Didn’t matter.
They all held guns.
I just needed to take one.
The limo door shut us in.
And I contemplated how I would get out of this.
Chapter 5
Kazimir
Thirty minutes earlier
Pavel took the Devil to my plane. Several of Emily’s men would watch him.
In the jeep, Blue, Maxwell, David, and I rode to David’s grandmother’s house. The whole time, I kept dialing Jean-Pierre.
His phone must be off. It kept going straight to voice mail.
What type of idiot doesn’t keep his phone on, after kidnapping someone? Are you worried I’m going to track you? Good. I will, if I can.
Maxwell grabbed my attention. “You think David’s grandmother will mind me smoking a joint on her porch?”
“I don’t care.”
“About his grandmother?”
“About your predicament with smoking a joint.”
“It keeps me calm.”
I understood Maxwell’s predicament. My nerves flared on edge. My gut had seen better days. Pain still erupted in my chest. I did my best to ignore it.
In reality, I didn’t even want to go to David’s grandmother’s house. But she had been thrown in my life. Perhaps, the universe was trying to tell me something. I ignored the signs—the blood moon—the eclipse. If anything, I should have kept Emily in Moscow.
And now what I could I do?
There was nowhere to go. I had the idiot’s girlfriend—a smelly and unimpressive girl. I was ready to give her to Jean-Pierre, but the exchange would be tricky. He’d shown me that he wasn’t a rational man.
And I want to kill him during the exchange. How can I do that and keep my mouse safe?
There was no question that Jean-Pierre would have to die. However, the focus needed to be getting Emily back.
I rubbed my legs, unable to stop moving my hands. A minute later, I was back on the phone, dialing Jean-Pierre.
Voice mail again? Fucking lunatic.
I couldn’t sit in one place. I would rather drive through the streets all day, constantly filling up my gas tank and staring out the window, then sitting in one spot for too long.
But Jean-Pierre’s flute player smelled ungodly.
I sniffed the air and wished I hadn’t.
When we made it to David’s grandmother’s house, I pointed at her. “Go take a shower.”
She widened her eyes. “Me?”
“Yes, you, and immediately.”
Maxwell helped her out the limo. “Come one. I’ll get you straight.”
The smelly girl took her invisible unicorn with her.
Blue had her laptop open as she left the jeep. David’s men had given her a few mini cameras to watch the place where we grabbed Eden.
I got to Blue’s side. “Anything?”
“Nothing yet.” She walked forward with the laptop open and in front of her. “As soon as I see something, I’ll let you know.”
Good. Your life depends on it.
Unfortunately, I doubted Jean-Pierre would go to the house that we just left. He seemed too lost to know where Eden may have been. However, the fact that Corsican had been guarding the dead girl, seemed like a good sign that he would show up.
That dead girl was important to somebody. I wonder who? I hope it’s one of Jean-Pierre’s cousins. I want them to be in pain today. Off their game.
David met us at the front door, pulled out his key, and unlocked it. “My grandmother could live in a mansion, but she chooses to remain in her old house.”
“It’s nice to me.” Maxwell shrugged and then leaned David’s way. “I like your porch. Would you mind, if I smoke a joint out here?”
David smiled. “Smoke it in the living room. My grandmother partakes.”
“Then, she’s my type of grandma.”
I sneered and pointed at Eden. “Focus on cleaning that one up.”
Maxwell nodded and stayed by her side.
We piled into the house. Small for my liking, but probably big enough for a person living alone. It had two levels, and all made from stone. Ivy had climbed along some of the front windows.
Yellow and white decorated the living room. Bright and inviting. It was like his grandmother had captured some of the sun’s warmth, and covered the entire space in it.
Blue sat down on one of the couches, set her laptop on the white coffee table, and continued to monitor her screen.
I dialed Jean-Pierre again.
Voice mail.
I came close to throwing the phone out the window.
Minutes later, I paced.
Maxwell had disappeared with David, and Eden. The sound of the shower came next. Then, Maxwell returned, pulled out a long white joint, and lit it. He looked up at me. “You want some?”
“No.”
“You need to relax.”
“I’m relaxed.”
Maxwell checked Blue. “Has he sat down since we’ve been here?”
She appeared nervous to answer as she shook her head.
“You need to smoke.” Maxwell held the joint in front of him. “This shit will relax you.”
“I don’t need to relax until Emily is back with me.”
Maxwell waved me away and took a hit of his joint. “Em will be back soon.”
“How do you know?”
“We’ve got the girl.”