Deva refrained from banging her head against the bedroom door when she realized that Jamieson Finch was on the other side. Aleksei and Lazarus’ father. And what twisted her, even more, was listening to Aleksei clearly trusting the creep. What hold did he have on his son? Gabrielle, Beatrice, and Lazarus had told her about the man, he was the worst psycho she had ever heard of, even with everything she knew about her own father, the mob, and the criminals she had crossed paths with over the years. There was honor among villains and thieves, but there was none in Finch. From what she had discovered, he would rape, sell, and kill his own mother if he found profit in the transaction. And he had almost done exactly that with Lazarus’s mother not so long ago.
But what was the deal between Aleksei and him? Why was he forcing him to fight? What was that debt?
Her internal questioning halted as she heard the front door closing. She scrambled back, going to the dresser to rearrange her ponytail and gather her thoughts. She had to contact Gabrielle. There was a trap somewhere, a big gaping hole that she couldn’t see yet, and it made her fear for Aleksei.
The thought unsettled her and Deva shook her head as she looked at her reflection. She cared about Aleksei and was surprised by how suddenly it had taken hold. He might be an asshole and a complete jerk at times, but he didn’t deserve to be tricked by his father. Or by her.
The bedroom door opened and closed, but she didn’t look at him. She only stared at herself, both hands on the dresser. The Russian didn’t say a word and came to stand behind her. He looked closed off, making it impossible to guess what he was thinking. Locking his gaze with hers over the mirror, he put both hands on either side of hers. Slowly he pressed his front against her back and hunched to place his chin in the crook of her neck. Black hair tousled, he scratched her skin with his stubble, looking at her with laser focus.
“We need to talk, solnyshka.”
Deva shook her head, trying to ignore the scent of his skin enveloping her or the soft brush of his hair against her chin. Instead of arguing, she tried to deflect.
“Who was that?”
He angled his head and arched an eyebrow. “You know who it was, I don’t believe you weren’t curious enough not to have put your ear to the door.”
“Then, why is your father forcing you to fight in the cage? An illegal fight?”
It was his turn to shake his head. But he wasn’t the only one with a stubborn streak, and she could play dirty when needed. “Your body hasn’t completely recovered. You’re pumped with medication helping you move without pain. If you fight again, you may end up seriously injured. Do you realize the implications? Is it really worth it? Is he?”
Anger flashed in his eyes before his hand was lightning quick around her neck. “Don’t think that because you just got off from my mouth that you have the right to voice your opinion.”
Deva pushed his hand away, not at all impressed. “That was just a pity orgasm after you tortured me to admit my sins. But you are so right. I don’t owe you anything. Go beat yourself bloody, or fill some nameless hole with your cock. Honestly, I don’t give a fuck. Sorry to have cared even a little bit about your well-being. My mistake, I won’t do it again. I should have known better. I should have known you were no better than the others. Hope you don’t die tomorrow night and if you do, that what your father promised you was worth it.”
Without waiting for his reaction, Deva turned, grabbed her bag and walked out. And the fact that he didn’t follow proved her right. In fact, once outside, she kept walking, trying to keep her temper in check, cursing under her breath against stupid men and the even stupider women who couldn’t handle them. The night was young and the crowd vibrant around her. Normally she would feed off this kind of energy, but tonight, her emotions and body were a complete mess, sending each other mixed signals about the Russian fighter. Not wanting to stop walking, she pulled out her phone and headset and called Gabrielle.
“Hey! Deva! What’s up?”
“How’s your vacation with your family going?”
“Actually, better than expected. Sully found us a boat, and we spent most of the day on Lake Michigan. Arthur ate so many hot dogs he barfed them all overboard and laughed about it. So, at the end of the day, my two men are happy, it was all worth it. But you’re not calling me to talk about my day. What’s going on?”
Deva started from the moment Rusty came into her office until she left Aleksei’s apartment, toning down as much as she could about the rough sex, and putting emphasis on Aleksei’s distrust of her. And how she had probably messed the whole thing up.
“And are you sure it was Finch in his apartment?”
“No, not at all. He called him father. That’s about it.”
“I’ll have someone here track Voronov’s phone. With some luck, we’ll know where the next fight is.”
“And then what? None of your super agents will be able to get in. There is a special protocol and specific codes. You don’t have them when you show up, you die.”
Gabrielle paused. “But you know how to get in.”
A statement. And a true one. Deva winced. “I do, but if I use them, it will probably open my own Pandora’s box, and I’m not sure I want to. Aleksei doesn’t seem to be willing to even step out of the fight. I don’t know his Bratva connection, but there had to be some sort of link there otherwise he wouldn’t risk his life once more. In underground fights, the fighters are either attached to the mob family and fighting in their name or having a debt that needs to be repaid. Whatever it is, Aleksei seemed to be knee-deep in it.”
“I’ll contact Oz and let him know. And about your cousin Sasha, could she be a problem?”
Deva sidestepped a mother pushing a stroller. “Nah, she was the only one who knew about my disappearance, and we kept contact throughout the years without a problem. She knows how to keep a secret.”
“Good, we may need a doctor tomorrow. I’ll dig up more information and keep in touch. Stay safe, Deva.”
“I will.”
Deva slid her phone into her bag and realized she was back in front of the gym. Full circle. Lights were still on, and she debated going in. She didn’t want to see Rusty. Not yet. She was raw and abrasive, and the men would be suspicious of her attitude. This job was a bridge she didn’t want to burn. Not until she could figure out the Aleksei problem. However, she would need to speak with the man and maybe admit more than she was willing to. Before she had time to sort through her thoughts, she went in.
Luck was on her side. She passed Andy on his way out, and he gave her a curt salute. However, Hector didn’t let her off the hook so easily. He was leaving the locker room when he saw her.
“Deva! Rusty told us you were gone on personal business for a few days. Is everything alright? Are you well?”
She hesitated, not knowing what the fiery Puerto Rican knew about his friend, so she decided to play it safe.
“All is good, Hector. Everything is under control now. How’s your thigh?”
His smile was back and dazzling. “Good, but I need your hands on me again.”
He winked at her and his playfulness somehow dissipated her dark mood. “If I get my hands on you, you will suffer.”
“Not as much as fighting with the new guy. That dude’s brutal. A machine. I’ll wait until my next fight session with him before booking time with your gentle hands.”
Deva shook her head, a smile tugging at her lips. “Go ice and rest. I’ll think how gentle I can be tomorrow.”
He winked at her again and left. When Deva looked around, the place was deserted, apart from the new guy trying to kill an innocent sandbag.
Why did she come here? Now that she had arrived, her legs felt like jelly. There was no way she was getting on that treadmill and surviving it. Instead, she grabbed the change of clothes that she kept at the gym, and went to Rusty’s private bathroom to shower. All her movements were mechanical, as her mind constantly reverted to Aleksei, on what happened in his apartment and his quick chat with his dad. Gaining his trust would be her biggest challenge now, and that might be impossible. Not with the little time they had together and his suspicions. But there was a part of her that wasn’t quite ready to throw in the towel. A debt was a debt, and somehow, Aleksei had shifted in her mind. There was still something she could do, she could feel it even though she didn’t know quite what it was.
Still playing with possibilities in her head, she shut off the water, dried herself off, and put on clean clothes. Just that simple task soothed her mind enough to calm her down.
Gathering her stuff, she returned to the gym to see it empty again, the lights dim. The new guy must have gotten tired of destroying the punching bag. Making sure everything was in order, she was about to close up when her phone rang in her bag. Gabrielle.
“Hey, what’s up?”
“Just got news from my favorite hacker about Aleksei’s phone. He just got an email about the venue for his next fight. I’m texting you the address right now.”
Deva looked at her phone to see the message and frowned. “Hell, it’s one of the most dangerous areas around here. I don’t have my nose to the ground like I used to, but this territory is still being disputed by at least three gangs. No cab will take me there, I’ll have to rent a car, and you will pay for the damages my friend because trust me, if I drive it there, it will never be the same.
“Hey! I don’t want you there. Not alone at least. Let’s plan for someone to go with you. Or maybe I can get an agent to be hooked up with a camera…”
“Oh, I’m going. And I’m not bringing you with me. No way. Two women would stand out like a sore thumb. Even being accompanied by one of your guys could be tricky.”
“Well, that’s the other thing, the fight time has been changed. For today, midnight.”
“Tonight? Shit.” One look at her phone told her that she had an hour to get there and get in.
“Deva, I’ll send an agent, even Sully is willing to accompany you. Wait for him to pick you up.”
“I don’t have time to wait for him, you wanted me to stay close to Aleksei, to protect him if need be, then this is it. I’ll contact you when we both get out, and Rusty may be with us too. I’m supposed to hear from Sasha tomorrow morning, try to see if she can come sooner. I’ll let you know where I’m heading as soon as it’s over. And don’t come close to the area, you’ll put me in more danger than you know.”
Gabrielle growled on the other end. “I don’t like that one bit.”
Deva exhaled, trying to get rid of her discomfort at what was going to happen. “Me neither, but we don’t have any choice if we want to save Aleksei. Trust me, I know how to deal with the devil, it’s a family thing.”
As she disconnected the call, she returned to Rusty’s office and grabbed one of the gym’s hoodies he sold. It was dark enough and oversized to hide most of her to the knees. With a jean and her pair of sneakers, she would be good to go. She pocketed her phone and left everything else in her bag.
She was taming her still wet hair into a ponytail and going for the door when she jumped at a voice behind her.
“You’re not going in there alone, Deva.”
She twisted around to see the new guy behind her, tall, very blond, dressed in black and his handsome face set in stone.
“You’re spying on me now, stranger? And how do you know my name, we haven’t even been introduced yet.”
The man’s blue eyes twinkled. “The guys only talk about you and your magic hands.” But soon he turned dead serious again. “I’m not spying on you. Not really, but I heard you talking and from what I could guess you’re going into a mess. And I’m good at handling a mess.”
Was he for real? “No offense, new guy, but I don’t know you, and you may be built and beautiful, but I need someone who can be cool under fire.”
The man didn’t even seem offended at her words. “I’m a former SEAL. Is that cool enough for you? And I’ve been a consultant for many rescue organizations. I have more experience in fire combat and war situations than you can imagine.”
She frowned, not quite convinced yet. “If you are lying, you are putting yourself at greater risk. The people I work with will have my head if an outsider comes with me and gets killed. And Gabrielle would have what was left of me.”
Deva blinked when she saw the change in his face when she spoke the name of her handler.
“Gabrielle Thorne? Is she the one in charge of you in this? No! Don’t speak. I know her. In fact, she’s the wife of my swim buddy and best friend, Sullivan. He’s a Navy SEAL too.”
Deva didn’t know what to do. He was dropping names nobody knew about, not even her cousin Sasha. And before he could speak, he continued. “Beatrice Dante is the founder of Purgatory, one of the organizations I worked for. You can call them, call any of them. They will vouch for me.”
There was no time for double-checking anything, and she had to rely on what she saw and her instinct. Going alone to the fight would be suspicious, especially when she revealed herself at the entrance. No one would come alone. But did she trust him? She was a good judge of character, and her gut told her that she could. And as she didn’t have the time to do a background check...
“What’s your name, Navy SEAL?”
“Lance.”
“Lance, are you related to any mob family, MC or crime association?”
The man seemed to be taken aback by her question and crossed his muscled arms as he frowned.
“Hell, no. I come from a simple family. My brothers are crazies, but that’s another story. Why are you asking? It has to do with Aleksei Voronov? He’s stuck in some sort of gang war?”
“If only it were that simple. To keep it short, his brother, Lazarus King wants to protect him from their father.”
Lance inhaled sharply. “Lazarus King? I know him. And if we are talking about his father, you must be referring to Jamieson Finch. In that case, you are not only in one hell of a mess but a dangerous one. Just fill me in on the rest while we drive there.”
Before surrendering with gratitude, there was another question she needed to ask. “Why do you want to help me?”
The large warrior angled his head as if assessing her question.
“My first instinct, before you said anything about Gabby, it’s what my mother ingrained in me. Never turn your back on a lady in distress.”
Time was running out, and if she were going to jump, it would be all the way. And there were worse partners than a seasoned warrior. “Sorry to tell you that, but I’m not the one in distress. Stick close to me, act protective, don’t stare at anybody and don’t start a fight. The rest, we’ll decide when we get there. Do you have a car?”
The giant man relaxed a bit, glad she finally accepted his aid. “My pickup truck is parked on the street.”
Deva smirked at her new giant friend. “I hope you don’t like it too much, because it may never recover from where we are going.”