Page 54 of Dust to Dust

As I drove through the small town, my hands grew clammy on the old steering wheel. The leather was cracked and peeling, but then again, the shitty car only cost me a thousand bucks. I didn't need it to be reliable. I just needed to get close enough to that compound.

Inhaling to calm my nerves, I was thankful for my extra strength deodorant. When facing death, I didn't want to smell. I had never been so nervous in my life. My palms were clammy; my pits were sweating—even a drop of sweat beaded on my brow.

Just as I was about to exit the small town and start up the winding roads through thick woods to Franco's compound, a shadow leaped out in the middle of the road. I slammed on the brakes, not sure they could handle stopping so suddenly. They screeched to a halt, but the shadow wasn't there. Shit, did I hit someone before I even started my kill mission? With my guard up, I exited the car and saw a large body lying down in front of the vehicle.

"You've got to be shitting me!" I hissed.

Laying on the road, smiling like a cheshire cat, was none other than Anton. He laughed out loud, then pushed himself up and stood with a smile at his little game. He brushed his coat off and then lifted his still bruised face to look into my eyes, "Hello, Kukla."

* * *

Anton was like a fucking tick that clung to me and sucked my blood when he needed to. The only way to remove a tick was to burn it off or pull it from its head.

Ok, Nova, even I have to admit, The Rites of Passage is like an all-knowing God.Ghost murmured with uneasiness.

I shove at his chest, "What the hell, Anton!"

I looked around, but it was just him. I half expected men to appear out of thin air.

"Surprised," Anton joked.

"Don't Kukla me," I raised a finger. I breathed in and out to calm my shock, "How did you know I was here?"

"We have our ways."

"Cryptic bullshit."

Anton was dressed in a black turtle neck and a matching jacket. He faded into the night with ease. I adjusted my black sweater that was fitted loose to my body, unlike the femme fatal clothes I usually wore.

Using the back of my hand, I wipe the sweat off my forehead, "I'm busy and don't have time for your shady lies." I turned.

Anton reached for me before I could round the hood of the car. Balling my fist, I swung, but he didn't let me land my punches. Anton moved fast; as he dodged my punch, he grabbed my wrist and twisted it behind my back as he spun me.I didn't have time for this!I raised my foot and brought it down on his. When his head leaned forward with a hiss, I snapped my head back, aiming for his nose. He tilted his head to the right, blocking my attempt.

"Stop it!" He ordered in Russian. "I know why you're here."

With labored breath, I responded, "Don't try to stop me."

"I'm not." Anton released me. He looked me up and down, "We all have rites to pass."

That caused me to pause, "Are you suggesting this cloak and dagger club knew I'd come here?" I shook my head, "That's impossible." I took great care in making Titan think I was heading south. The plane I charted was a well-known man who ran drugs for the Italian mafia on the east coast. Men like my pilot knew better to talk. Unlike commercial flights, the aircraft flew under the radar and worked with various connected black sites to fly undercover.

"Not impossible." Anton adjusted his suit. "Highly probable. You love Titan. You're reckless at your best—incredibly greedy when you are cornered. You're not going to stand by and watch Titan fight without jumping into battle. I knew you'd do something rash." Anton squared his shoulders, "Franco was Titan's trial."

"I don't give a fuck." Wishing I had a weapon on me so I could kill Anton. I didn’t pack anything on my body. I knew I'd be searched—if I made it that far before they killed me— and that wasn't the approach I was going for when it came to Franco.

Anton laughed, "I know. We acknowledge the marriage, Nova. What labors Titan must endure are shared with you since you are his wife. It never mattered who killed Franco." Anton confessed, "We needed to testallthe Kings' loyalty to one another. You're willing to die for the lot of them. That's loyalty at its finest." Anton backed away, giving me space, "You kill Franco," he leveled his green eyes onto my grey ones, "The Kings all pass." He turned to walk away but stopped, "Don't underestimate him, Kukla. When you see an opportunity go for it. Don't let the voices inside your head cloud your judgment."

"Wait," If I made it out alive, I might need this knowledge for Dash. An olive branch to show him I could be trusted if I wanted to be. "Do you know where Mila is? Was it you?"

Anton turned and shrugged his shoulders.

"So that's a no?"

I barely caught sight of the grin that tugged on his lips. He turned and started to vanish into the night, "That's undisclosed for now."

A textbook political response if I ever heard one.

Chapter 42

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