How much of his life had I never seen? What had he given up to return to them?
I swallowed hard, completely out of my depth, embarrassed I thought I’d be an asset here.
Alek’s breath ghosted over the nape of my neck, and he gently wrapped his arms around me from behind, chuckling at how he had to clasp them around the Kevlar.
“We’re going to get both of them out,” he said softly. “I promise.”
I nodded, swallowing the glass in my throat.
“I’m glad you’re here,” he continued. “You’re—” He stopped and laughed. “Christ, we’re about to storm the fucking citadel, and I’m talking about feelings.” He rubbed his cheek against the back of my head and repeated, “I’m glad you’re here.”
His phone buzzed. He picked it up, keeping one arm around me.
“Coach Novikov?” a voice said through the line. “It’s Conrad Jackson.”
Alek stiffened. “He’s got my daughter,” Conrad cried. “I?—”
“Tell me,” Alek growled, his voice near my ear, as he swiped the phone to speaker.
“Jedediah Carter. He kidnapped me, Eva came, and then his men beat me up and dropped me outside.”
“Are you safe?” Alek asked.
“I’m with Declan Flannigan,” he rushed. “Carter’s office is on the twenty-sixth floor. He’s got men everywhere.”
As he described the building, at least a dozen men flooded into the room, grabbing guns, checking their gear, moving with efficiency that told me this wasn’t their first time.
Christ, they moved like fucking soldiers.
Dmitri appeared in tactical gear, looking nothing like the man in the expensive suit I’d met earlier. He caughtAlek’s eye, said something short in Russian. Alek nodded and stepped away from me.
“We’ll get her back,” he promised Mr. Jackson.
We had to.
Dmitri clapped my shoulder. “Stay close. Do what Maxim tells you. And if someone’s pointing a gun at you, shoot them. Don’t think. Just do it."
Could I? Could I actually shoot someone?
I looked down at the gun in my hands—heavy, real, and loaded.
For Eva? For Cole?
Yeah. I could.
58
EVA
Pain dragged me back—adeep, grinding wrongness in my chest where my heart valve stuttered and caught.Click. Pause.Click-click.
I forced my eyes open.
My heart skipped. Caught. Skipped again.
I was dying.
Soon.