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.

Surprise flickers through me. “Are you sure?”

“I heard it directly from him. I’m still trying to find out who’ll be coming after Ariana. With Sergei on his deathbed, Yuri wants Ariana out of the way so she can’t claim any of the inheritance.”

That fucking sucks.

“What do you want to do?” I ask him.

“Sergei’s still the head of the Bratva. Protect his daughter. Lucian with be in Russia soon, and then we’ll take it from there.”

“Yeah, Yuri won’t be suspicious if the head of the Italian Mafia pays his respects to the head of the Bratva.” As I process everything I just learned, I say, “You’re aware if I take out Yuri’s hitman, it will start a war.”

“Our loyalty belongs to Sergei. I’ll deal with Yuri if it comes to that,” Alexei mutters.

My eyes scan up and down the street. “She’s an easy target in Seattle. It’s next to impossible keeping her safe while making sure she doesn’t see me.”

“Hmm…” Alexei is quiet as he thinks, then he says, “Take her to the island.”

I let out a burst of laughter. “Do you seriously think the girl’s just going to let me take her to an island?”

Alexei purchased an island on the Canadian side of Lake Superior. He had it rigged out with everything we might need if we ever needed to disappear.

“Of course not,” he chuckles.

“You want me to kidnap and babysit Sergei’s daughter?” I ask, not liking the idea one bit.

“Hey, think of it as a vacation,” Alexei taunts me.

“Fuck no.”

“It will be a week at the most. I’ll owe you a favor,” Alexei tries to sweeten the deal.