“Can you run?”
She lifts her chin and scoffs. “Do I have a choice?”
“No,” I respond honestly.
We run through the maze of downtown streets, staying in the shadows and avoiding main thoroughfares where we might be spotted. My phone comes alive with incoming calls, but I don’t dare stop to answer. Every second counts when you’re being hunted.
“There,” I point to a sleek hotel rising thirty stories into the night sky. “The Suntower. My family has arrangements with the management.”
“What kind of arrangements?” She follows my line of sight and squints up at the building.
“We keep a suite on retainer, and they don’t ask questions.”
The lobby is all marble and crystal, the sort of place where politicians and celebrities conduct their secret meetings. I stride to the front desk, keeping Alyssa close behind me.
“I need a key for the presidential suite,” I tell the clerk as I slide a black card across the marble counter. Key cards automatically deactivate after checkout for security reasons, but one is required to be exchanged for a new one, per our arrangement. “Executive access.”
The young man’s eyes go wide when he sees the card, but he doesn’t ask for identification or a credit card. Instead, he produces a key card from beneath the counter and hands it over, saying, “I’ll make sure you remain undisturbed.”
The suite looks exactly as I remember it from my last visit six months ago. Massive windows showcase the city below us, and the familiar Italian leather furniture and museum-quality artwork create the kind of atmosphere where million-dollar deals get made over single-malt whiskey.
“Nice arrangements,” Alyssa comments as she takes in the opulent surroundings. “Though I shouldn’t be surprised you’d have something this nice as your backup, at this point.”
She makes her way to the windows and stares out at the city with her arms wrapped around herself. The distance between us feels like miles instead of feet, and when I look closely, I can see her entire body quivering.
I want to comfort her, to reach out and hold her, to tell her everything will be all right. But I have to find out what the hell just happened first. Whoever thought it was a good idea to attack my kitten like that has hell coming their way.
I pull out my phone and dial Akim’s number, and he answers on the first ring.
“Where the hell are you?” he demands. “Security reported gunfire at the Greyhound terminal, and we were told you were at the station when it started.”
“I’m fine. Someone tried to kill me. Multiple shooters in a coordinated attack. They knew exactly where to find us.”
“Us?”
I glance at Alyssa, who’s pretending not to listen to every word. “I’ll explain later. Right now, I need you to keep thehostage secure and make sure everyone in the family is safe until we know how many hostiles we’re dealing with.”
“What about backup? I can have a team at your location in twenty minutes.”
“No. Too risky until we know the scope of the threat.”
“You can’t handle this alone.”
“I’m not alone.”
“The girl isn’t trained for combat, Maksim. She’s a liability.”
The words make my blood boil. “She’s under my protection.”
“And you’re under ours. Where are you?”
I give him the hotel information along with instructions to maintain radio silence unless it’s an emergency. The fewer people who know our location, the better our chances of surviving the night.
“Akim wants to send reinforcements,” I tell Alyssa after ending the call.
She turns away from the window with her arms crossed over her chest. “But you said no. Why?”
“Because I don’t know how many people are hunting us, and I won’t risk more lives until I have better intelligence.”
