Page 98 of Sinful Promise

“Whoa, ho,” Nikolay gasps. “Spoken like my wife. She has spunk, Roman.”

Alex pours another round of vodka, and we all move out to the terrace.

“We walked the grounds at the warehouse. We can set off fireworks to get their men to shoot, find out where they are, and systematically take them out. Dmitry and Nikolay will work on that. Irina and I will be at the warehouse to make the exchange. We assume he’ll have two guards. The building next to the warehouse is a perfect place for Alex to shoot the guards from the second floor. The warehouse doors will be left open once we go inside. We’ll have our weapons. We’ll go from there.” I pause before I turn to Francesca, lounging on the patio fashioned with cream and terracotta-colored pavers. “You’ll secure the house with my guards and keep Dasha safe.”

“You’ve got it.” She smiles and sips a limoncello, then turns her face toward the lowering sun. The terrace gains more shade as time ticks by. There are two clocks: one for the meeting tomorrow, and one to ensure everyone makes it home alive.

“I have the drugs in a van, and my buddies will plant them at the scene when we’re done,” Irina volunteers, taking a long swig of her gin and tonic.

Everyone is on edge. It’s to be expected. I’d be more upset if they weren’t concerned. We never take a mission lightly.

“Contingency plans?” Nikolay asks, adjusting his large frame in the wicker chair.

“Other than an all-out shoot-out?” My reply is half smartass and half truth.

“We don’t have much room for error. I wish we had a man on the inside.”

“Maybe Albert will come through,” Dasha says.

“I don’t know the number of men leaving Belarus, but we have to assume a minimum of twelve men will be there. There are only so many men Andrian can get into France illegally. We assume from Irina’s intel that some might have visas, as he has moved drugs here before.”

“Without a man on the inside, this is very risky,” Dmitry reiterates.

“We live with risk. It has to be done,” Irina says. She’s committed to ending Andrian. She wants it as badly as my family does, and Francesca abhors human trafficking.

And Dasha will never have a life if we don’t end this tomorrow.

“Suffice it to say everyone here is invested in the outcome,” I tell them. It goes without saying, but I feel that if I’m to lead us into a war tomorrow, it’s good to know we’re all in this together.

My oldest brother stands and moves to the middle of the large terrace with his shot glass. Everyone conjugates around him, drinks in hand.

“To our health and our success tomorrow,” he says.

The clink of our glasses rings out in the quiet afternoon.

My stomach knots, and not from lack of food. I will face the man who ordered my father’s death and who will kill my lover if given the chance. He will certainly find Dasha as long as he’s breathing. It was bad luck that Dasha crossed my path, or rather, a mixed blessing that neither of us knew the other’s true identity.

Without me, she would be married to that insufferable prick. With me, she gained freedom from drudgery, but she has also has a price on her head. Andrian will know I’ve bedded his sweet virgin. He will not want to be reminded of it daily.

Dasha and I gaze at each other over our glasses, and she gives me a wry smile. I wish I could tell her I’ll be home tomorrow night, but it’s a crapshoot. This is why I use rifles. I’m good at it, and it keeps me at a safe distance. I’m not opposed to hand-to-hand if it comes down to it. But I’m usually taking out low-level thugs or men who left the military years ago and have gotten fat with their billions.

The group breaks into twos to chat after the toast.

Dasha walks to me, and my cock twitches. I can’t forget how I buried myself in her on the yacht. The warmth of her surrounds me even now.

“Be safe tomorrow,” she says. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. Thank you for keeping me safe. Without you, I would have never lived outside the darkness.”

“I’m a different type of darkness, mm?”

She chuckles. “I’ll take your darkness over Andrian’s. I know he’ll kill me if he finds me.”

“I’m to blame for that. I’m sorry.” I put my arm around her shoulders and turn us to take in the view. I’d love to fuck right now, but it would be rude to my guests.

She shrugs. “There is always a price to be paid, no?”

“Sure. But you don’t deserve what you’ve had to endure.”

“Maybe not, but this week with you makes up for it.”

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