Redemption

Chapter Thirty-Six

RAVEN

I don’t knowhow long I remain slumped outside his door, lost and hopeless. I should have asked the driver this morning for his contact. Maybe I can find out from the people who rented out the castle. My hands clench. I’ve been so stupid. I don’t even know how to get back to the moors. Then a weird thing happens. I don’t believe in ghosts or aliens or anything supernatural, but I suddenly know where he is. It is not a guess. It is actually a knowing. As if my suffering soul whispered it to my heart.

Suddenly, re-energized, I jump to my feet and race down the corridor.

I hail a cab, get in and tell them the general direction. He had taken me at night, but it is as if I am guided by angels. We take a wrong turn once and I immediately ‘feel’ that we are on the wrong road and I tell the driver to go back. The cab stops by the kerb a few feet away from the entrance to the Serbian restaurant.

It’s early—not even eleven o’clock—so I don’t know if anyone will even be inside. I pay the driver and wait on the sidewalk until he drives away. This is a rundown area. With my niqab I stand out like a sore thumb and a few people stare atme.

I approach the door and expect it to be locked, but it opens when I push it, the bell tingling over my head. I pause, scanning the empty dining room, expecting someone to appear from the kitchen to see who just wandered in off the street. But no onedoes.

I go to the opposite end of the fragrant room, breathing in the scent of meats and veggies roasting in the kitchen, and walk out to the garden. I stop in the doorway, so damn relieved I can’t speak, I can’t think, and my breath comes out in gasps.

Dragan is standing on the patio, his back to me, looking out over the garden.

As if he can feel my stare, he turns to find me frozen in the doorway. A confused expression crosses his features.

The niqab. He can’t see my face. I hurriedly tear the veilaway.

An expression of such tender love crosses his face it snatches the air from my lungs. The moment lasts only seconds. His light eyebrows meet and suddenly he looks furious. I’ve never seen him so angry.

“What are you doing here?” he snarls. He isn’t forming his words with carenow.

I can’t move, can’t answer.

He strides over to me and grabs my upper arms. “Why the hell are you not on the train?”

“I couldn’t leave … not without you. There must be anotherway.”

“You have endangered yourself and Janna.”He squeezes my arms, but not painfully. For once, I can see exactly what he’s feeling. He’s angry, but also scared. “That was stupid.”

“I know,” I say, staring him boldly in the face, not bothering with excuses. Well, I’m here, and I’ve no intention of leaving. Now what should wedo?

He folds me into his arms and leans to kiss me, his passion just as hot as his anger. I open my lips to him, and lose myself to the rising heat and the sensation of his tongue probing into my mouth. He pulls back to meet my eyes, the familiar electricity sizzling in the space betweenus.

“I am supposed to see the Don later today. To tell him the job is done and show him the proof. I have always completed a contract for which I have beenpaid.”

My stomach drops, but I can’t pull away from this man now, no matter what dark things lie in his past. We’re bound together now. I love him, and I’ll climb any mountain, cross any sea to keephim.

“Killing was nothing to me, but something changed when I saw you. I just could not take your life. And now,” he pauses, his light eyes burning into mine. “Now I love you. I would rather take my chances with the Don and lose my life than cause youharm.”

My heart leaps with joy. He loves me. My God! He loves me. “Oh, darling. I love you so much I thought I was going to die without you,” I gush happily.

“You’re not going to die. They have to kill me first.”

I look up at him unhappily. All the problems are still there.

“Where is Janna?”

“She is safe. I’ve sent her to stay with an old friend. No one would think to look for her there.”

He looks around. “Cover your face. You cannot be seen. I must know you’re safe before I can make my plans. Can you go and stay with this friend?”

I nod and fix the veil over myhead.

“How did you gethere?”

“Taxi.”

“Come on,” he says taking my hand. We get out of the restaurant. I can see his car parked across the road, but he doesn’t walk towards it. Instead he whispers, “Wait here,” and starts walking down the road. Suddenly he turns into the next alleyway. I don’t understand what he is doing. I know he said wait there, but my feet follow him, moving quicker and quicker. I arrive at the narrow alleyway. There are bins there. To my horror I see Dragan drag a man behind the bins. I can’t move. My mind goes blank. As I stand there frozen he re-appears. We stop and we stare at each other.

I open my mouth but no words come out. He sighs and walks towardme.

“He saw you with me,” he says softly, as if that is all the explanation I wouldneed.

“I’ve got my veil on,” I croak.

“Don’t underestimate your enemy, Raven. That is the best way to get us all killed.”

“Who ishe?”

“A mutual acquaintance. He was just there at the wrong time and place. I couldn’t take the chance. I need the element of surprise.”

My eyes widen. That man died because of me. I go numb. The reality of him killing so easily hits me like a ton of bricks. Hearing that he is a killer didn’t really affect me at all. Seeing how he took that man out in seconds behind the bin and the practical unemotional way he talks about it makes my whole body gocold.

He walks towards me, his face is closed, a stranger. “It is not too late to change your mind. You can still use your passports and start a new life abroad.”

I look into his eyes. “I love you. I don’t know what made you the way you are, but you are not that. It’s what you do not what youare.”

He blinks and stares atme.

“You are good and kind and one day you will see what Isee.”

He slips his hand under my veil and touches my face. “We don’t have muchtime.”

“What are you going to do?” I ask, suddenly frightened by the determined set of his jaw and the fire glowing in his eyes. Something unlocked in him and I can suddenly see the man behind the façade and how angry heis.

“I have to kill the Don,” he says calmly. “And his son. There is no otherway.”

He frowns when I gasp at the idea of him killing another two people. Considering they were quite happy to have me killed I shouldn’t have too much difficulty wishing them harm, but the thought that he will have to do the job hurtsme.

“Letting either of those men live will mean we will always be looking over our shoulder, and believe me you don’t want that. Russians never forget. So it’s them orus.”

“Wait. You know, the friend that Janna is staying with, her man is Nikolai Smirnov.”

His eyebrows rise. “Your friend is Smirnov’s girlfriend?”

“Yes, and she said that he wouldhelp.”

“Yes, Raven, he is a very powerful man, but he cannot help. Nobody wants to be dragged into this kind of trouble.”

“Please let me call her. You neverknow.”

“No, I don’t trust them. They stick together. No one must know ourplan.”

“Please, you have to trust me. Just the same I knew where to find you I know that we must ask Nikolai forhelp.”

He shakes hishead.

“Please, Dragan. Please.”

“You don’t understand this business, Raven. There is no such thing as friends. Nikolai doesn’t even know me, but he does know and has done business with Sergei in the past. No one wants to make a powerful enemy when they don’t haveto.”

“I don’t know about any of that. I just know what I know.” I press my hand to my solar plexus. “Here. It leads to you and I know it is the right thing todo.”

He exhales. “This is a mistake, Raven.”

“No, it’snot.”

“Why should Nikolai helpme?”

“Because Star owesme.”

“And you trust him to deliver on her behalf?”

“Would you do it forme?”

“Yes.”

I smile. “Then I trusthim.”

He sighs.

“I don’t know much about the word of the Mafia don, but I imagine they live in heavily guarded homes. How likely is it that you can go into the Don’s lair, past all his men, and kill both him and his son without any help atall?”

“I know the layout of his house so I have a pretty good chance.”

“Pretty good is not good enough forme.”

“I’m afraid that’s the best anyone can expect in this situation.”

“Please, just go with my gut feeling. Just thisonce.”

He frowns, but he nods. “Come on, let’s get to the car before anyone else sees us,” hesays.

We walk briskly. Even more people stare at us now, because we make such an odd couple. A blond god and a woman with only her eyes visible. He takes off like a bat out of hell before I even have my seatbelt on. While I am in the car, I use his phone and callStar.