Tears of Betrayal

“Won’t be the first time,” I say. “What are we going to do if Yuri’s the one who took out the hit?”

We’ve been working with Yuri for almost ten years. He might not be the head of the Bratva, but he runs all of Sergei’s businesses.

Alexei turns his face to me. “We need to talk with Sergei.”

“When do you want to leave for Moscow?”

Alexei shakes his head. “If Yuri took out the hit, he’ll be suspicious if we suddenly met with Sergei. Yuri knows we don’t kill innocent people and go after the person who ordered the kill. I already rejected the contract, so he’ll be on guard around us.” Alexei lets out a sigh. “I’ll have to think of another way to contact Sergei.” Lifting his arm, he places his hand on my shoulder. “In the meantime, you should go back to Seattle and watch the girl.”

“And you?” I ask.

“I’ll be here trying to figure out what the hell is going on.”

Taking a deep breath, I glance back at the screen showing a photo of Ariana. At least it will be an easy job watching her.

ARIANA

I dial my dad’s number hoping I’ll get to talk to him. The line connects, and it just rings before going to his voicemail.

“Hi, Dad. I just wanted to check in on you. Give me a call when you get the message. I hope you’re feeling better. Love you.”

Letting out a sigh, I end the call and open my messaging app to send my brother a text.

Ariana: Hi, I hope you’re doing okay. I tried to call Dad, but he didn’t answer. How is he?

It shows the text is delivered, and knowing Yuri probably won’t answer soon, I grab my kindle and settle on the couch.

I’m reading a romance by one of my favorite authors. She always makes me laugh with the hilarious scenes she writes.

The book’s about a girl who keeps running into a man and fights with him every time. He ends up being her boss.

I begin to read where it’s the girl’s first day on the job, and she’s about to learn the pain in her ass is her boss. Soon I’m cracking up as I get lost in their world.

After reading for three hours, I put down my kindle so I can go for my walk.

The weather is growing colder with winter just around the corner, so I grab my coat for the ride to where I usually park my scooter near the entrance to the forest.

The ride is only fifteen minutes, and there are two other cars in the parking area. I check my backpack to make sure I have my phone, a bottle of water, and my sandwich, then walk toward the trail that leads to a picnic area overlooking the ocean.

Birds chirp in the treetops, and dead leaves crunch under my sneakers. I love this trail because it’s quiet, and I get to forget about my worries for a little while.

The hike takes me forty minutes, but there are two couples by the picnic area, so I head down to the stretch of beach. The ocean is calm today, and sitting down on a rock, I take the water and sandwich from my backpack.

Instead of forgetting my worries, they’re the first thing I think of as I stare out into the distance.

With Mom in the nursing home and Dad sick, I feel more alone than I ever have. Yes, I still have Yuri, but we hardly talk to each other.

Mom was never close with her side of the family, so I don’t know any of them.

Right now, it’s just me, and it’s a scary place to be at twenty-three. I have no support system in place. I have no one to call if I get into trouble.

Letting out a heavy sigh, I pull my phone from the bag and check if Dad or Yuri have responded, but there’s nothing.

Holding the phone in my hand, I glance around me and notice a man walking toward the other end of the beach. I watch him for a while, then turn my gaze back to the ocean.

Chapter 3

DEMITRI

I’ve been watching Ariana Robinson the past two days while Alexei’s finding out who’s coming after her.

I knew the girl was beautiful, but she’s breathtaking up close. With white-blond hair, hazel eyes that draw you in, and a body that can make any man hard in a split second, the girl is nothing short of a vision.

But she’s oblivious to her surroundings. Twice I’ve been close enough to snap her neck, and she didn’t notice. She’s an easy target.

I’m bored as fuck sitting in an unmarked car across the street from Ariana’s apartment building.

My phone starts to ring, and seeing Alexei’s name flashing on the screen, I answer, “Give me some good news.”

“Yuri ordered the contract,” Alexei mutters, anger darkening his words. My friend might be the best assassin in the world, but he lives by a code – he’ll never kill an innocent person, especially not a woman.