I’d heard that he and his brothers had sold out, but no one had ever explained what that meant. I was too afraid to ask, but as I sat there staring at the screen, I finally understood.
He and his brothers used their father’s death as an opportunity to walk away from the bratva—something I never believed was possible. My heart started to pound so hard I feared people around me might hear it.
A riverfront casino.
One of the biggest in the south.
And it was theirs.
I sat back in my chair and stared at the screen until the letters started to blur. This was my chance. My only hope. I grabbed a pencil from the tray and wrote down the address, and with shaking fingers, I pulled up the bus schedules. I searched Little Rock, and my stomach took a nosedive when I saw the next bus didn’t leave until the following morning.
That meant a night in a city I didn’t know. A night of hiding and praying that I wouldn’t be found, because every hour that ticked by was another chance for Alek or his men to catch up with me. I couldn’t let that happen. I needed to find a hotel. It needed to be cheap and relatively close to the bus station.
I did another quick search, and after I found a place I hoped would work, I shut down the computer, grabbed my things, and headed for the door. I was exhausted, hungry, and just wanted a second to catch my breath, but I tucked my chin and pressed forward.
Tomorrow I would be on a bus to Little Rock.
And maybe, just maybe, I’d see Viktor again and he would help me.
But before that could happen, I had to survive the night.
The hotel reeked of mildew and cigarettes. It was the kind of place where no one asked questions. They just took your cash and sent you on your way, and I was good with that. Once I made it up to my room, I locked the door and slid a chair beneath the handle. It wasn’t much, but it kept me off the street, and that was enough.
I grabbed a change of clothes and the box of hair dye from my suitcase and slipped into the bathroom. Half an hour later, I stepped out with dark red hair that seemed to accentuate the purple in my bruised cheek. There was a time that would’ve bothered me. I would’ve done everything I could to hide it, but now, the bruises felt more like a battle wound.
A battle wound I’d survived, and I would keep surviving. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself. But only time would tell. Regardless, the red was different. I hoped it would be enough to keep anyone from recognizing me.
Dinner was a pack of stale crackers and a warm soda from the vending machine. They tasted like cardboard and sugar, but they helped to fill the empty void in my stomach. I tossed the remnants in the trash and crawled into bed. I curled up tight and prayed the locks would hold through the night.
I managed to get a few minutes of sleep here and there, which is better than expected. I got up, put on fresh clothes, and pulled my hair into a messy bun before heading over to the bus station. As soon as I arrived, I slipped up to the counter and purchased my ticket.
I turned around, and my breath caught when I spotted two men standing in the center of the bus station. They were tall and broad-shouldered, with a fierce demeanor and dark shades. I glanced down at their wrists, searching for any sign of the trademark tattoo, but they were hidden by their coats’ sleeves.
It didn’t matter. I wasn’t taking any chances. I lowered my head, and with my heart slamming against my chest, I slipped into the bathroom and locked myself in a stall. I closed the lid and sat down on the toilet, praying that they didn’t come in after me.
Minutes bled into almost an hour, and I was reaching my wits’ end when my bus number was finally called over the intercom. I had no choice but to open the door. When I steppedout of the stall, I noticed a mother herding her two small children toward the exit. I hoped I could blend in with them and go unnoticed by the men waiting out front.
I followed close behind, trailing right next to the little girl with bouncing braids, and to anyone else, I looked like I belonged with them. My blood ran cold when one of the men turned his head in our direction, quickly scanning the crowd, but a scuffle at the terminal drew their attention away.
I kept walking, one step at a time, and it wasn’t long before I was stepping onto my bus. The driver paid me little mind as I handed over my ticket and continued towards the back. I slid my suitcase into the compartment above, then dropped down into an empty seat. I fisted my hands in my lap and held my breath until the bus lurched forward.
Then, and only then, I let myself relax a little.
I wasn’t in the clear. Not by a long shot.
But I was one step closer to Viktor and possibly my salvation.
5
SERGEI
“We have a problem.”
“It’s your job to take care of problems.”
“I know,” Jenson answered. “That’s why I’m here.”
Jenson was my tech man. He was my ghost in the wires. He handled all the security and surveillance at the casino and at all our homes. He was good at his job and managed to always stay one step ahead of anyone who tried to cross us. He’d saved my ass more than once, and he’d done it without a weapon. He’d done it with a fucking laptop and today was no different.
