“That he did. He wanted to know every move that went on in that house, and he would use it against me every chance he got.”
“I bet.”
“But you know what was funny?” I didn’t give him a chance to answer before continuing, “He used his birthday for all the codes. The gate at the front. The doors inside. His office. And even the safe. Everyone knows you don’t do that.”
Sergei hummed in agreement, like he found it funny that Alek could be so stupid, and with that, the conversation drifted into silence again.
After a few quick turns, I noted some places I could’ve sworn I’d seen before. My stomach tightened with recognition as Sergei slowed and pulled through the iron gate. We were at his mother’s home, and the barn lights were glowing in the distance.
He continued down the drive, and when he parked at the stable’s gate, I glanced over at him and asked, “Do I need to stay in the car?”
“No. You’re good. Everyone’s at the clubhouse tonight.”
I had no idea what he’d meant, but I didn’t question it. I wanted to see the horses and find out how the sick mare was doing. So, I pushed the door open and followed him inside. I heard the soft shuffle of hooves and the occasional swish of a tail as we passed one stall after the next, each one holding a more beautiful horse than the last.
He stopped at the stall and his lips slowly curled into a soft smile as he undid the latch. He opened the stall door, and his voice softened as he said, “There’s my girl.”
My chest tightened as I watched him step over to the mare and start stroking the side of her neck. It was clear he cared a great deal for this horse, and from the way she nuzzled him with her nose, she cared a great deal for him, too.
I stood there and watched as his tough-as-nails demeanor faded away. He was calm and compassionate in a way that tugged at my heart. He glanced over at me, and then, back to the horse as he said, “She gave us quite a scare.”
She nuzzled him again, and I couldn’t help but smile. “I think she might like you.”
“Maybe, but she’s a finicky thing.” She snorted softly, and when her ears flicked forward, Sergei let out a low chuckle. “Tomorrow, she won’t give me the time of day. But that’s alright. We take things one day at a time around here.”
He spoke it almost like the words weren’t meant for me, but for her.
But I’d heard them. I’d felt them, too.
It was like I’d stumbled on some secret piece of his heart that he kept hidden from everyone else, but I’d seen it. And as I stoodthere watching him murmur softly to the mare, God help me, I couldn’t stop myself from wanting to see more of it.
13
SERGEI
“It’s done.”
They were just two simple words, but they nearly knocked me off my feet. I’d been waiting on Conrad’s call for hours, and while he couldn’t say much over the phone, he’d said exactly what I was hoping to hear. I gripped the phone tighter as I asked, “You’re sure?”
“I wouldn’t have called if I wasn’t.”
The Albanian attack couldn’t have come at a better time. They were hitting Alek and the family harder than ever, and they were all scrambling to keep their empire from crumbling. We couldn’t pass on the opportunity to use it to our advantage, so with a little help from Conrad and Preacher, I assembled a crew to give the Albanians a hand in their endeavors.
We’d been hashing out an attack for over a week and had gone over every detail time and time again. We had their locations, their itinerary, and even the security codes to get into the house and safe. Nevertheless, it was tough having them there and us here, but we managed to piece together a plan that would put an end to Alek and anyone connected to him.
None of us were sure it would actually work. The timing would have to be just right, and even then, there were risks. Lots of them.
One wrong step, and everyone was done for.
Everyone.
There’s no way to describe the relief I felt when Conrad added, “Looks like you can breathe easy for a bit.”
Conrad wasn’t one to gamble with uncertainty, so I took him at his word and let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Spasibo.”
He ended the call before anything else could be said. Silence filled my office, but only for a moment. I was still processing everything when Preacher cleared his throat, bringing me back to reality.
He and Creed were sitting across from me, and when he couldn’t stand it a second longer, Preacher leaned forward and asked, “Well?”
