Page 61 of Delicious Prey

“No, none.”

“Pop the trunk and step out of the car,” the guy says, clearly not taking Vadim at his word.

“It’s okay,” Vadim tells me, motioning for me to open my door and get out. “They have to check.”

I step out, clutching Peanut against my chest and eyeing the two large, armed men in front of me. The one on the left says, “Put the dog down and turn around, hands on the hood.”

I hesitate, looking down at Peanut.

“He won’t be harmed,” the man says, “but you need to do as I say.”

He’s not mean about it, just no-nonsense, and when I set Peanut down, he motions for me to turn around, and I do. With my palms on the hood, he does a quick frisk, searching me for weapons but not lingering and making me feel like he’s also coping a feel. He is thorough, though, and I know if I’d had a weapon hidden on me, he’d have found it.

The other men search the car, and when we’re cleared, the man who’d frisked me, says, “Okay, you can get your dog and get back in.”

I grab Peanut and quickly get in and shut the door. “God, that was intense,” I say as Vadim drives us up to the house.

“Yeah, they don’t fuck around. Anyone can use this place, but there are strict rules about it. Absolutely no fighting and no weapons. If Enzo had survived and his men had brought him here, there’s nothing any of us could’ve done about it. They’d be here together, wishing they could kill each other, but unable to do anything about it.”

The gate opens, and Vadim drives us the rest of the way, parking along the side of the garage. The white, three-story house doesn’t look like a hospital, but I guess that’s the point. I stay close to him as we walk up to the imposing house. Security lights have everything lit up enough so we can easily see where we’re going. I’m not at all surprised to find that the front door is also locked and guarded. Evidently this guard’s been in touch with the men at the gate because he gives us a nod and opens the door to let us through.

We step into an ornate foyer where a woman is sitting behind a desk with a big smile plastered across her face. This whole place is so surreal that all I can do is stand there and gawk while I hold Peanut and try to keep my shit together long enough to find out where Kirill is.

Vadim steps closer to the woman and says, “We’re here for Kirill Chernikov.” He looks in my direction and adds, “She’s his, and should be treated like a spouse.”

His tone offers no room for disagreement, but she’s a pro and doesn’t even bat an eye.

“Of course.” Her voice is sickly sweet as she turns to me and gives me an even bigger smile. I don’t think she’s trying to be an ass. This has got to be a stressful job. She deals with the most dangerous men in the city, and it can’t be easy doling out bad news to men who would have no problem killing you the second you step foot off this property. She seems like she’s conditioned herself to be nothing but sweet and cheery, even if it is fake as hell. I would’ve done the same if I was in her position.

“Thank you,” I tell her. “Can you tell us anything about him? About how he’s doing?”

She types something into her computer and quickly reads the screen. “He’s still in surgery. I’m sorry. I don’t know anything more than that right now, but I can show you to his room. You can wait in there.” She eyes Peanut and pinches her lips together when I tighten my grip on him, making it clear that I’m not letting him go. Finally, she relents and stands, motioning for us to follow her.

We take the wide staircase up to the second floor. I look around at all the closed doors, wondering what’s behind them. The place is elegant, almost having the feel of a nice hotel, and I’m not at all surprised to see an elevator at the end of the hall.

“Where are the surgeries done?” I speak to the long, red hair in front of me since I’m still following her down the hall.

She turns slightly and says, “All surgeries take place downstairs.”

“But what if he needs something else, something that can only be done in a hospital?” I look around and as nice as this place is, it’s not an emergency room. It can’t possibly have everything he might need.

The woman turns to face me. “We have two of the best doctors in the city here and the finest equipment. I would argue that what we have here is better than anything you could find in one of the downtown hospitals. The only difference is that here, Mr. Chernikov will have our undivided attention. He’s not going to get lost in the shuffle or booted out before he’s ready. He’s in good hands, Mrs. Chernikov.”

My eyes threaten to spill over again when she calls me that, but I don’t correct her. I like the sound of it too much to do that. I just nod and give her a small smile before she leads us to the last door on the right. Using a keycard, she unlocks it and ushers us in. Instead of a king-size bed, there’s an extra large hospital bed, a seating area with couch and chairs, a kitchenette along one wall with a small table and chairs, and a very large en suite bathroom. There’s even a small balcony with French doors, and I’m guessing once the sun rises it’s going to give a pretty amazing view of the forest around us. My first thought is that I can’t wait to share it with Kirill, and then I remember that it’s still a very real possibility that he’ll never see it.

Sensing the collapse that’s coming, Vadim squeezes my shoulder and tells the woman, “Thank you so much. Please let us know if you hear anything new.”

She smiles and points toward the phone near the hospital bed. “If you need anything, just dial zero. We have room service 24/7 as well as laundry and maid services. I’m Mandy, by the way, the night receptionist. If I’m not working, then it’ll be Rebecca.”

“Thanks, Mandy,” he says again. “We appreciate your help. Can you please send up a nurse to take a look at Lydia. She has a few cuts that need looking after.”

“Of course. Someone will be up shortly.” She hands Vadim the keycard for the room and then gives me one last smile before leaving. As soon as the doors shuts, my whole body starts to shake. Vadim leads me to one of the chairs and then goes to get me a glass of water.

“Try and drink this,” he says, kneeling down and raising it to my lips.

I manage a few swallows and then push it aside. “What if he doesn’t make it?”

“He will.”

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