Total pages in book: 72
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 70489 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 352(@200wpm)___ 282(@250wpm)___ 235(@300wpm)
“Arrested for what?”
“Being an idiot.”
“If that’s a crime, then I have some students and fellow faculty to report.”
Alex scowled at me. “Public drunkenness, fake ID, destruction of property, that kind of shit.”
“Are you also known to the police?”
“That’s quite a question coming from you, but no. I try to stay out of that shit. Not because I’m like morally superior or anything. I don’t need the trouble back home. I don’t think you can claim moral superiority either.”
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to release some of my anger. “Alex, I’ve never said I was anything but a monster. I told you to walk away, and you chose not to.”
“I’d make the same choice again.” His voice had lost the sarcastic edge, and when he met my gaze, the fear in his eyes cut right through me. “Do you think… Do you think Mitch is okay?”
“I want to say yes, but…”
Alex frowned. “What?”
“Nothing. I’ll see what I can do to find him.”
“I can help.”
“You are not leaving this house.”
“For how long? I have class tomorrow. With you.”
“I don’t give a fuck about that right now. You are not leaving this house. It’s clear I can’t keep you safe when you’re away from me, so you need to be here.”
“So after kicking me out, you’re kidnapping me now?”
I didn’t need to deal with drama now. I needed to start a search for Mitch. “If you want to call it that, you can. I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you.”
“Can’t you have a bodyguard go to class with me?”
“You think it won’t be conspicuous for you to show up in class with a bodyguard?”
“A discreet one, not like the one you had watched me this morning.”
My stomach flip-flopped. Remington’s men were always discreet. “‘What do you mean?”
Alex stared at me like I was crazy. “I came to your office and tried to tell you how I hated being followed everywhere. I didn’t want someone in my business all day long if I didn’t even know why.”
Nausea tightened my throat. “You saw someone following you everywhere you went?”
Alex rolled his eyes. “Weren’t you listening?”
I’d been so angry that he’d come to my office. Had I missed that he was in danger? What kind of protector was I? “I thought you were exaggerating. I have had someone watching you at night and generally checking on you, but I haven’t had anyone following you everywhere. Describe the man you saw.”
Color drained from his face. “Wait. You don’t think it was someone you sent?”
I shook my head.
“I need to lie down,” Alex said.
I helped him lie back on the couch. “Do you need some water?”
“I don’t know.”
I got him some, and after a few sips, he gave me a description.
“He had thick blond hair. He was taller and thinner than I’d expect a bodyguard to be. He looked like he was in his late mid-thirties, but he was trying to blend in with students.”
“Fuck.” No way. It couldn’t be. Right under our noses.
“Who is it?”
I didn’t want him terrified. “I can’t be sure, but I’m going to find out.” Thoughts raced through my head. The primary one was that I’d waited too long to talk to Lorenzo, to tell Alex how I felt. And now everything was coming crashing down on me. Ivanov might be after Alex. He might have been following him around campus, and I’d sent Alex away. Ivanov could have taken him, might have planned to if Alex hadn’t left campus before dark.
Alex pushed himself up to a seated position. “Dante, tell me what the fuck is happening.”
Could I? “It’s a long story.”
“I’m here and I’m listening.”
He deserved to know. “My family had some dealings with a group of Russians.”
“The Russian mafia?”
He was really going to make me tell it all. “Yes. My brother Lorenzo was sent to negotiate with one of their men.”
“Negotiate what?”
“That’s irrelevant.”
“Nothing is irrelevant if I’m in danger. I should know why.”
“The man, Dimitri, sold weapons. We were negotiating a sale.”
He narrowed his eyes, studying me, but he didn’t ask more questions.
“During this meeting, Lorenzo found out Dimitri had sold his own son to another man.”
“Sold him?” Alex looked as sick as he had before.
“He said the money was in exchange for permitting Nikolai to marry Ivanov’s daughter, but in reality, Ivanov planned to use Nikolai for…”
Alex looked like he might pass out. “Oh my God.”
“We got rid of Dimitri, and I was shot in our attempt to eliminate Ivanov.”
“What happened to Dimitri’s son?”
“Nikolai is with Lorenzo.”
Alex nodded, then froze. “Wait. You said the man you were after escaped the other night. Does that mean Ivanov is out there somewhere?”
I didn’t want to say it, but I had no choice. “Yes.”
“Oh my God, and that’s why you think I’m in danger.”
I nodded. “I was hoping he didn’t know about our association, but I needed you protected.”