She started to explain her abduction and the sudden appearance of the Storm Wayfarers president. She opened her mouth, scrambling to find the smoothest manner of explaining who he was, but Lazarus beat her to it. “Damon Evans was the man Mex Johnson had arranged for Deva to marry all those years ago, isn’t he? Finch already had Johnson and the Rows in his pocket, and he saw in Deva’s abduction a way to have a hold on the Wayfarers.”
Damon stood on the other side of the table from Aleksei, and Deva was deeply aware of the rising danger. Especially with what was next. Damon Evans was the kind of man who didn’t shy away from anything, continued. “When I received the call, I thought at first it was some sort of prank, or worse, a trap. It took a few reassurances, but when they sent me pictures of someone who appeared to be Deva in a cell, I knew I had to act. When I got there, and they lead me into Deva’s cell, we had little time and opportunity to escape. Deva understood immediately what needed to be done and she was a champ. We had to convince those Russians that she had submitted to her father’s decision from all those years ago. It took some work as showing intimacy is never easy, but we succeeded. And she also knew that we had to form some sort of alliance too. Johnson needed to be brought down one way or another, and as his daughter, Deva is my ace in the hole. With her by my side, I’m certain I can bring back some sort of balance between the MCs.”
As Damon spoke, Aleksei looked at her and took a step back as if he’d been slapped. Deva frowned, not understanding Aleksei’s reaction and when she tried to reach for him, he evaded her touch as if she had the plague.”
“Was everything you did, or said, even real? Or were you only waiting for what you really wanted?”
Deva replayed what Damon had just said, placing herself in the Russian’s shoes, and understood that Aleksei was making awful assumptions about her and Damon and what had happened. Worst of all was that his belief was etched clearly on his face, distorted by anger and disgust. He thought she had played him from the start and decided to return to the MCs by allying herself with Damon. Sleeping with him when he referred to their forced intimacy. Panic twisting in her gut, she wasn’t about to let him retreat without a fight. Ready to stand in front of him and clarify everything, when Lazarus’s cell rang.
The room turned silent as he answered. The conversation was one-sided, Lazarus making non-committal sounds. But it was his posture that told Deva that it was hopeful news on the other end. His energy changed, his body tensed, his gray eyes swirled in a way Deva hadn’t seen before. When he hung up, she thought he was about to sprint out of the house. Instead, he turned to the group.
“That was Liam. They have found where Sasha is being held. After the incident at the hospital, Mex went underground but requested a nurse. Sasha outed herself to Semyon as being a doctor. In exchange for taking care of Johnson, her life was spared.”
Gabrielle stood up. “So, we find Johnson, we find Sasha.”
“My father has always been a man of habit. Wherever he is, it’s a place he owns, surrounded by men he trusts. A close guard.” Deva turned to Damon who looked at her deep in the eyes before wincing.
“Damn, Deva. You’re asking for a lot. What if it goes wrong?”
Lance frowned and looked at them both. “What are you talking about?”
Deva bit her lip, praying Damon would come forward. The man didn’t disappoint. He looked at the ceiling for a second, pushed his wavy blond hair from his face and shook his head.
“I have a man on the inside. Inside the Rows. If Mex took her underground, I can get you the location.”
Gabrielle nodded. “Call him. Get the location.”
Damon whipped out his phone, and in no more than two minutes, he had a location in the North Side. “Guys, I can’t go with you, it would ruin everything I’ve worked for. Or blow up into a war. But I have a stash in the basement. Take all the weapons you need.”
Deva looked at Aleksei who ignored her as he followed Damon, Lance, and Lazarus downstairs. She grabbed his elbow, and he cursed, pulling away sharply from her grasp.
“Aleksei, let me explain.”
“There is nothing to explain. You have made your choice. I should have followed my first instinct and assumed that the woman I believed you were could never really exist. That everything you’ve said or done was with a hidden purpose that didn’t include me. That you are a liar.”
It was as if he had spat in her face. She clenched her fists and tried to think of a way, of the words to get through to him. But nothing came, except blinding pain.
Deva didn’t know what to do, and she was about to rush after him when Gabrielle stopped her.
“I must go after him, Gabrielle, he got everything wrong.”
The blond woman offered her a caring look that softened her expression. “I know, but time is of the essence, and the guys need to leave fast.”
“Then, I’ll go with them to Sasha.”
Gabrielle shook her head once more. “You know it would be a very bad idea to go retrieve Sasha with them. Mex has most probably put a bounty on your head with watchers around the area where he’s staying. He knows you would most probably go after her.”
“So, you’re suggesting that I stay behind? Are you insane?”
Gabrielle shook her head and checked to make sure the men were out of hearing.
“I say that while very competent men take care of Sasha, we take care of the men’s problem.”
