Page 19 of Claiming Veronica

I hung up, tossing the phone onto the couch beside me. The fight was coming together, and the logistics were solid. Luther could handle the operations on the ground here, but I had my own plans to deal with.

I turned my attention back to the monitors. Veronica hadn’t moved from her spot yet. Good. I had more time.

Time to figure out my next move. It was time to decide how much further I would drag her into this world.

Because once she was in, there was no way out.

Chapter 10

Veronica

Ididn’t go out often, so I was equally nervous and excited to get out among actual human beings. It gave me the opportunity to wear cute shoes, which I usually didn’t bother with. Granted, I wasn’t going for much of a fashion statement, but I had a particular style. The core of my outfit would be my Zanotti over-the-knee black leather boots. I’d been dying to wear them and hadn’t had a chance to yet. I laid everything out and then shimmed into my clothes. Black jean shorts and a vintage black t-shirt cropped short so it showed off my belly. Then I added fishnet thigh-high stockings, my boots, and a jangle of bracelets up and down my arms. Satisfied, I headed upstairs, trying to ignore the fact that I already missed Luca and Enzo.

“You look adorbs,” Natasha said, eyeing me with appreciation. “Those boots are fire. I wish we wore the same size.” We had always lamented the fact that our sizes weren’t the same. It would have been nice to borrow from each other’s closets, even if we didn’t have the same style. Natasha had beautiful clothes that were always well-chosen and tailored to perfection. Even now, she was dressed to slay in a black pencil skirt with a cream blouse that screamed high fashion. Everything about the outfit was subtle and classy.

“Thanks, Nat.” I knew she’d like them and had ordered another pair in her size, but they were delayed. “I thought you might, so I ordered you a pair.” I winked at her.

“Oh my God. You did? You’re the best!” She gave me a swift hug.

“They’re backordered in your size, just fair warning. It’s a little popular apparently, but they are ordered.” I’d been a little disappointed when I’d tried to get them since I knew she’d look amazing strutting around in them, but they were supposed to restock soon.

“That’s because you have tiny feet.” She pshawed, then chewed on her lip, watching me while I went to get some yogurt and berries fromthe fridge. I knew what she was going to ask before she opened her mouth. “You sure you’re going to be alright driving on your own? Pike says he can send someone over to take you. I’d do it, but I can’t miss today’s meeting.”

“I’m sure. I have the Range Rover to drive, and I’ll use the GPS. I swear I’ll call if I get nervous or lost,” I promised. “Max already texted me twice this morning about today, asking if I had changed my mind.” Maxim’s text had woken me up this morning. I’d stayed up into the early morning hours, still trying to track down any leads on Spato. I might have had a spicy session with my vibe after Eli had left, too, but who could blame a girl?

“Yeah, he called me,” Natasha admitted. “I think he’s regretting not having someone in place before he pulled Luca and Enzo.” At the look on my face, she rushed to explain. “I told him that we didn’t need men and we would prefer it that way, but Ronnie — that’s not his style. You know that.”

“This is a small town, Nat,” I groaned. “It’s a waste of manpower for us to have a detail. Most of the time, I don’t even go anywhere.” That wasn’t even a lie. Ninety-nine percent of the time, I was in my little downstairs cave, andLuca, or whoever was bored out of their ever-loving mind. It wasn’t an issue when I lived in San Diego because the house had guards already. The Volkov mansion was a fortress.

She shrugged. “I don’t think Max sees it that way. You’d be back home if it were up to him and Mom.”

“Well, it isn’t up to them.” I slammed my yogurt carton on the counter, suddenly furious. That was part of the problem — them seeing me as a perpetual child.

“I agree with you, of course. It isn’t up to them. We are fine on our own. Text me after your appointment, okay?” she reminded gently.

“Sure.” I deflated. Cleaning out the rest of my yogurt, I rinsed the spoon and stuck it in the dishwasher. I kissed her lightly as I passed, reminding myself not to shoot the messenger. It wasn’t her fault that our cousin was overprotective. That was just how he was built, but I’d be shocked if there weren’t more guards here when I got home. The thought depressed me, but I was determined to make the most of my day. “Bye, Natty.”

“Ronnie.” She waited until I looked her in the eye. “All good news today, babe.”

“Yep, all good news,” I parroted back. It was something we’d said together when things were rough. It had been a way to help start the day on a positive note.

First on my agenda was my appointment this morning. Settling into the seat of the Range Rover, I hit the start button and feigned confidence as I backed the car out of the garage even though my anxiety had spiked to new levels, making sure I didn’t hit the gate as it swung forward. The last time I’d driven alone was in San Diego when I went to the corner store to buy tampons, which was just on a dare. Other than that one time, I’d never driven anywhere by myself. I’d always had a co-pilot telling me where to go or what I was doing wrong — someone to take over if I got tired or felt bad. The idea of just having myself to rely on was heady.

The GPS gave its directions, and I followed along until the outskirts of Phoenix appeared. The city sprawled across the desert for miles, with almost no beginning or end. I was a decent driver but a little nervous. Although I was sure that Maxim’s Range Rover was a veritable tank, having other drivers zooming next to me freaked me out.

The engine of the Range Rover hummed softly as I navigated the busy roads, the sun glaring down through the windshield. The other drivers hadno idea how my fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter than necessary, my knuckles white against the black of the wheel, but I couldn’t bring myself to loosen them. The bracelet Eli gave me winked from my wrist, and I found that it calmed me down. Usually, Luca or Natasha would insist on taking me, ensuring I was wrapped in the safety of tinted windows and layers of protection. But today, there were no guards. No safety net. Nobody to joke with me.

It was weird, but it was the freedom I needed to investigate, to move without anyone watching over my shoulder—well, anyone except the person I suspected was stalking me.

I glanced in the rearview mirror for the fifth time in as many minutes, trying not to let the car veer out of its lane when I did. The same black motorcycle had been following me since I left the house. It could be a coincidence, but I doubted it since I’d seen it make the same turns. Eli had been leaving me those little gifts, the unsettling presents that showed up at my back door. He wanted me to notice. He wanted me to know he was close. But I didn’t know why, which made me equally mad, thrilled, and slightly turned on.

I swallowed hard, my throat tight, the ever-present tickle of a cough gnawing at me. I forced it down, not wanting to give in, not yet. I wasgoing to my checkup anyway — Dr. Bennett, my pulmonologist, was waiting. She’d lecture me about keeping up with my treatments and remind me how fragile my lungs were after all the medications and chemo from when I was a kid. The coughing, the shortness of breath, the asthma flare-ups — they were all constant reminders of a time I could never escape.

The Mayo Clinic came into view, and I exhaled, finally allowing my fingers to relax. Success. Of course, the GPS had helped. Thank goodness for technology. I pulled into the parking lot, but not before rechecking the mirror. The motorcycle was gone. Maybe they were going in the same direction I was. Oh well, writing the incident off, I put my attention back where it belonged.

Circling the lot, I looked for an empty spot without any other cars. The last thing I wanted was to ding someone’s car pulling in. Parking wasn’t something I had a lot of practice with. Slowly, I managed to park pretty straight. Good enough, I thought, getting out and looking at the Rover. Decent. I snapped a pic and sent it to the girl chat. Immediately, it flooded with comments.

Arabella: Did you pay someone?

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