Page 87 of Vitaly

“Of course, Pakhan,” Roman says before standing and leading me away. I walk numbly to his car, knowing with absolute certainty we aren’t going dress shopping.

23

VITALY

The middle of the desert. That’s where the unknown person asked to meet.

Suspicious, no?

And yet that’s where I am, my cell phone back at the mansion just like he instructed. My Jeep is left in some alley in the city where I swapped it for this gray Honda Accord he left for me. Or maybe it’s ashe?I don’t know. The typed note one of the girls gave me immediately upon arriving at the mansion didn’t have a signature, but they must’ve known I’d be stupid enough to follow their plans anyway, letting the GPS in the Honda take me to these exact coordinates.

I run my hand through my hair and close my eyes while leaning against the hood of the Honda. Whatever this is, it must be important, but I can’t take my mind off Mila.

I should’ve followed them. I know it in my gut. I shouldn’t have listened to her.

Nikita will only play his game with me for so long before he makes his move, and it feels like we’re running out of time. It didn’t bother me before when I had no intention of becoming a real threat to him, but now I wish I would’ve thought through things sooner. Strategized sooner. If I don’t have at least aquarter of the Bratva on my side, they’ll slaughter me, Mila, and everyone else who dares stand beside me.

I rub my temples and try not to think about what might be happening to Milaright now. She wasn’t at the mansion, and neither was Nikita.

When I take a steadying breath and open my eyes, I spot something in my periphery. I turn my head to see a car far in the distance coming this way. It takes a few minutes before it reaches me, grinding to a halt just in front of the Honda. The sun's glare on the windshield hides the person inside, but still, I shield my eyes with a hand and squint to see.

When the passenger door opens and Mila pops from the car, my eyes widen, and I push off the hood, opening my arms when she runs to me. Her shaking body crashes against my chest where she burrows her face, not saying a word.

“What happened?” I ask, trying to move her head so she’ll look at me, but she just hugs me tighter.

I close my eyes and squeeze. Relief that she’s at least physically okay washes over me despite her troubling emotional state.

The driver’s side door to the car opens, and Roman steps out.

Roman.

My eyes narrowing, I loosen my hold on Mila and urge her to move. “Get behind me.”

She shakes her head while I reach behind me for my gun, gripping the handle while searching Roman’s hands for a weapon of his own.

“It’s okay,” Mila tries to assure me. “He’s on our side.”

Our side.Roman?

No, I don’t think so.

I pull the gun from my waistband and point it at him. “Don’t take another step.”

He lifts his hands. “Listen to Mila, Vitaly. I’m not here to hurt anyone.”

“What were you doing with her?” I growl, one arm squeezing Mila while I use the other to hold the gun.

He lowers his hands, his face neutral, calm. Like he thinks I’d hesitate to kill him. I would. If there’s one person in the world I owe the most, it’s Gavriil, so killing his brother is the last thing I want to do. But if it’s necessary to protect Mila, or if hehurtMila, then I will. And I find itverydifficult to believe his intentions are pure.

“I was ordered to take her to the desert to kill her…” He gestures to us. “So you’re welcome.”

I search his expression, trying to make sense of that. I look at the car as if Alik will be the next to pop out.

Would he have really let her die?

“Why would you help her?” I ask, pushing away my thoughts of Alik.

Roman shakes his head. “It wasn’t for her…” His eyes lower. “No offense, Mila.” He looks back at me. “I brought her as a peace offering. It’s time we put aside our differences.”

---