Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
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 stood there 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?”
“It’s done.” I ran my hand over my day-old beard. “Alek and the guards are dead.”
It felt good to say the words, but they were bittersweet.
I wanted to be the one to do it. I wanted to put the blade at Alek’s throat and feel the fight leave him as I dragged it across his carotid artery. I wanted him to look up and see that it was me who’d stolen his last breath. I wanted him to know that I’d been the one who’d been his undoing. It wasn’t like he didn’t have it coming. He’d done nothing but backstab and hurt anyone who got in his way, including his wife. I wanted to put an end to it all, but desire was different from strategy.
Cameras. Witnesses. The wrong taxi driver remembering my face.
Any small thread of evidence would have the entire plan unravel. And it wouldn’t just come back on me. It would be on us all, and I wasn’t selfish enough to burn everyone I cared about for a taste of revenge.
Regardless, the deed was done, and it had been done well. But that didn’t mean I could let go completely. I knew better than that. In the life we lived, the war was never truly over.
You cut off one head, and another grows back in its place.
There was still a chance for a fallout or backlash, but only time would tell. For now, I would consider this battle a win.
Creed crossed his arms and asked, “And the cadaver?”
“It was placed before the fire,” Preacher answered.
Bog was actually the one who’d come up with the idea of making it look like Alina had died in the fire. He knew the family would come looking for Alina, unless they had a reason not to. So, Preacher’s boys in New York pulled from their resources and acquired an unclaimed female from the morgue.
She had Alina’s build and hair color, and they’d even managed to find her wedding ring in Alek’s dresser. They slipped it on the girl’s finger, then dressed her in Alina’s clothes and jewelry and placed her in the bed.
None of it was perfect, but the fire would help. Dental records could be tricky, but money had a way of convincing the right examiner to see what you told them to see. By the time investigators sifted through the wreckage, the story would be clear. Alek Morozov was a monster, and his empire crumbled at the hands of the Albanians, making them one step closer to taking over the territory.