Page 54 of Donovan Blake: Adrenalin

The entire episode had been an unmitigated disaster, yet through it all the Russian oligarch hadn’t seemed fazed. Not even when Franco had gurgled his last breath and blood had poured from his body.

Now walking down the empty hall to his office, Manny had a sudden and alarming thought. There would be just the two of them in the vault, and it was clear Alexi had ice flowing through his veins.

Not only did Manny know he’d never beat the tall, hefty man in a fight, the fearsome oligarch was probably carrying a gun..

What was there to stop him from taking The Alexandrite Empress and walking away?

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

Donovan caught his breath.

The office door was opening.

“I’m sorry, Alexi. We need to make this quick,” he heard Manny say urgently. “Some idiot will have called the cops.”

“So? What does it matter? There was accident. A drunken fool fell on his knife. There’s no mystery.”

The Russian’s accent was thick, his voice deep, and he’d sounded patronizing.

“You don’t understand. The police will want to question me.”

“You Americans, you worry too much. You’re a busy man. If it takes a while to find you, who cares? Now take me to the Empress.”

Hearing them walking across the room and not knowing how the secret space was accessed, Donovan mentally prepared himself for a fight. But to his great relief they stopped before reaching the desk.

“I’m taking you into my private vault,” Manny declared. “Forgive me, Alexi, but I must ask you to look away.”

“Ah, yes, I understand.”

Donovan waited a few seconds, then dared to peek around the side of the desk. Standing in front of a bookshelf just a few yards in front of him, Manny clasped a bronze horse, slowly turned it, then pushed the bookcase forward. As he turned back to Alexi, Donovan jerked out of sight.

“Okay, Alexi, we can go in now.”

Feeling Phoebe gripping his arm, Donovan glanced down at her, and she looked up at him with wide eyes. She was scared. But when they heard the sound of the bookcase moving back into place she let out a heavy breath.

“Now what?” she whispered. “Do we take off or wait for them to come out?”

“I’m thinking…” he mumbled as he heard the faint sound of sirens. “Manny was right, someone called the police.”

“Of course they did!”

“I know exactly what to do. Stay here.”

Moving from behind the desk and studying the other items on display, he finally spotted a magnificent white marble globe about the size of a bowling ball. In spite of its hefty weight he managed to lift it and carefully wedge it between the bronze horse and the side of the bookcase. Satisfied it would prevent the horse from moving, he hurried across to the door, made sure it was locked, then returned to Phoebe still crouched behind the desk.

“You can get up now,” he declared, sliding open the top desk drawer. “What are you doing?”

“Looking for this!” he exclaimed retrieving a revolver, then checking to make sure it was loaded he wedged it into his waistband. “And now I’m calling Sam.”

* * *

Inside the vault Manny was proudly showing Alexi The Alexandrite Empress. The room’s special lighting was designed to enhance each piece. Every gold item glowed, artwork was brought to life, and precious stones sparkled. Even under normal conditions the exquisite necklace twinkled with a unique brilliance, but under the expensive lights it was breathtaking.

“She is an Empress,” Alexi muttered. “Yes, I will have her.”

“We haven’t agreed on a price,” Manny said, wishing he could turn back the clock. Franco’s shocking attack and subsequent death had rattled him, and when Alexi had insisted on seeing the necklace when he did, Manny had felt compelled to agree. Now he regretted not summoning his Head of Security to join them.

“We will discuss this in your office over drinks,” Alexi replied, then stepping away he began moving around the room to admire the other unique items. “You have quite a collection,” he remarked, pausing in front of a grouping of paintings. “Is this a genuine Renoir?”

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