Chapter 27
Montgomery
The darkness had already drifted beyond being ominous, now becoming suffocating.
I sensed Fleur had felt it as well. Her silence spoke volumes.
Within fifteen minutes, exhaustion finally took a toll, her fingers slipping from mine.
Reaching over, I took the weapon from her other hand before it fell to the floor, placing it on the dashboard.
I would be damn glad to be in the comfort of my own house, able to pick up a phone and contact Gio or any of my other men as necessary.
I took a deep breath, constantly checking the mirrors. There was no chance of relaxing, so I concentrated on the road ahead, checking my phone for reception every few minutes.
An hour passed.
An hour of silence and anxiety. At least my companion was sleeping.
My thoughts had been solely concentrated on the needed actions, calculating every opportunity the assailants would have. At this point, my mind was full of anger as well as a level of anxiety I wasn’t used to experiencing.
Maybe that’s why my mind drifted to my grandmother.
I laughed softly to myself when I heard her voice in my mind.
She’d never been one to skimp on advice.
Plus, you could always count on her absolute frankness, even if it was painful to hear.
Her last soliloquy had been just before I’d been released from the hospital.
“The problem is you don’t have a woman to keep you on your toes. If you did, things like this wouldn’t happen.”
My statement in return had been words embroiled in anguish and anger. I’d said something along the lines that I couldn’t simply conjure up a woman. That was basic bullshit black magic.
After giving me a well-deserved and all-knowing evil eye, she’d patted my hand, whispered some Cajun words I hadn’t understood because I’d never been interested in what I’d called voodoo bullshit, and turned to leave. Of course me being me, I’d demanded to know what she’d said to me.
Maybe I hadn’t anticipated her response, but I’d certainly laughed it off later. However, I would never forget her words.
“Since you’re as hardheaded as your father, I’ve cast a spell. You will soon meet your angel, but if you defy the gods, you will be cursed to endure loneliness for the rest of your life.”
Nope. My grandmother didn’t mince words.
Yeah, she’d flip out over Fleur.
I was able to laugh while realizing I was thankful I’d met the amazing woman. If only I’d been able to protect her from the pain she’d endured.
Another hour passed with no sign of the assassins. Dawn would peek over the horizon within a few minutes. While I generally appreciated the cloak of darkness, I wanted Fleur to see the city she would call home.
At least for an undisclosed timeframe.
We were being chased by men with assault rifles, but I was worried about her first impression of the only city I ever wanted to live in.
Maybe my grandmother had a point that I needed a woman in my life to take care of me.
The question fueling the darkest synapses of my mind was whether she’d want the job.
When I split off onto another road, this time with four lanes, I had enough of an internet reception to contact Alexander.
“Where are you?” he asked as soon as he answered the phone.
“Maybe two hours away.”
“Then I’ll send soldiers in your direction.”
There was a sense of urgency in his voice that even after everything that had occurred was unusual. “The Russians are on the move.”
“Let’s just say they realized our plan. Ivan was transferred to another prison.”
Ivan Barishnikoff, the fucking bastard who’d undoubtedly orchestrated our father’s murder. “Oh, he was.”
“Yes, and if my intel is correct, Papovek had everything to do with obtaining a very private, very protected prison cell,” Alexander hissed. “Word on the street is that Ivan’s soldiers are on the move.”
“Which could explain the two motherfuckers in the parking lot of the last hotel.”
“What the fuck?”
“A mistake made. Nothing more. I think I’ve lost them, but I’ll appreciate the welcome home party.”
His snort was as brotherly as the Don of the family would get. “Then I’ll put you to work since you’ve been on an extended vacation.”
“Fuck you.” The dawn had arrived, the first rays of sunlight appearing over the canopy of trees.
We’d passed a couple of vehicles on the road and there would soon be more as the morning rush hour began.
If I were smart, I’d ditch the Blazer, only I’d made a promise to someone and I’d hate breaking it.
“Passenger heavy?”
I glanced over at Sleeping Beauty, longing to tangle my fingers in the strands of hair covering her cheek. “Passenger heavy.”
“Permanently?”
Exhaling, I shifted my fisted hand back and forth on the vinyl steering wheel. “Maybe so.”
“Don’t waste time talking. We have a war to end before it officially begins.”
“Understood. I’ll send my route as soon as I end the call.”
“Stay watchful. Ivan’s son is nowhere to be found.”
“I’m focused on one thing. Killing every bastard involved.”
“We’ll see. I’ll see you at home later in the morning.”
“Good deal.”
Somehow, I managed to send coordinates, taking a single deep breath after completing the task.
As soon as I placed the phone on the dashboard, I sensed Sleeping Beauty stirring next to me. Her yawn was huge, adorable if you asked me.
Time passed, the silence as jarring as any noise.
With a quick glance, I was able to see when she first opened her eyes. She jerked up seconds later. “Oh, my God. Where are they?” She swung her head from side to side, craning her neck as she tried to look over her shoulder, but the seatbelt was locked down tight.
“I haven’t seen them in a couple hours. Let’s hope we lost them.”
Sighing, the moment she shifted her legs, we both heard a crinkling sound. Leaning over, she pulled something into her hand.
“What is that?”
Her entire body began to tremble. “It’s a letter addressed to me. It’s from Danny. It must have been in the duffle all along.”
I had no right to ask her to open it and I sensed she was debating. She held the envelope in her fingers, pulling it closer to her face.
“Are you going to open it?”
“I honestly don’t know. What if he admits he was sent to kill you? What then?”
“But he didn’t.”
“But he tried on the night inside my house.”
Exhaling, I knew nothing I would say to her would dampen her concern.
Who was I to try? “He was a damn good adversary, Fleur. Well trained. If he’d wanted to kill me, he wouldn’t have turned off a light, which issued a warning.
He wouldn’t have selected a chair where he couldn’t see who came through the back door.
Instead, he would have hidden in the shadows, attacking when we first walked in. But he didn’t.”
“If you’re trying to make me feel any better, I’m not certain you can.” After a few seconds, she folded the letter, gently placing the envelope on the dashboard. Why she was torturing herself by keeping it in front of her was very private.
“I’m telling you the truth.”
As she always did when thinking about him, she rubbed the necklace. “I appreciate the effort.” With her arms folded, she turned her head toward the passenger window. “Maybe I want to think of him the way he was as a boy.”
“Just a piece of advice. My guess is he was an amazing man. Just a little lost. That’s why he wanted to protect you as he did all those years ago. Never forget that side of him, the one who loved you.”
“You know, for a grumpy guy you can be a softie.”
“Don’t spread that around, little flower. My reputation won’t be able to stand it.”
She laughed, a sound damn good to hear, and squeezed my arm, even shifting closer as if she’d forgive me for being such a fucking dick. Her gasp occurred a split second before a flash came from the left.
A goddamned vehicle almost rammed us. What the fuck?
Not again.
I pressed down on the accelerator, pushing the Blazer to her limits.
“Why can’t they leave us alone?” she wailed.
“Because this is an all-out war.” The sentiment was the truth, whether Alexander wanted to believe it or not. There were a few other vehicles on the road even though we were still fifty miles outside the New Orleans city limits, the town of Covington ten miles away.
I veered around two cars, forced to move into the oncoming lane. With a truck barreling toward us, the driver honked the horn and I barely made it back into my lane before it passed.
The chase continued, taking us all the way through Covington and toward a road parallel to the Bayou, the landscape full of bald cypress and sweet gum trees.
Even though the morning light had infused the horizon with vivid colors of tangerine and fuchsia, shadows encroached the roadway creating an ominous feel.
We were both holding our breath while the truck behind us sped up after passing several vehicles.
“They’re gaining on us.” Her words of warning did nothing but increase the tension.
“I guess they need to learn some manners.” I picked up additional speed, constantly glancing into the rearview mirror. While I had no doubt I would eventually lose the bastards behind us, what I didn’t count on was another vehicle heading in our direction who’d been assigned to the game.
“Fuck. Hang tight, baby.” How many times would I need to say the same words? How many times would I need her to place her faith in me?
And how many goddamn times would I need to put up with this shit?
I grabbed my weapon and rolled down the window, refusing to back down. The fuckers weren’t going to win.
Everything happened quickly but felt as if in suspended animation.
Fleur’s wail of despair.
The lurch of the Blazer as I slammed on my brakes.
A flash of headlights just before I fired off several shots at the oncoming vehicle.
A brutal thud as the truck from behind rammed into us.
And the stunning, mind-blowing launch of the vehicle in front, spiraling in the air toward the bayou.