Page 15 of Lethal Alliance

“The girls ride with me,” he says curtly, nodding to the middle car. It’s a limo, larger than the others.

One of the armed men spits off to one side. He has a fat face and thin, mean eyes. “I don’t think—”

“You don’t get paid to fucking think, Junior.” Alexei doesn’t so much as glance his way. “Your people nearly lost these two in Malaga. I’m not risking you fucking up twice.”

When the other man looks like he might argue, Alexei’s face twists into a contemptuous sneer. “My crew will stay here, so I’ll be entirely without backup, if that makes you feel better. You can take it up with your father when we get there—if you have the balls for it.” He stalks past the fat-faced man and opens the back door to the limo. “Get in,” he orders us.

We do. Whatever my escape dreams might be, a private airfield surrounded by what seems like fifty guns is definitely not the time.

He enters behind us and closes the door. The men who were on the plane with us remain on the tarmac, silent and black clad, guns at their sides.

The interior of the limo is silent, the glittering sunlit world outside the windows like another planet. Masha clings to my side, watching Alexei with wide, unblinking eyes. The convoy takes off with us in the middle. Alexei’s men watch us go.

He waits until we’ve left the airfield and turned onto the highway, then lowers the screen blocking us from the driver’s seat, but only an inch.

“You swept the vehicle, Dima?”

“Yes.” The driver’s mouth barely moves as he answers, and in the rearview mirror I can see his eyes, covered by sunglasses, staring straight ahead. “It’s clean. We’re fifteen minutes out. You can talk until we hit the gate, then we’ll have eyes on us.”

“Good.” Like the driver, Alexei stares straight ahead, his lips barely moving. He’s clearly not taking any chances of being seen. “What am I walking into?”

“Orlov’s nervous.” The driver, Dima, says this in a matter-of-fact tone, like someone describing the weather. “But so far, I think you’re good. Nobody knows you were in the ballroom.”

“Got it.” Alexei leaves the screen down, but he turns back to us. The car rounds a corner, and for a few moments, we’re out of sight of both the car in front and the one behind. He raises his sunglasses. His lone eye looks at Masha, then me. “We don’t have much time,” he says calmly, “so I need you girls to listen closely, okay?”

Masha scowls at him. “Don’ wanna listen to you.” She tucks her head into my arm.

Alexei’s mouth twists at the edge. It could almost be a smile. “I can understand that. But I need you to anyway, Masha.” His eye shifts to me. “I especially needyouto listen, Ofelia.” I feel a queer jolt as his eye fixes on mine, as if he’s staring straight through me and into my soul. It’s an uncomfortable feeling. I have to force myself not to look away. “You’re going to a very dangerous place.” His tone is low and even. “But if you do as I say, you will make it out of this alive. Don’t nod. Just say yes if you understand.”

“Yes.” My tongue feels thick and heavy in my mouth.

Masha looks up at me, frowning. “Shh, Mash.” I squeeze her hand. “Just listen.”

“Good.” The rest of the convoy comes back into sight, and Alexei drops his sunglasses back down. “You’re about to meet a man called Vilnus Orlov. He’s not your friend, and hewillhurt you. I think you already understand that.”

“Yes.” I fight the urge to touch the cut on my cheek. It’s stopped bleeding, but it still pulses hot pain through my entire skull.

“He will make mehurt you.” His calm tone only makes his words more horrifying. “He is not going to be happy that I got to you, and he is going to be suspicious. It’s my job to convince him that I’m on his side. That means that no matter what story I tell him when we get there, you need to pretend it’s true. It also means that when he sends me in with a knife, you need to appear terrified of me.”

I shudder.That’s hardly going to be difficult.

“The only reason I’m telling you this is to stop you doing anything stupid that might make this more dangerous than it already is. That means no sudden moves, and no argument with the story I tell him. If you work against me, I can’t help you. Do you understand?”

“Why should we trust you?” My voice is a hoarse whisper.

“Because I am the only hope you have of ever seeing your family again. And you are the only chance I have of saving mine.”

I swallow. “You said he’ll make you hurt me. What did you mean?”

“Vilnus likes knives.” His voice has not once altered from the same flat, cold tone, nor has he moved at all. “He will want me to use them on you, to prove my loyalty. If you trust me, I can make sure you are not scarred for life.” His lips harden into a thin line. “Believe me when I say I’ve had plenty of practice.”

He doesn’t need to convince me. Up close, in daylight, I can see the thin silvery scars that crisscross his face. It seems there’s barely an inch of his skin that hasn’t been touched by the knife.

I shiver, huddling back into the seat of the limo, holding Masha close.

“I can do that. But if he tells you to hurt Masha—”

“He won’t.” Alexei’s lips twist.

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