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“Not well.” Gabe turned his murderous gaze toward Chad. “Is this the worm that filmed Savannah bleeding out on the steps?”

Kostya nodded. “He’s also a client who likes the sort of movies that Adrian Umansky and Tony Guerrero filmed.”

“That so?” Gabe leaned down to look Chad in the eye. “You know my little sister lost a friend to those two dirtbags. They found his bones in that pile out behind their shack. She still cries about it, and it makes her terrified for her son, my nephew.”

“Please,” Chad pleaded. “Please, I didn’t hurt any of those kids.”

“They wouldn’t make that shit if it wasn’t for animals like you.” Gabe punched Chad, burying his fist in the man’s stomach. He rose slowly. “Make sure to save a piece of this for me.”

“I will.” Kostya reached for his watch and draped it back over his wrist. “Boychenko, you’re staying here with Kir.”

“Stas,” Nikolai addressed the grizzled fighter who had joined their ranks all the way from Brighton Beach. “I’d appreciate it if you would go back to my house and keep an eye on my wife and son.”

Stas nodded. “Yes, boss.”

“Don’t let her do anything silly like try to drive to College Station to see Eric,” Nikolai warned. “Sergei is with her right now, but he’s a soft touch when it comes to Vivian.”

“I understand.”

As Stas left on his mission, Gabe said, “We move in two minutes. I’ll brief on the drive.”

“How far?” Ten wondered, hating that he still had no idea how long it would be until he saw Nisha again.

“Sour Lake. An hour if we push it.”

“Then we better push it.” Ten walked to the cabinet where Kostya kept gear and grabbed the only bulletproof vest that would fit him.

“Anton.” Nikolai’s use of his real name startled Ten.

“Yeah?” He stared at the boss, wondering what was so important.

“If you go and you get caught,” he warned.

“I know.”

“It’s a big risk.”

“I know.”

“Two years from your original sentence and probably more for the weapons charge,” Nikolai continued. “And that’s if they don’t catch you on a scene surrounded by dead bodies.”

“I know.”

Nikolai studied him and then nodded. “As long as you know.”

“Don’t worry, boss.” Ten reached for a high-powered rifle from the rack. “My grandmother said I was born lucky.”

“V sorochkeh roditsa,” Nikolai guessed.

“Yeah. That’s me. Born in a shirt.” He thought of her, back in her apartment in Moscow, enjoying her afternoon tea. If he made it through this, he was going to find a way to get the two women he loved most together. Baba Olya would adore Nisha.

“Let’s hope that luck holds out.” Nikolai clapped him on the back. “If you don’t come back in one piece, I’ll never hear the end of it from Vivian. Don’t consign me to that fate.”

Ten grinned. “You tell Vivian I’ll be on your doorstep, bright and early on Monday.”

As he grabbed the rest of his gear, Ten vowed that was a promise he would keep.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

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