Crave (Beneath The Secrets #3)

66. Alexei

CHAPTER 66

ALEXEI

I’ve never been nervous flying before. I don’t think it’s the being in the air part, it’s the getting farther from Lara bit that’s really fucking with me.

This is the first job I’ve ever had my doubts about. But I’m determined to get to Kirill, kill that asshole, and get the hell out of Russia in no time.

“You remember the coordinates I’ll pick you up?” Mikhail’s calm voice cuts into the headphones.

Nodding, I pull the door open, filling the cabin with the violent rush of freezing air.

“Alexei? Did you hear me?” Mikhail points his finger at his earpiece.

Shit, I always forget. “Yes. I got it. Death and destruction, then escape. I’ll be there.”

“I’ll check back at eleven pm every night for three days. If you don’t make it back, I can’t stay any longer. We’ll have to figure out something else.” His deep grumble echoes into my ears.

There’s no chance that will happen. It’s too important that I get back home. Whatever little errand Tatiana has for me won’t take long.

I’ll make sure of it.

But just in case I don’t make it, I need to ask him a favor. “Tell Lara, I love her and I’ll be back for her.”

“Excuse me?” His head whips around, then back to his instruments.

“I’m doing this for her. Don’t ask questions, don’t give her shit, just look after my girl.”

“Alexei, are you high? You never worry about failure.” His hand waves out to emphasize his point.

My chest hurts knowing I may never see her again. “No. I’m in love with her, Mikhail. Obsessively, deeply, madly, I’ll die for her. Fuck, I might not make it out of here.”

There’s a pause before he replies. “What aren’t you telling me? What did you do?”

I chew on my lip watching the ground move so far beneath us. “What I had to. I have to keep her safe.”

“What is Tatiana making you do?” Anger seeps out of Mikhail’s mic.

“Not a clue.” I laugh. “But I’ll figure this shit out.”

“Motherfucker.”

“Just go, Ivan can’t get to you. Keep Lara safe. Trust me for once? I’m not as dumb as you think. Not when it comes to her.” I pull off the headset, hang it on the hook by the door, and jump.

A series of cryptic texts have led me to this tiny town on the edge of a forest. Frost eats into the edges of the windshield on this piece of shit car I stole.

Why can’t they have a decent heater? Who owns a vehicle in Russia without a way to stay warm?

I did them a favor. Maybe now they will get something better.

What does that flimsy plastic sign say? Carnival?

Sure. Might as well find something sweet to eat while I wait on the next message telling me where to go.

I pull this crappy sedan onto a grassy field where everyone else is parked. The plants have a thin layer of frost on them that’s been trampled away by the many footsteps leading towards the festivities.

But the smell of pastries and fried foods draws me. It makes me miss Lara.

She should be here with me to experience the fair. The sights and sounds.

To eat all of the delicious treats that there are to indulge in.

If she would.

Was what Sofia said true? That what Lara does isn’t normal? I hope not.

Winding my way through the bundled crowds, I dodge kids weaving between legs and young couples kissing by the game booths.

I’m jealous. It should be us darting behind the action.

When I’m standing in line for a pile of cookies, my phone vibrates in my pocket.

Unknown

He’s wearing a blue parka carrying a pink butterfly

What?

Kirill is here?

I’m still getting my snack. I’ve been waiting for almost ten minutes for those snickerdoodles.

Pictures are the only way I know what he looks like, I’ve never actually crossed paths with this guy before.

So tonight will be fun.

There’s a pink toy. Oh, it’s some sort of princess.

Maybe I should get one for Elena and Maeve after I’m done here? Depends on what Tatiana has planned for me next.

Blue jacket?

No beard. He always has a trimmed one in all of the shots I’ve seen.

Wait.

I think that’s him.

He’s standing near the line for the Ferris wheel.

Every plan has led to this moment.

How many months have we been tracking him, only to have him slip through our fingers?

All this time, I just needed Tatiana. I thought Enzo was a god for being able to locate people.

But she’s the queen at it.

Empress?

Devil. She barters for the soul in exchange.

What did I sell to get put here with him? This won’t be a light payment.

I move next to him and grip my pistol in my jacket. “Next?”

His distracted gaze lands on me. “Um, no. Go ahead.”

“Here, have a cookie.” I hold out one of them and watch the look of confusion flush across his face.

Crumbling it into my fist, I snap my knuckles forward and hit him right between the eyes.

His pink butterfly falls to the ground as he stumbles backwards, but I grab him before he takes another step.

“I’m Alexei, and I’m here because of Lara Volkov. You fucked up my friend.” I drag him close and jab the barrel of my pistol into his ribs.

The people gathered nearby don’t seem to have noticed the small scuffle.

Good.

“Let’s go for a little ride, eh?” I tug on his elbow and direct him to the loading area of the Ferris wheel.

“Two?” asks the bored attendant.

“Go on, pay the nice man.” I encourage Kirill with another poke from my pistol.

Sweat beads on his temple as he hands over a few bills before letting me push him into the rocking carriage.

“Hey, buddy? I’ll give you ten thousand Ruble if you let us stop at the top for a while?” I whisper to the short operator.

His squinty eyes narrow. “Prove it.”

“Five thousand now.” I slap the money into his palm and watch a smile pull up his pimply cheek.

“Deal.” He grins, stuffing the cash into his shirt pocket.

“Shit,” Kirill mutters.

He moves where I push him, folding himself into the metal seat. “What do you want?” He tries to hold himself as far away from me as possible.

“To eat dessert. And go for a ride.” I gesture at the massive machine we’re sitting in. “Enjoy yourself. You’ve earned this.”

“Who was the stuffed bug for?” I ask as I push another bite into my mouth.

“My daughter, you fuck,” he growls, just as the ride begins to move.

We rock in rhythm to the jerky movements of the archaic motor.

“Isn’t this beautiful?” I spill crumbs on my shirt as we slowly climb into the sky. The last of the evening sun glistens over the treetops, catching the frost already spreading over their branches. “You know what I’d rather be doing?” I reach my arm around his shoulders, snugging him against me.

He shakes his head.

“I’d rather be holding my girl and kissing her unscarred cheek.” I press the nail of my finger into the matching spot on his face. “Don’t get me wrong, I love her with all of the things that make her unique. But you see, she didn’t have a very good time when you did that to her.”

She nearly died. I would have too, without her.

Kirill just grunts.

“Oh, you don’t have anything nice to say about that? How about my best friend’s wife, the one you sliced and diced her brother apart? Remember? Do you?” I pull back the firing pin on my gun, making sure he hears it.

His Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows hard. “Of course.”

“You deserve much worse,” I say quietly and pull out another cookie. “I don’t even want to share these with you. That’s how shitty you are.” I let the sugar melt over my tongue as our swinging seat reaches the top.

“You’d have done nothing different in my position.” He stares out over the forest, clasping his hands on his lap.

“Wrong. I tie up loose ends. That’s where you messed up. You let me hold her when she cried, and let the fury of hell soak into my shirt with her tears.” I dig my fingers into the back of his neck and lean in until my lips almost brush his ear. “So now you have a choice. Sit here like a dog and take a bullet to the face, or take a leap of faith that you’ll live with only a broken leg.”

Before he makes a sound, he pushes himself up into the chair and steps off the edge.

But as his foot clears the lip, I grab his ankle, twisting him in his fall so his head plummets towards the earth first.

The scream echoes through the park making people look.

His blue coat billows around him while his arms churn trying to right himself.

I’ve jumped out of a lot of planes, and fallen a million miles.

That won’t work.

There’s a dull thud when he lands, followed by more shrieks of terror from the crowd.

People splinter off in every direction from him, and I take the chance and climb out of the seat too.

Gripping the steel bar, I let myself slide down until I land on the giant sprocket in the center of the great wheel, then shimmy onto a horizontal one.

It’s only a short drop to the next, and within seconds I’m hopping down onto the platform at the bottom.

Everyone is so distracted by the growing pool of blood around Kirill’s splintered skull, no one seems to notice me slipping through the crowd.

“Hey. You promised.”

Well, one person caught me. The attendant stands in front of me with his palm out, the same bored look still dulling his features.

“Here’s a little extra to forget what I look like.” I wink and hand him a wad of bills.

Would I have liked to have Kirill tied to a frame to torture for days?

Sure.

But I want to get back to Lara and be the one to tell her I killed her boogeyman.

Now it’s time to find that piece of shit sedan and go to the airfield where Mikhail is meeting me.

Except my phone dings with a text.