Page 9 of Double or Nothing
All I have is the stupid burner cellphone I brought with me because I was afraid the guys were tracking my location through my phone. I’m a complete idiot.
The Russians are here in Vegas, and I was worried about whether the guys were following me. I take down Natasha’s number and give her mine.
“I’ll be in touch,” I promise.
4
SEVEN
I’m having difficulty keeping my cool and not blurting out to Jade that we killed a man tonight. The last thing I want to do is panic her. Especially since Ivan’s brother is still on the loose in the parking lot somewhere.
My priority is to get Jade and her car away from Platinum as fast as I can and back to the safety of Kit’s house. Then I’ll tell her everything.
When Leroy pulls up with the limo, I quickly open the front passenger door. “Slide in,” I tell her. “And scoot over.”
“Why are we sitting up front instead of the back?” she asks, when I crowd in beside her before lifting her onto my lap.
“There’s a bit of a mess in the back of the limo,” I say. “I’ll explain later.”
“Leroy, we need to get Jade’s car and drive it back to Kit’s house,” I tell him. “Did you see the other guy anywhere in the parking lot?”
“No, the vehicle parked beside Jade’s car is gone,” he replies. “He probably saw all the damn blood on the ground where Vulcan beat the shit out of that guy and split.”
“Wait! What are you talking about?” Jade asks in alarm. “Vulcan beat up someone here in the parking lot? Who? When did this happen?”
“It’s a long story,” I say. “And one that you might not want to hear. Leroy, take us to Jade’s car and watch to make sure we get out of the parking lot safely. I’ll drive Jade to Kit’s house, and you can pick us up there after you swing by the hardware store.”
“He’s going to a hardware store in the middle of the night?” Jade says. “Why would Leroy need to make a run to the hardware store? My God! What happened tonight? You’re scaring me.”
“I’ll tell you everything once we’re safe in your car and out of this goddamn parking lot.”
Leroy drives the limo slowly down the row until we reach Jade’s car.
“If you come here again, don’t park at the end of the lot, for fuck’s sake,” I tell her. “You’re lucky you made it out of here alive tonight. In fact, don’t park at the end of a lot ever again. Stay close to the entrance or pay a valet, so you’re not walking alone in the dark.”
Leroy pulls to a stop behind Jade’s car, and we step out. I take the extra set of Jade’s car keys out of my pocket and go around to the passenger side to unlock it.
“Watch your step,” I caution. “There’s blood on the pavement and you don’t want to get it on your shoes.”
Jade inhales sharply as she takes in the grisly scene beside her car, the dark crimson stains on the asphalt a chilling reminder of the violence earlier in the evening.
“Whose blood is this?” she asks, her eyes growing wide as she steps around the still wet blood stains.
“It’s Ivan’s; the Russian guy,” I reply. “He broke into your car and was waiting here for you to come out. His vehicle was parked beside your car and now it’s gone, so we can assume the other man, Igor, has left in it.”
“Is Vulcan, okay?” she asks. “Did he get hurt too? Where are they now?”
“Get inside your car and we’ll talk on the way.”
“No! Tell me now,” she says. “Is Vulcan hurt? There’s something you’re not telling me.”
“He’s not hurt, just get in, please.”
She slides in, and I hurry to get into the driver’s seat. Quickly, I start the car and drive out of the parking lot with Leroy on our tail. He follows close behind us until we hit the main road and he’s satisfied we’re not being followed by Igor. Then he turns off to go to the hardware store and we head to Kit’s house to dump Jade’s car.
I constantly glance in the rearview mirror, my eyes scanning for anyone following us. The idea of Igor still being out there, possibly watching our every move, concerns me. We can’t let our guard down, not for a second.
The drive to Kit’s house is tense, the silence in the car only amplifying the weight of our situation. I feel Jade’s eyes on me, the questions she has yet to ask burning in her gaze. I owe her an explanation, but the thought of telling her about the violence and the bloodshed that took place tonight causes me to hesitate.
