Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
KADE
Aleksei only beats us to the airport because he continually cheats. If I couldn’t see Quinn laughing and smiling as much as she was, I’d have gotten Santiago to shoot out one of his tires.
Santiago glares at Aleksei as Aleksei reverses into a private parking bay at the airport. “How are we going to have any sort of peaceful life with him?”
“I ask myself that constantly,” I say, twisting around, ready to park. I’m just waiting for Santiago to shut the door.
He does, eventually. Once he’s standing next to Quinn and the dogs, I start. Aleksei stays inside the small space, directing me unnecessarily. And this is what I meant when I answered Santiago—Aleksei is full of contradictions. He leaves me unsure of how he will act or react in any given situation.
The parking assist in the Audi means his staying is redundant. I finish parking, and he hands me a briefcase.
“While we’re flying, you should familiarize yourself with the people in this file. I want to ask my wife about some of them, but I think she needs to rest more than we need answers. In seriousness, if they make her anxious, we have our answer if they are good people or not.”
When Aleksei talks so decisively, it goes against all the training I’ve done.
At the Academy, we’re taught to systematically evaluate the evidence, as opposed to assuming anything and jumping to obvious conclusions.
Except what Aleksei says is true; Quinn is our measure now.
It’s that black and white, that decisive and simple.
“Thanks, Aleksei.”
He goes to walk off, but I grab his arm. “I am loyal to her and our pack. My job with Interpol paid the bills. It gave me access to track down info on who was responsible for giving my sister the drugs.”
His eyes narrow. “You use the same determination to keep her safe, and we will be fine.”
He stops talking, and while there’s the suggestion of a smile, more evident is the challenge in his eyes.
I know where he’s coming from; he’s putting my actions back on me, leaving me to determine how far I’m willing to go.
I know how far he’ll go. He won’t stop at anything; Sergey and Dmitri are proof of that.
I might not be as vocal in my thirst to protect her, but it doesn’t mean I won’t be as vicious.
I keep my voice even in volume and emotion. “I’m counting on you having good lawyers, Aleksei. It’s like you said, people are either a threat to her, or they are not.”
He grins. “You and I will be fine. I know this, but you looked nervous, like you needed a reminder you have everything you need here.”
I finally work out why Aleksei is in here, giving me his version of a pep talk. “You know, the last time I flew, Santiago was the pilot. He’s not a bad pilot, but we were flying into the worst storm I’ve ever experienced.”
“Ah, well, we’re not flying like that now. We have an image to uphold, not only for Victor but for when we return to Russia. And when Santiago drags us into his world, we can’t afford fear, or bad suits, Kade.”
I look at the suit I’m wearing; it’s one of the ones that Santiago and I hastily organized. It’s pretty reflective of my budget or lack thereof.
He clears his throat, and when I lift my gaze, his eyes are free of judgment.
“What you did was noble work, but being noble doesn’t make you rich, which all changed when she bit you, and you bit her.
We all have our own challenges ahead of us.
Are you going to cope with the money that comes with the life you have committed to?
It’s not flaunting what you have, it’s using it as another means of keeping her safe. ”
“Jesus, Aleksei,” I murmur, running a hand down my face. “Why are you so damn easy to like today? And philosophical too.”
Aleksei takes an obvious step back. He’s not overly aggressive like some Alphas can get when something happens they don’t like or appreciate, but his disappointment makes his scent fade, making it hard to ignore the fact I did upset him.
“We will talk later. You need to change and keep Santiago away from her.”
He walks off, leaving me racing back over our conversation, trying to figure out where, and why, he did another one-eighty on me.
But as fast as he flipped on me, the answer strikes like a lightning bolt. I race after him, grabbing his arm again to stop him from leaving the storage unit the cars are parked in.
“It was a rhetorical question, Aleksei. I know Quinny is your only motivator and your only guide of what’s acceptable and what isn't. She’s my only measure too.”
The prick is smiling when he turns to face me. “These tests are good, aren’t they? Every time we figure things out is like a nail, hammering our bond into something unbreakable.”
He leaves me once again wondering how the fuck I’m going to survive this. She’s not the problem. Her Alphas are another thing.
Aleksei waits just outside the door, and once he’s locked up the private unit, he passes me the key and a brand-new phone.
“We can finish setting up the security on the flight. I’ve given you access to all my properties, warehouses included.
It is what any guard would have, but that’s not how I see you.
We’re pack. I’ve added contacts you need to be aware of and given you access to my banking.
My wife won’t like not using her own money, but I think the makeup sex we will have after will be worth the argument. ”
Before we step off, I position myself in front of him. Given we’re all about appearances and minimizing risk, right now looks like as good a time as any to start pretending.
Aleksei says something to Roshka, and the dog trots over where the trees are and is back in moments, swapping out with Nalla who limps more than trots.
Quinn tracks her every step before she turns her eyes on me. “How's your leg?”
“I’d tell you if it was an issue,” I offer, wanting to reach out to pull her into a hug.
We’re interrupted by the flight attendant and the pilot approaching. They talk with Aleksei, and as soon as Nalla rejoins, I gesture for her to check the plane with me.
I’m not a dog person, but I like Nalla. Roshka reminds me too much of Aleksei, and Santiago. He’s brash and forthright, and considering I’ve got two domineering Alphas already, diverting to Nalla feels right.
I help her up the stairs, earning myself a warning growl, which I ignore. I wait for her to do the initial sweep through, in case anyone we don’t know about is hiding, and when she comes back, I join her in the aircraft.
It’s easy to see this plane is as different as night is to day, compared to the one Santiago flew.
It’s longer and a hell of a lot newer, for starters.
Inside, you can actually stand, and there’s room for days.
There’s no mistaking the luxury, but it’s not rubbed in your face, which is how I like it.
Which is also how I know I’ll be fine adjusting to having money.
Quinny, Aleksei, and Santiago are all well-off, but they don’t shove it in front of you.
I check over the aircraft, looking for anything concerning, but it’s clear there’s nothing. On my way back outside, I meet Santiago as he’s coming out of the cockpit. “Please tell me you’re not flying.”
He races down the couple of steps, turning and grinning. “No, It’s a shame, though. This sweet girl would be a blast.”
“You checked the pilot’s credentials?”
“They look competent. I went through their log, and everything is being done how it should be. Aleksei mentioned he gave you a file. I’ll sit with you and add anything else I know. We need to be on the ball.”
“He added me to the security system for his properties, so I need a rundown on that too. And then figure out how to log onto his banking.”
He claps me on the shoulder. “We’ll be fine.”
But in a sense, it ends our conversation as we wait just behind the pilots finalizing their rundown with Aleksei and Quinn. Once they finish talking, the pilots and the flight attendant grab our bags and start stowing them on the plane.
Usually I’d offer to help, but not anymore. Not when I have a beautiful woman to watch over. Roshka gets harnessed next to Quinny, and Nalla next to Aleksei. Santiago sits opposite me, but we’re positioned closer to Aleksei, and it was most certainly intentional.
There’s a seat next to Quinn, and in due course, I’m sure we will each take our turn there, but we can all recognize she needs time alone. Returning to her home and seeing Victor is sure to be stirring up a hornet’s nest of emotions and anxiety.
Quinny turns to face the window as we taxi down the runway. As soon as we’re in the air, she looks for each of us before she reclines her seat and pulls the blankets up to her chin. The seat belt sign goes off, but Quinny doesn’t move. She’s out like a light.