’t even see or sense any hidden cameras or trail cams this far out.
Closer to the house, the forest is littered with them, but by the time an enemy hits that point, Ilya and his men will be hard-pressed to stop them.
When I make it to the edge of the forest on the right side of Ilya’s home, I’m frustrated, but also marginally relieved that I found nothing. I might be able to get a few hours of sleep before I have to do this all again and review the blueprints and plans Ilya has.
A full-on assault, with me being a not-so-secret weapon. All while trying to dodge assassins, Timur, and my father, and whatever tricks he has up his sleeve.
Piece of cake. Not.
I really wish I had someone on the inside that I could call.
There’s no way that Timur will have left everything the same.
He won’t want to risk anyone knowing his secrets.
My brain racks through all the staff that were kind to me as I stop at the edge of the treeline, scouting the area, and the tops of the trees.
Nothing moves, but something is pushing me to stop, wait.
I never ignore my gut. I give Hades a soft order to lie down, and he hits the dirt quickly, fully on alert as his ears twitch, listening.
I slip behind the large tree to my left, carefully turning my head to listen, opening up all my senses.
I hear the noise of the guards passing through behind me, the shifting of guns in their hands as they adjust their grips.
A faint whiff of cigarette smoke wafts around me, and I turn my head to see a guard at the edge of the trees drop his smoke, stomping on it before picking it up and putting it in his pocket.
I narrow my eyes at the movement. Who does that? I’ve seen cigarette butts around, so it can’t be a mandatory thing that Ilya has his men doing. Why is this man?
My curiosity is only heightened when he glances around warily, like he can sense me watching, and continues on his way, his shoulders tight, movements stiff.
I make a mental note to check out who he is.
He might work for Timur or Simeon, but he’s not someone my father would employ.
Especially not taking stupid risks like that.
The memory of him brutally beating one of the other students in the school to death for smoking on an assignment flashes in my mind.
Along with the image of my father covered in the boy’s blood, his eyes bright with rage and his face a dark red.
None of us dared to move. The boy dared to poison a body that no longer belonged to him with a habit that my father found revolting.
Especially one that was careless enough to leave evidence.
It was a harsh lesson, but one that stuck with each of us. Never do anything that could lead them back to you.
I return my focus to climbing silently into the tree. It’s a good spot to get a good view of the yard and of the neighboring trees. I barely rustle the branches, the thick foliage nicely hiding me without fear of being spotted as I look around my new vantage point.
Nothing out of the ordinary shows, but I stiffen when I see Alonzo emerge from the house, two of his men behind him, expressions grim.
What the hell is he doing? None of Ilya’s men stop him, but I can sense the change in the air.
They’re watching, waiting to see what he’s going to do.
I hope he’s not going to be stupid enough to try to run.
They approach the woods, uncaring that all attention is now on them. “She can’t have gone far,” I hear Alonzo tell them. “I don’t trust these Russians to actually protect her.”
“And what are we supposed to do when we find her?” one of them asks drily.
“Nothing. Don’t touch her. All I want to know is that she’s safe.” Alonzo’s gaze sweeps the trees, brushing over my hiding spot.
“Yeah, and what about the dog? He’s back with his Mistress, so I don’t think the rapport I built with him is going to save my balls.”
“As long as you don’t try to touch her or go after him, you’ll be fine. She’s not going to sic him on someone just for fun.”
He’s putting an awful lot of trust in me, but I hate that he’s right.
And, damn it, why isn’t he in bed? Did he go to my room again and find us gone, and now he’s trying to locate me?
Does he not see the danger he’s putting himself in?
Any one of these guards could get trigger happy thinking he’s trying to escape. Or that he’s trying to spy.
Damn it, Alonzo. I’m going to smack his massive head a few times, try and get some common sense to reappear.
And him trying to find me? How is he not getting that we are done? He can’t seem to get it through that thick skull of his that he doesn’t control me. He has no right to know anything I do.
Especially if he thinks that this is going to be some kind of happy ending.
Alonzo and I are not going to be a thing. Ever. No matter how many times he follows me and tries to insist. Does he really think that if he just keeps putting himself in my way, I’ll give up and give in? That I’ll forget everything he’s said and done? The man needs a serious reality check.
I watch with narrowed eyes as he starts into the trees, walking right past where Hades lies on the ground and I perch in the tree.
The other two go in opposite directions, neither looking thrilled with their new orders.
I want to yell out to them to go back to their rooms, but instead, I nimbly climb down and follow Alonzo, sending Hades through the woods alongside him in case he starts to veer off course.
I don’t need his giant ass getting lost in here and someone crying Big Foot when they stumble onto him.
I stifle a snort, moving a little faster to keep up with him. The man is on a mission, uncaring of the noise he’s making. If the guards were worried he was escaping, they won’t have a hard time tracking him.
He finally stops at the edge of a clearing, his head turning on a swivel.
I pause behind him, careful to conceal myself behind a tree, and hear him curse under his breath.
He still has no idea I’m here. A little thrill fills me, knowing even now he suspects nothing.
If I was worried about my skills being rusty, I’ve just gotten a small confidence boost.
I really need to get back, though. But the temptation is right there, taunting me.
The choice is taken from me when he whirls, his gaze scanning around me. I don’t duck behind the tree, staying perfectly still, holding my breath to give nothing away. His eyes linger in my direction for a second, before they move on, his mouth pulling down in a frown.
“Fucking creepy as shit,” Alonzo mutters, turning away and walking into the clearing.
The area is lit from the light of the moon, casting shadows, but he’s illuminated enough I can make him out easily.
His phone gives a soft buzz, and he pulls it out, putting it to his ear, instinctively turning himself away from me.
“Urso, I don’t have time for this. Rori’s disappeared.
Fuck off, she’s not running from me. Just tell me what you found out before I text Lazaro and tell him to go kick your ass. ”
A pang fills my chest at the mention of Lazaro. Damn it, I miss Amara. Hell, I miss all the girls.
“Get me all the details you can. I knew something was off about those blueprints.”
I freeze. Wait, he noticed that too? And how did Urso figure that out?
That shouldn’t be something easily found.
Worry trickles. I resist the urge to charge forward and grab the phone to demand answers.
Urso and Zeno might be computer whizzes or whatever, but every Bratva faction has one as well, and if they’re hacking into things they shouldn’t be, someone is going to find out about it.
The very same someones that are waiting for us to show up.
Fuck. This is exactly why I didn’t want any of them involved.
“Fine. Look, I need to find Rori. The sooner we can get out of here the better. This shit is a mess. No, I don’t need anyone to come charging in to help.
I have it in hand. Yeah, Romanov is a prick and I don’t trust him, but I’ve been in worse situations than this.
Tell Papa and Pietro to stop fretting. I have it under control. ”
Like fuck he does. Does the man’s arrogance ever end?
He hangs up, puts the phone away, and looks around him. “I know you’re here, Rori. Are you going to stop with the ninja spy shit and come talk to me?”
Ninja spy shit? Asshole. The dick can’t do half of what I do, considering his size. I really want to hit him. Or throw a knife at him again. That was fun. Maybe this time he won’t have the time to dodge it.
“Rori, I’m tired, and this is the only time you and I are going to be alone enough to hash this out.”
Does he think that’s an incentive? I’ve been purposely trying to avoid him so we don’t have to talk around in circles.
“Hades,” Alonzo calls, giving a quick command.
I slide my eyes to where Hades is lying still in the brush, watching Alonzo.
His ass doesn’t even wag, completely focused.
Looks like I don’t have to worry that the bond between them is stronger than ours.
Alonzo tries again, and I barely restrain my smile.
“Damn it, Rori, just come out and talk to me like an adult. I’m not doing this cloak-and-dagger shit with you. You owe me that much.”
I owe him? Wrong choice, motherfucker. I think it’s time for him to realize what kind of person he’s up against.
I move silently in the shadows. I hope he’s ready, because this stupid ninja spy shit is about to come back and bite him in the ass.