Page 127 of Beautiful Trauma
When he shook his head, I nodded emphatically. “Yes, I will.”
“S-Stubborn,” he teased.
I laughed. “Always.”
I unlocked the Rover, and Maksim eased Kellan into the backseat. When I slipped into the driver’s seat, he handed me a burner phone. “Oh shit, I didn’t even think about it.”
When he nodded, I shook my head as panic rocketed through me. “I didn’t think this plan through well enough. How the hell am I going to get out of here without Father’s men taking us out?”
“I’ll d-distract them.”
“You will.”
When he nodded, I leaned over and kissed his cheek again. “Please stay safe.”
“I h-have my m-men,” he replied with a knowing look.
And that was the truth. There would always be soldiers who thought it was wrong for Maksim to be passed over.
“Go,” he commanded.
He then slammed the door. After pushing the start button, I smacked my hand against the garage door opener on the sun-visor. As soon as it opened, I slammed on the gas and screeched out of the garage.
As much as I wanted to look back, I didn’t. My chest ached at the thought of Lev and Kira and Maksim and Aleks growing farther and farther away.
Even though he had betrayed me, I still thought of Dima as well.
Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I picked up the phone and called Bandia again. This time, someone answered. “Um, this is Mila–”
“I’ll patch you through to Mr. Kavanaugh.”
“Thank you.”
A few moments passed before Callum came on the line. “Mila?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
Silence echoed over the line. “Is he…”
“No. He’s alive.”
“Thank God.” After another pause, Callum said, “If you know what’s good for you, Mila, you’ll get the fuck out of that house because my brothers and I are in the air on our way to burn it to the ground to get Kellan.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“Excuse me?”
“I got Kellan out. We’re on the way to you.”
“You better not be lying to me.”
“I’m not. I would put Kellan on the phone, but he’s unconscious.”
“Fuck,” Callum muttered.
“I know. He needs a hospital, but I’m too afraid of my Father finding us to take him somewhere here.”
“He’s that bad?”
