Page 97 of A Pawn in the Game
He cackles at my remark. The place looks like it’s seen better days, with broken windows and metal scrapings surrounding it. A shiver runs through me at the eerie sight.
The old me would’ve never entered this place. But I’m not the old me, am I? I’m the “runaway, killed-a-guy, dating a mafia boss”me. A snort escapes me at the thought. It’s ridiculous, really, but not far from the truth.
I can’t remember the last time I had a nightmare. It’s not a miracle. Every night, I go to bed so exhausted by Luka’s strikes and dick that there’s no other choice but to sleep through thenight. He also sticks to me like glue, no matter the heat, so there’s no way for me to feel unsafe.
“Coming in?” he asks, his arms full of the things we’ll need.
I nod and follow behind. Unlocking the brand-new lock, he lifts the rolling metal doors, and we head inside. Metal shelving units cover the walls, with random desks and chairs strewn around. The windows are blocked with plastic wrap. The paint has chipped off most walls, and the floor is covered in miscellaneous junk.
“You sure you don’t want to come?” Luka asks, wrapping his arm around my waist.
“I’m sure.” I shoot him a smile. “We have a plan, remember?”
“Plans can change.”
I shrug, though I don’t fully agree. My anxiety has gotten vastly better, but I’m still a planner. Anything that has multiple variables gets me back to that sense of uncertainty.
He kisses my temple. “You going to be okay here?”
“Yeah, I will,” I respond. “You’ll be back soon, anyway.”
“I will.” He checks his watch. “I should get going.”
I open my mouth to say something, but he doesn’t let me, pressing his lips to mine instead. With a quiet sigh, I let him enter my mouth. The kiss quickly turns passionate, and his hand lowers to grab my ass. I whimper, but the sound yanks me out of the trance that is Luka, and I pull away. “As much as I’d love for us to continue this.” I motion between us. “We have a job to do.”
He lands one last quick peck on my lips. “You’re right.” He lifts my chin with his finger. “But remember, if you change your mind, you just need to tell me. I’ll follow whatever you say. If you want us to kill him, we will. If you want us to invite him to our wedding, I’ll do that too.” I gasp because marriage isn’t something that we talked about, but his eyes stare at me with determination. “Whatever you want,mila, it’s yours. I’d leave a thousand kingdoms for you, never looking back. You’re the only thing that matters.”
His words drip down my insides, wrapping them in a warmcocoon. My eyes turn hazy, and my throat tightens. “I love you,” I whisper, swallowing around the lump in my throat.
“You’re everything, Sophie.” He shakes his head, like what he feels is too hard to explain with words.
“You need to go now.”
“I know. But once I get back, you’re not leaving my sight for a minute.”
“Fine,” I groan, though I love the idea.
He brushes his lips over mine, grabbing one of the black sports bags and starts for the car. He hates this part of the plan.
But we couldn’t risk involving anyone else in this. Not while we’re on the run. And kidnapping someone really isn’t my cup of tea.
Besides, I have work to do.
I unzip one of the two bags left on the floor, grabbing a pair of black gloves. My hair is already tied into a firm bun to minimize the chance of leaving any DNA here. Next up is the laptop. I place it on one desk, setting it up for what we need. The last thing left in the bag are the stacks of paper we printed. I spread them on multiple desks, so that they don’t go unnoticed.
Now, there’s nothing left to do but wait.
The chair grates on the concrete floor as I drag it to the safest spot—away from the windows. I grab the phone from my pocket and open a chess app to pass the time.
Giving up on chess after five victories in a row, I slip the phone back in my pocket. The more time passes, the quicker my heartbeat races, and the drier my mouth is. Even though I’m in an abandoned warehouse, the anxiety I feel isn’t for me. No, it’s thinking where the hell Luka is.
Is he safe?
Is everything going according to plan?
If Russians catch him, they’ll kill him on the spot. Heconvinced me it’ll be all right, but that’s not something he can guarantee, is it?
My breathing picks up and the familiar cycle of panic starts.
