Niko sat in the passenger seat, her phone gripped in her fingers, staring out at the passing scenery.
It had been so pretty while they were travelling through the countryside, but once they’d hit the outskirts of the city, it had transformed, and become grey and dirty and tired looking.
Not that it would have mattered what it looked like at that moment. Her mind was going over the last few messages she’d received, trying to get her head around what was going on.
It had started about two hours ago, when the first message had come in.
“Everything is on track for tonight. As soon as we’re in position, it will be up to you to get Roman safely out of the way. Leave the safety of the women to us.”
That had immediately set her off into a panic. Where would she be able to hide Roman to keep him safe? In the back of the truck? Was it bulletproof?
Niko closed her eyes. She had been plotting and planning for this day for over six months, so she should be excited that it was finally here. Why was it that all she could feel now was fear and regret?
If only she could tell Hollywood about it and ask him to come with her. Maybe Kellen too, as he seemed a decent guy.
The next message had really scared the hell out of her.
“In position, waiting for the trucks to arrive. More of Ilya’s men here than expected. Maybe thirty? What’s going on?”
Thirty more men? Where the hell did they come from?
“I don’t know who they are.” She typed. “Will let you know as soon as we arrive. Be patient, as I have no way of finding out in advance.”
How did they expect her to know what was going on? She may be Ilya’s sister, but she was the last person he would ever confide in.
Ilya told her what he thought she needed to know, and only when he thought she needed to know it.
So, another thirty of his men had showed up. He wouldn’t think that was a big deal. The matter of who was going to feed them wasn’t something he would have thought of either, which meant that they would be thirty pissed off men by the end of the night.
And how were Hollywood, Kellen, and the others going to keep that many men away from the women?
“Problem?” Hollywood’s voice cut into her panic attack, which was probably a good thing.
She pretended to be surprised at his question.
“No. Should there be a problem?” She smiled across at him.
The half-smile on Hollywood’s handsome face told her he knew she was full of crap.
“Niko, in the last half an hour you have sighed maybe twenty times.” He pointed out. “And you’ve checked your phone for messages fifty times. If that’s not the sign of a problem, then I don’t know what is.”
Niko guessed she could try and lie to his face but decided she didn’t want to. She could at least use Hollywood as a sounding board, even if she couldn’t tell him exactly what was going on.
“Apparently, there are a lot more of Ilya’s men at the warehouse than we were expecting.” She explained. “I’m not sure who they are, or where they’ve come from, but obviously Ilya has told them where to be, or why would they have shown up?”
“Have you asked him?” Hollywood asked, as though it were a simple question.
“Well, it’s funny you should ask me that, because, oddly enough, no, I haven’t gone out of my way to piss my brother off by asking such a question.” She sighed again. “You know how much he likes me poking my nose into what he considers is none of my business. Given the choice, I don’t think I’ll provoke him this evening. I haven’t got the energy to deal with him tonight.”
Kellen chose that moment to poke his head through the curtains, just inches from her face.
“Shit!” She hissed, jumping back. “A little warning next time would be nice!”
“D’you want me to whistle Dixie?” He asked, grinning his ass off.
“Was there a reason for the interruption?” She asked, not inclined to respond to his good humour.
“Yep. I just got a message from Kris to say that a bunch of Ilya’s men are gonna be at our destination.” He explained. “Apparently they’re there to party.”
“I suppose that means that Ilya’s latest business deal went well?” Hollywood suggested.
“It sounds like it.” Niko frowned. “I just wished I knew exactly what this deal was about. Ilya’s getting himself involved in stuff that is really over his head.”
She noticed Hollywood turn his head to glance at Kellen, and figured she’d said too much. Her brother’s business was exactly that, his business. If he knew that she’d been talking about it to anyone else, his punishment would be swift and severe.
Still, at least the information she was getting from the different sources was pretty much the same.
Niko typed an update to her contact and hit send.
She felt the grind of the engine, and the truck seemed to speed up.
“Why are we going faster?” She asked, glancing over at Hollywood.
“Your brother’s men have been complete assholes since day one.” He smiled at her. “With even more men around, they’re possibly going to think it’s time for them to take advantage of the fact that they outnumber us, and they might go after the women. We need to get there as soon as we can, and preferably before either of the other trucks have started to unload. Assuming there’s somewhere for the women to be kept safely overnight, then during the transfer is when they’re likely to be at their most vulnerable.”
Niko’s heart sank. He was absolutely right about how much danger they could all be in. She wouldn’t have put it past her brother to have offered the women to his men as a reward.
“Faster.” She said quietly, praying that the truck’s engine had a little more power in it than was currently being demanded.
“If there are going to be even more of Ilya’s assholes around, then you’re going to need this.” Kellen passed something through to Hollywood, and Niko stared at it in surprise.
“Is that a bulletproof vest?” She asked. She’d seen one in the movies but not up close.
“It’s known as Kevlar.” Kellen nodded. “I’m sorry I don’t have one in your size.”
Niko looked at him like he’d gone nuts.
“Do you always carry this sort of thing in your luggage?” She whispered.
“Erm, that would be an affirmative.” He grinned. “In our line of business, it’s something of a must-have item.”
“You all have them?” She frowned.
“Never leave home without one.” Hollywood grinned. “I don’t think I’ve gone more than a week without wearing one since I turned eighteen.”
“Me neither.” Kellen agreed. “In our line of work, they’re as essential as a businessman needing a sharp suit, or a woman needing that little black dress in her wardrobe. It just goes with the territory.”
“Have either of you ever been shot?” She asked quietly.
“I’ve been shot once, in the leg.” Kellen confirmed. “Really just a flesh-wound, thankfully. It didn’t hit anything important.”
Niko noticed Hollywood hadn’t answered.
“And you?” She pressed. “Have you ever been shot?”
“Twice.” He turned and smiled at her. “And if you’re a really good girl, I may even show you my scars.”
Niko couldn’t believe these men could be so flippant about it. They could have been killed for God’s sake!
“Breathe, Niko.” Hollywood’s hand reached out and he squeezed her cold fingers. “That’s why we wear the Kevlar. So that we don’t get killed.”
She nodded her head just as she heard the GPS system instruct them to make a right turn.
She looked ahead and saw they were in an industrial area, just like the many she’d visited since she’d been working for Ilya.
A few more turns and the woman’s voice gleefully advised them that they had ‘reached their destination’.
As Hollywood pulled into the oversized metal shed, she noticed that both of the other trucks still had their lights on, suggesting that they’d only just pulled in ahead of them. At least it didn’t look like any of the women had been unloaded.
This was the biggest warehouse they’d stayed in yet, and it looked to be the size of three or four football pitches.
There were what looked like animal pens with metal fences up and down two sides, with discarded machinery strewn around the place, obviously nothing worth stealing or salvaging.
In the distance, by the far wall, a group of men sat around on a bunch of wooden boxes and makeshift benches. Judging by the number of vodka and beer bottles lying around the place, the party had already begun.
“I can’t see anywhere suitable to hold the women where the men can’t get at them.” Niko murmured, looking around. “What the hell was Ilya thinking?”
She took a few deep breaths, ready for the confrontation to come, knowing that she’d have to put on her uber-bitch performance if she wanted these new men to respect her.
Before she could move, Hollywood yanked off his t-shirt and quickly donned his vest before pulling the t-shirt back on. Niko barely had a glimpse of some impressively toned muscles before they were covered again, and she almost pouted that they’d come and gone with no warning.
“Kellen can stay here for the moment with Roman, but I’m coming with you.” Hollywood smiled at her as Kellen handed him an automatic pistol. “Not negotiable, sweetheart.”
As if she’d been about to argue with him.
“Fine by me.” She smiled. “You can hold me back if I look like I’m going to punch one of them.”
Hollywood’s chuckle was all she needed to find her spine again.
Come on, Niko, she thought. You’ve done this shit a hundred times. At least you’ve got a big guy backing you up this time. And that’s not something you’ve ever had the luxury of before.
Pull on your big girl panties and go and give them hell!