Chapter 54
Gage
“Where have you three been?” I ask, storming out the front door when I hear them pull up.
Ryder grins. “Beach house.”
“What the hell would you be doing…” I say, then stop when I realize. “You dirty fuckers.”
Les laughs. “That they were,” she says before smacking me on the ass and walking inside.
I glare at Dex and Ryder fist bumping each other before following that delectable ass inside. Leo’s still passed out on the couch where I left him.
“What is this?” Ryder asks, walking in behind me.
Holden is laid out on the chaise; Leo’s head is pillowed right on his crotch, with Holden's hand resting on Leo’s shoulder. They look cute as fuck; then I look at Ryder. “Are you pissed?” I never can tell Ryder’s normal voice from his pissed-off one; they sound the same.
“That they’re cuddled together, no. I’m pissed they actually get to sleep,” Ryder replies, shaking his head.
“Yeah, but you guys got to fuck off your post-mission adrenaline. I call that a win,” I reply, pissed as hell at that.
Dex shrugs. “Fair point.”
“I hate you both,” I say before storming into the kitchen, making them both chuckle.
“Where is Nina?” Les asks, sliding into a chair at the table very carefully.
What the fuck is that?
We slide around the table with her. “Back porch with Alexey and Dmitri. Giovanni is keeping an ear out,” I answer.
She readjusts in the seat. “We need to figure out what to do next.”
“You want me to get them?”
“Not yet. I need coffee first,” she replies, going to stand up.
“I got it, Il mio sole,” Ryder says, jumping up. “You rest,” he says, kissing the top of her head on the way.
She gives him a grateful smile before fidgeting again. “What the hell is wrong with you?” I ask, and Dex chokes on a laugh.
She glares at him, then smiles sweetly at me. “Nothing.”
Dex shoots her a look that could melt my boxers off, and she blushes. Fucking blushes! Les doesn’t blush unless it’s from being turned on.
I definitely need to know now. “Tell me, Pretty girl.” Leo walks in right when she opens her mouth, stretching and yawning. “Have a nice nap, princess?” I ask him.
“Sure did,” Leo responds, grinning. “Hey, Baby,” he greets Les, giving her a kiss.
“What am I, chopped fucking liver?” I gripe. She gets hot sex and a kiss from Leo.
“Hey, babe,” he laughs, kissing me before walking to the other side of the table and sitting down.
“Les was just about to tell us what she, Ryder, and Dex got up to,” I say, looking expectantly at Les.
“No, she wasn’t,” she replies, taking the cup of coffee from Ryder.
Leo raises an eyebrow. “Why are you sitting funny?”
She huffs. “I’m not.”
“You are,” Ryder laughs, fist bumping Dex again.
Holden walks in and gives her a kiss, distracting her again. “Sit the fuck down,” I say, making Holden jerk away from her.
Les punches me in the arm hard. “Don’t talk to him like that.”
Holden slides into a chair. “What crawled up your ass?” he asks me.
Dex starts laughing. “That’s the problem. Nothing has crawled up his ass.”
Les chokes on a sip of coffee, and Holden reaches over, patting her back. I cross my arms and huff. “I just want to know what happened.”
“Fine,” Les says, setting her coffee cup down. “Ryder and Dex…taught me a lesson.”
“She thought it would be a good idea to get naked in the backseat,” Ryder adds, leaning his folded arms on the table.
I jerk my head to Les. “You did what?”
She shrugs. “I was horny.”
“We took her to the beach house and taught her a lesson for putting herself in danger for distracting Ryder while he was driving,” Dex says, giving her that look again.
Now I’m intrigued. “Then what?” All ears at the table are tuned in now since we are talking in hushed tones.
“We tied her up,” Ryder continues.
“I turned that ass red,” Dex adds. “Then I fucked it.”
“You spanked her?” Holden says, all innocence with his eyes wide.
“Hard. Didn’t I, Baby girl?”
“Uh huh,” Les says, her face blooming with color. “Then they both fucked me.”
“Now I have a boner,” I say, looking down at my lap.
Leo laughs. “You wanted to know.”
I did, but dammit, why couldn’t I have been there instead of babysitting the terror twins and their mom? I can’t be pissed at Les, though. She’s under a lot of pressure, and she always goes after what she wants, and it just happened to be Ryder and Dex.
Les finishes her coffee and looks around again. “Where’s Micah?”
I shrug. “Asleep last time I checked. Giovanni gave him something for pain, and he passed the hell out.”
An uneasy look crosses her face, and she darts a glance at Leo. “What about Evander and Mateo?”
“They went to help with chores, I think.” Leo shrugs. “Do you need them?”
She shakes her head. “No. Let’s get this over with.”
I jump up and get Alexey, Dmitri, and Nina.
Marcella gave her some clothes to wear since she was in her nightgown when we grabbed her.
They follow me inside, and I motion for them to take a seat.
Nina bundles Les in a hug before she sits down.
“I never thanked you properly,” she says before she sits down.
“I’m sorry it had to happen that way, but I didn’t know Viktor wouldn’t be there,” Les says, casting an accusing look at Alexey and Dmitri.
“As I said,” Alexey says evenly, “we didn’t know he wouldn’t be there.”
“Honestly, Alessa,” Nina says, grabbing Les’ hand. “He left quickly for some business.”
Les acknowledges that with a nod. “We need to know your plan now.”
Nina looks down at the table. “I don’t know. He will kill me if he finds me.”
“Has it always been this bad?” Les asks, gently squeezing her hand.
Nina smiles sadly. “No. He was a good man once. I don’t know what happened,” Nina says, wiping a tear from her eye. “One day, everything was good, and the next, he was taking his anger out on me.”
Dmitri sits up in his chair. “How long?”
“Years,” Nina whispers.
“Mama,” Alexey says, anguished. “Why didn’t you tell us?”
“I didn’t want to put my troubles on my boys,” Nina says, straightening her spine. “It doesn’t matter now anyway. Alessa got me out.” Nina looks at Les. “I’m sorry I don’t have more of a plan, but I want to return to Russia for a while.”
Les shakes her head sadly. “You can’t. Not yet, anyway.”
“She’s right,” Ryder adds. “That’s the first place he’ll look.”
“I have people all over,” Les says, running her hand through her hair. “People I trust that you can stay with until Viktor is taken care of.”
“Taken care of?” Nina asks wide-eyed.
“You have to know he has to die, Mama,” Alexey says harshly with no remorse. “For laying hands on you, for starters, but he also took a shot at Les and her guys.”
Nina’s head whips around the table, taking everyone in. “He did?”
“The night of the gala, he shot up our limo, and I took a bullet in the process,” Leo says absently, rubbing where his stitches still are.
“He’s gone too far,” Les says. “He’s been trying to take over my business; he’s sent guys after us twice, and now this. I have to do what needs to be done.”
“I understand.” Nina nods. She’s been in this life for a long time and knows you can’t let this slide.
“You can stay in New York with Aldo,” Les says, then smiles. “He’s my most trusted besides the guys here. As soon as we take care of Viktor, I’ll get you to Russia.”
“I can’t impose on someone like that! I don’t have any money or clothes…” Nina says anxiously, and Dmitri squeezes her shoulder.
“We took care of that, Mama, and it’s just short-term. Right, Les?” Dmitri soothes, looking expectantly at Les.
“If I have anything to do with it, the sooner he’s dead, the better. I’ll contact Aldo and set everything up. You need out of here.” Les pulls her phone out. “Today.”
“I’ll get the jet ready,” Ryder says, pulling his own phone out and leaving the room.
“You have a jet?” Leo says incredulously.
“Uh. Yeah,” I reply like it should be obvious.
“You never know when you need to escape the country,” Dex says seriously.
“Can it be tracked?” Alexey asks, sitting up in his chair.
Holden shakes his head “Nope. I buried it in a dummy corporation so far that it never leads back to Les.”
“If anyone can make something disappear,” Les points at Holden, “It’s him.”
“You’re sure your friend won’t mind me being there?” Nina wonders, looking nervous again.
I laugh at that. “If anything, he’ll be happy you’re there.”
“Aldo is,” Les waves her hand around, “different.” She takes in Nina’s alarmed look. “He’s a great guy. Just think of your basic idea of an Italian mobster, and that’s Aldo.”
“I don’t know if I like this idea,” Alexey worries.
“It’s your only choice.” Les shrugs. “Take it or leave it.”
“Is that how it’s going to be between us now, Moye sokrovishche?”
“Call her that again, and you won’t be alive to find out,” Holden threatens, causing all eyes to turn to him.
Les laughs. “I warned you,” she says to Alexey.
Ryder strides back into the room. “He can have it ready in two hours.”
“You need to say your goodbyes here,” Les says, motioning between Nina and her boys. “I can’t risk anyone seeing you at the airstrip.” She looks at us. “This is the part you guys aren’t going to like.”
“What is it?” I asked, dreading the answer.
“I’m going to have Zane take her.”
“Absofuckinglutely not,” Ryder explodes. “We don’t need him.”
“He’s the only one no one will expect Nina to be with,” Les says evenly. “Viktor will think this was me with or without proof.”
“I can wipe the cameras, and one of you can take her,” Holden reasons.
“That’s even more suspicious,” Les explains. “Zane can take her openly, and no one will ask questions.”
“One of us could, too,” I add. “We have burner cars for a reason.”
Les stands up so fast that her chair almost tips over, causing Nina to jump. “I didn’t ask,” she grits out. “I’m telling you that Zane is taking her to the fucking airport, and that’s that.” She storms off, phone already to her ear.
Alexey chuckles. “I think you pissed off your girl.”