Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 73301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 73301 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 367(@200wpm)___ 293(@250wpm)___ 244(@300wpm)
My brother needs me.
I’m just about to activate his tracking device when my phone begins to ring, and I come to a dead stop in the middle of the road.
Hailey gasps for air as I growl into the speaker, “Kod.”
“Bratstvo,” Alexei mutters. “Sorry. The fucker I was subduing grabbed hold of my chain and pressed the button by accident.”
“My fucking heart,” I snap at him. “Are you okay?”
“Yes. Don’t worry.”
I close my eyes and take a deep breath. “Blyad',” I mutter, pins and needles still spreading over my body from the fright.
“I’m fine,” Alexei says again. “I have Demitri. You think anyone can get past him?”
No.
I take another deep breath. “Have you found the cousins?”
“No, still looking. I’m working my way up the food chain. Watch your back. They have photos of you and the little one.”
“What photos?”
“It looks like you’re standing outside a restaurant.”
Fuck.
Hailey places her hand on my bicep, and she gives me a worried look. Thankfully she can’t understand Russian.
“I’ll call you when I’m alone,” I mutter. “Be safe.”
“You too.”
We end the call, and then I take another breath to calm my racing heart.
“What happened?”
I shake my head. “False alarm.”
She sits down on the road and then lies back, her arms splayed at her sides. “God, I’ve never run that fast before. I need a minute to recover.”
That makes two of us. My fucking hands are shaking.
They never shake.
Christ.
I crouch next to Hailey and glance around us, even more on alert after the scare.
It’s only happened once before, and just like then, it almost gave me a heart attack.
“What alarm was it? For the house?” Hailey asks.
The alarm means I have a couple of hours to save Alexei. If I’m lucky.
It means death.
“Yeah.” I hold my hand out to Hailey, and when she takes hold of mine, I pull her to her feet. “Sorry.”
“Hey, it happens. As long as everything is fine.”
I place my hand behind her neck and pull her to me. We start to walk again, and as we reach her house, I ask, “My place or yours.”
“Mine,” she replies. “I have zero energy to walk up the mountain after the impromptu exercise.”
I take Hailey’s keys from her, and after we step into the house, I lock the door and glance around the kitchen and living room. Heading up the stairs, I do the same with the bathroom and bedroom.
“Are you looking for something?” Hailey asks as she shrugs out of her jacket.
I shake my head. “Just making sure it’s safe.”
Her mouth curves up in a smile. “Aww…” She drops the jacket on the floor then falls onto her bed. “Sleeeeep.” She turns onto her side and holds her hand out to me. “And my man.”
I take off my boots and socks and remove my coat. Setting my phone down on the bedside table, I lie down next to her. I hold my arm open so she can snuggle into my side.
Hailey rests her head on my chest and lets out a contented sigh. “Heaven.”
What the fuck would I have done if Alexei was really in trouble? Dragged Hailey along? Locked her in my house?
Fuck.
“What are you thinking about?” she asks.
“Us.”
“What about us?”
“How happy I am.” I press a kiss to her hair and tighten my arm around her. Bringing my other hand up, I adjust a couple of the strands sticking up from her hair and kiss her again. “I have something to tell you.”
I’ve been lying to you.
I’m an assassin.
I kill people for a living.
Hailey lifts her head and looks at me. “What?”
I stare into her eyes and try to force the words over my lips, but instead, I say, “I love you.”
The smile I love more than anything spreads over her face. “You do?”
“Yes.”
She stretches to reach my mouth and presses a soft kiss to my lips, and then she gets comfortable again. “Like I said. Heaven.”
I close my eyes against the truth that’s haunting me.
Tomorrow.
I’ll tell her tomorrow.
HAILEY
When we reach Gimmelwald, Carson parks the car. I climb out and do a total three-sixty turn, taking in the quiet village and mountains. It’s surrounded by alpine splendor.
Carson takes hold of my hand, and we start to walk down the cobbled path.
“The village looks deserted,” I mention when I don’t see anyone.
“I think only a hundred people live here. Maybe less.”
“Where are they?”
“Indoors.” After a moment, he says, “I almost built the house here.”
“Why didn’t you?”
“It’s too quiet.”
“Says the hermit,” I tease him.
Carson gestures at the houses. “Look at the amazing architecture. It’s been around for hundreds of years.”
There’s so much history here.
Silence falls between us, and we come to a stop and just stare at the mountains for a couple of minutes.
“Places like this make me think about everything,” I whisper.
“About?”
“Life. Death. The meaning of everything.”
“You think there’s a meaning?”
I turn my gaze to Carson. “Don’t you?”