Chapter 38 #2
Arlo and Cove slowly move out of the line of sight and make their way inside. Immediately, all attention is on them, and with a simple motion of his head toward the big table in the kitchen, everyone gathers around.
“Alright, here’s how this will go,” Arlo starts speaking, and Cove whips out the design of the house.
“Raven and Keith will go first. Just the two of them, to scout it all out. I have two of our men on the inside already, and they’ll give me the green light when to go.
We’ll attach it during the shift change. ”
Arlo points to the back of the house on the drawing, tapping his finger against it a couple of times. “This is our entrance. The goal is to kill all of them.”
“So, we’re going all out?”
The door swings open right as the voice rings, and my mouth drops open. Kaya casually strolls inside, and all guns are on her. Half of the people here don’t recognize her, but she merely rolls her eyes.
“What a warm welcome,” she drawls out, sarcasm dripping off her tongue. Arlo waves a dismissive hand, and all the weapons are lowered. Kaya looks like she just came straight from hell. She’s dressed to perfection, in a fitted suit and a pair of high heels, but her entire face is coated in blood.
“You good?” I ask as she takes a stand next to me.
“Yeah, I need to talk to you.”
My brows skyrocket, almost touching my hairline. “To me? Right now?”
“Obviously,” she rolls her eyes with a sigh, then walks over to the sink, washing the blood off her face. I glance at Arlo, and he nods, giving me permission to leave. Well, it’s not like I need his permission, but I don’t want to miss out on the plan for fear of causing them any issues.
“I’ll fill you in later,” Arlo smiles, and that’s all I need.
Kaya wipes her face with some kitchen towels, then grabs my wrist and pulls me into a dark, dark corner of the room, away from all the noise and any prying ears.
“What is it?”
“It’s about Daisy,” Kaya explains, her voice low.
“Go on.”
“She’s safe,” Kaya says, and relief floods through me.
“Good. Where is she?”
“She’s with my brother.”
“Which one?”
“Aleksei,” Kaya says.
I blink once, then twice.
After meeting Kaya and sending her off to find and save Daisy, I did some research on her. I found quite a lot in Noelle and Hudson’s papers, and her brother, Aleksei Kalashnikov, is the current Bratva leader, or, as they like to call, a Pakhan.
The man is terrifying. Handsome — but hella scary.
He has a big scar on his face, he’s at least six feet, seven inches tall, and he isn’t known for his kindness.
In fact, he’s the most brutal and ruthless one out of the Kalashnikov siblings, and that’s saying something, given how Kaya ruthlessly tortured Alexander not too long ago.
“Really? She’s with Aleksei?”
Kaya rolls her eyes. “I know that look. And trust me, I’m just as surprised as you are.
But, since I’ve been having a stalker as of late, it was safer for Daisy to be taken to the main manor.
Well, the moment she saw Aleksei, she ran straight to him and has been attached to his hip ever since.
She refused to leave with me, so he just… let her stay with him.”
“Wait, you have a stalker?” I whisper-yell, half-panicked on her behalf. Not every stalker is as well-intentioned as Arlo was in the past, and I’m worried about her safety.
She waves a dismissive hand, clearly unbothered. “Don’t worry. I can handle myself. But what plans do you have with Daisy?”
I bite the inside of my cheek, the words leaving my mouth before I can think them through. “I was thinking of adopting her.”
Kaya scoffs, the sound of disbelief matching her expression. “Absolutely not.”
“But—”
“No buts,” she cuts me off. “Let me put it in a way you’ll understand.
You’re a woman who’s been through hell and back, and you’re traumatized beyond words.
When all of this is done, you will have to go to a lot of therapy and try to work on yourself.
Do you really think that adding a child — who has also been traumatized, by the way — to the mix is a good idea? ”
“Well—”
“No,” she interrupts again. “I understand where you’re coming from, I really, really do, but you need to think about Daisy.
She’s three. She has an actual chance at life.
Do you want her involved in a lifestyle of crime?
Do you want to make the chances of her going through what you and I went through higher? ”
“No,” I sigh, leaning against the wall, staring at the one across from us absentmindedly. “You’re right. She deserves better than this.”
My words are a mumbled, fumbled mess. My intentions of adopting Daisy were pure, but Kaya has a point, a very solid one.
I shouldn’t bring a young child into this life, especially not knowing when this will all end.
Even if it ended tomorrow, Arlo will always have a target on his back, and consequently, it would make her a target, too.
“Good,” Kaya nods. “I’ll find her a suitable home, Blair. Don’t worry.”
“Let me know when you find someone.”
“I will,” she promises, and I decide to trust her. “Now, let’s go join the others.”
“Wait, you’re coming with us?”
She smirks. “You’re about to kill people, and you think I won’t join? Do you not know me at all?”
All I can do is roll my eyes.