The Defender

by Donna Grant

  She walked the scene again to make sure the bullet casings were picked up. The local authorities that would report this as a murder were part of the Saints and would disregard the number of bullet holes in the house and the trees.

  When she made her way to the car, Anatoli was in the passenger seat with his head leaning back and his eyes closed. Still feeling ill-tempered from earlier, she slammed her door particularly hard when she got inside. The grin she wore slipped when he didn’t even flinch.

  “Norway has a long coastline,” he said without opening his eyes.

  She gripped the steering wheel tightly. “Our people are at every port. There is no other escape for them.”

  His head turned to her, and he opened one eye. “Death is an escape, Lori. Neither Lev nor Reyna seem the type to be taken as prisoners.”

  “They don’t know we’re not going to kill them,” she replied.

  “I spoke to the lieutenant of the soldiers. His men were shooting wide. They know.”

  Damn. She hadn’t thought of that. “Then we’ll have to make certain that neither Lev nor Reyna take their own lives.”

  Anatoli closed his eye and rolled his head back to its original position without responding.

  Lorraine angrily grabbed at her seatbelt. As she went to fasten it, the tip of her finger got pinched in the mechanism. She hissed at the pain and shook out her hand. Unwittingly, her gaze lifted to Anatoli, but her ex-lover didn’t seem to care that she was injured.

  Just as it should be. He was an ex for a reason.

  She started the engine and began the drive toward the coast.

  25

  Everything hurt. Despite her life as a spy, Reyna had never been shot. The closest she’d come was a graze on her arm. She wanted so badly to lay down, curl up, and sleep for a couple of months.

  But she kept putting one foot in front of the other somehow. Actually, she knew how she was staying upright. It all had to do with Lev.

  He grinned when he caught her looking at him. “I’m fine.”

  She glanced at the bandage she’d tied around his upper arm after she’d found it bleeding. Reyna was thankful that the bullet had missed him for the most part, rather than puncturing the arm. Otherwise, they’d be worse off than they were.

  Lev’s fingers tightened around hers. He’d taken her hand as they’d begun walking. The connection to him, the fact that their bodies were touching helped to keep Reyna focused and moving.

  But they still had miles to go before they reached the coast.

  “We’ll make it,” he said as if reading her mind.

  She nodded. “Of course, we will.”

  “I’ll find us a car soon.”

  “I’ll walk as far as I need to.”

  This time, he was the one who turned his head to her. “The strength you gained at Helge’s is evaporating quickly.”

  “I won’t be a burden.”

  He stopped and brought her to a halt with him as he faced her. “I’m not worried about that. I’m more concerned with your loss of blood and the fact you haven’t had time to recover.”

  “I can handle it. And if it gets too bad, I’ll tell you.”

  “No, you won’t,” he replied.

  She smiled because she wouldn’t.

  He lifted her hand and kissed it. “It’ll be dawn soon. I’d like to find a car before then.”

  Reyna looked toward the lights of the town that was still a few miles away. They were walking slowly because of her. If she weren’t injured, they could easily jog there in half the time.

  “Go ahead of me.” When he started to argue, she quickly said over him, “I’ll keep walking and stay out of sight. But if we continue at this pace, we’ll get to town after the sun is up. You know it’s the right thing for you to go.”

  “I don’t like it.”

  She smiled and nodded. “I know.”

  “Promise you’ll keep walking to me.”

  “You won’t get rid of me that easily,” she teased.

  He held her gaze, refusing to return her smile.

  Reyna licked her lips and squeezed his hand. “I promise. Besides, I want more of your kisses.”

  Finally, he grinned. “Just my kisses?”

  “I want all of you.”

  “Damn good thing, woman, because I feel the same about you.”

  “Now that we’ve got that settled, get moving,” she said and slapped him on the butt.

  She bit back the groan that simple movement cost her. He gave her a quick kiss and then took off running toward the town. Reyna watched him until he disappeared over a hill. Then she sighed and looked longingly at the ground.

  If she sat, she likely wouldn’t get back up. So, she stayed on her feet. Without Lev beside her, she found it difficult to keep going, but she didn’t have any other choice.

  “Move, Harris,” she told herself.

  That first step was the hardest. She maneuvered farther from the road they had been following to keep out of sight of any vehicles that might pass by. All the while, her mind was filled with thoughts of Lev.

  She couldn’t help but think about life with him next week, next month. Next year. What would happen when they returned to the States? She didn’t allow herself to think of the alternative.

  Would she remain with Lev? Would he still want her? She had nowhere else to go, but she didn’t want him to think that she stayed with him because of that. Then there was the question of how Sergei would receive her.

  If Sergei didn’t like her, there was a chance that Lev would bend to the will of his boss’s opinions. Lev seemed the type that forged his own way, but a man didn’t become a Brigadier to a Russian mob boss by not doing what the Pakhan wanted.

  Then there were the Loughmans. Reyna and Lev could go there. Those at the Loughman ranch had already done a deep-dive into her background. Unless the Saints had added false information—which she knew they did from time to time.

  Reyna grew anxious as she thought about the lies the Saints had no doubt told about her. Would the Loughmans believe them? She hoped she had a chance to dispute any that might come up, but the fact remained that the Loughmans might choose not to trust her.

  So, again, where did that leave her? She didn’t want Lev choosing between Sergei, the Loughmans, or her. But she couldn’t walk away from him either. What she’d found with Lev was something unique and special. And it had very little to do with the fact that they were running for their lives.

  She’d seen sides of him others never would in such situations, and she liked what she saw. They had to trust and rely on each other heavily.

  Still, she didn’t discount the importance of any of that. But she knew what she felt in his arms. It was...wonderful. Almost like she’d discovered the other half of her soul. She hadn’t wanted to become attached to him, but there had been no denying the enticement he presented her with.

  In his arms, she got a taste of what life could be like. And she wanted to seize it with both hands. In fact, that’s what she intended to do. Saints be damned.

  Her thoughts took her to the person who’d given her access to the building—the Saints’ headquarters. She hadn’t even known that’s what it was, or what to look for in the archives room. She didn’t know who had helped her, but she wished she’d been able to find out. They had risked a lot to get the information and urge her three different times to go.

  She’d tried to investigate who the material had come from, but they had covered their tracks very well. The fact that someone inside the Saints wanted the organization’s dirty laundry aired gave Reyna hope. Because where there was one, there were more.

  Lev was winded by the time he reached the small town. He hadn’t slowed since he left Reyna. He stopped and scrutinized the buildings and cars for several minutes as he caught his breath.

  He zeroed in on a sedan and made sure that no one was near. Then he walked to it and tested the door. It was locked. He looked around until he found a rock and used that to bust the window.<
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  After he’d scraped the glass out of the seat, he got inside the vehicle and reached under the dash to pull out the wires. In seconds, the engine roared to life. He put the car in gear and turned it around to head back for Reyna.

  He hated stealing stuff, but it wasn’t as if they had a choice. Once he got back to Texas, he would have Callie do her thing and find out who owned the vehicles they’d stolen. He’d make sure they were compensated.

  The sky continued to lighten, but he still had trouble locating anything moving in the trees along the road. He worried that Reyna had been more tired than she’d let on. He’d seen the fatigue on her face, which was why he’d gone to get the car. Now, he wondered if that had been a good idea.

  His gaze was on the side of the road they’d been walking on as he slowed the vehicle. There were few other cars and trucks on the road, so he didn’t bring any attention to himself. Then, he saw a figure step out of the trees.

  He recognized Reyna’s jacket immediately. Lev did a U-turn on the road and pulled up alongside her. She smiled and got into the car. He didn’t say anything about the dark circles under her eyes.

  “Get settled in,” he told her. “You sleep while I drive.”

  The fact that she didn’t argue told him how exhausted she was. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her head back. With one last smile in his direction, she closed her eyes.

  Lev pressed the accelerator and picked up speed. He drove back through the town without slowing and kept on the same road toward the coast. He’d been doing some thinking about that. He wanted to talk it over with Reyna, but it would have to wait.

  He heard a buzzing that sounded like a cell phone on silent. He looked in the cupholders and slid his hand between the seat and door and the seat and the center console, but he didn’t find anything. Then he opened the center console and found the phone.

  Lev accepted the call but quickly ended it. That allowed him to get into the cell and place a call of his own. He dialed Sergei first. As the line connected and began to ring, Lev glanced at the clock, calculating the time difference. Since Sergei liked to go to bed early, he likely wouldn’t hear the ringing.

  The call went to voicemail, so Lev hung up. Then he dialed the number to the Loughmans. On the third ring, he heard a feminine “hello.”

  “Callie?” he asked.

  “Um. No, this is Natalie. Hang on. I’ll get the others.”

  Lev frowned. Why couldn’t she talk to him herself? He realized that she might not know everything. So, of course, she’d go get Callie.

  Except it wasn’t Callie who answered. It was the middle Loughman brother, Owen. “Lev? How are things?”

  “They’re shit,” he stated.

  “Where are you?”

  He looked around for a sign but found nothing. “Somewhere in Norway. We’re not being trailed right now, but that’s because they know we’re headed to the coast.”

  There was a beat of silence. “How do they know?”

  “We had a bit of a run-in. Reyna was shot in her left side soon after we entered Norway. The bullet went through, and it took me some time to stop the bleeding. The bastards managed to find us in a cabin. There was a confrontation where they attempted to carry Reyna’s unconscious body down the mountain.”

  “I gather you stopped them.”

  Lev snorted. “Damn right, I did. Reyna and I moved as quickly as we could in the dark. An old man found us and gave us shelter so I could see to her wound properly. We also got clothes and food, but they found us again. They killed the old man and tried to pin me and Reyna down in the house.”

  “Obviously, you escaped.”

  “They were shooting near us, but not at us.”

  Owen grunted. “They want you alive. No doubt to torture you until both of you give up information on us.”

  “Exactly. So, we ran. They started to follow but stopped shortly after.”

  “Is your plan still the same?”

  Lev glanced at Reyna. “We’ve got to get out of here, but I honestly don’t know where we’ll be safe. And Reyna needs time to recover.”

  “Getting on the water will help as long as they don’t know what ship you’re on. Do you intend to head to a large port?”

  “Right now, I’m just driving as Reyna sleeps. I’ve been going back and forth on large versus smaller ports. They’re all going to be watched.”

  “Then don’t go to either.”

  Lev paused as he thought over Owen’s words. Then it dawned on him. “Private slips.”

  “That’s the way I’d go. The homeowners won’t be watched like the ports. You’ll have an easier time getting a boat and getting on the water.”

  “Until the owners report the vessel missing.”

  “It still gives you time.”

  And Lev needed more of that. “Is there any way Callie can take the number I’ve called from and hack into the carrier?”

  “I can ask.”

  “I’d like to be able to communicate with you rather than be without when we get on the water.”

  Owen said, “I’ll make sure Callie gets on that right away.”

  “One more thing. Can you let Sergei know I’ve made contact? I tried to call him, but he didn’t answer.” The silence that followed Lev’s request made him anxious. “Owen? What is it?”

  “Fuck, man. I didn’t want to be the one to tell you.”

  Lev gripped the steering wheel tighter as his stomach clenched in fear and dread. “Tell me what?”

  “Sergei is dead.”

  Lev couldn’t process the information. “What happened?”

  Owen sighed loudly. “His car blew up.”

  Fury raced through Lev because he knew who was responsible—the Saints. Lev had warned Sergei that this would happen, but Sergei hadn’t cared. He’d told Lev that helping the Loughmans was the right thing to do.

  “Lev?” Owen called.

  “When?” Lev demanded in a half-growl.

  Owen hesitated before he said, “A couple days ago. We had no way to contact you, or we would’ve made sure you knew.”

  “I know.”

  “You and Sergei were close. We all know that, but don’t do anything stupid.”

  Lev issued a bark of laughter. “You mean like going after the Saints? Isn’t that what I did by traveling to Kiev?”

  “Lev,” Owen began.

  “I took this mission because Sergei wanted to help you. Now you’re going to help me. You make sure no one dismantles what Sergei spent his life building. When I get back—and I will get back—I want everything intact.”

  “We’ll see to it,” Owen promised. “Cullen and Mia have already headed to Dover for the funeral. We all wanted to go.”

  Lev wanted to hit something. Hard. “But you can’t. I understand.”

  “We all liked Sergei. And we will get revenge for what they’ve done to him.”

  No. Lev would get the revenge, but he didn’t tell Owen that. “I’m going to turn the phone off when we hang up. I’ll turn it back on in two hours. If I don’t hear from Callie, then I’ll repeat the procedure until she manages to get into the phone.”

  “Be safe.”

  Lev shut off the phone and glanced at Reyna. He wanted to get her as far from the Saints as possible. Then he was going straight for them.

  26

  Reyna knew something was wrong the moment she opened her eyes and looked at Lev. He stared at the road as if it were his enemy. A muscle ticked in his jaw, and his body was tense.

  He glanced her way when she sat up. “How are you feeling?”

  “Better. Where are we?”

  “About forty kilometers from the coast.”

  She licked her dry lips and glanced down to find the cell phone in the cupholder. “What happened?”

  “I called the Loughmans.”

  “Is everything all right? They didn’t get attacked, did they?”

  “They didn’t.”

  Her body was cold from sleep, so it t
ook her some time to slowly shift to see him better. “Who did, then?”

  “Sergei.”

  She put her hand on his arm. He didn’t need to say more. She knew by his tone and attitude that Sergei was dead. And she knew who was responsible. “I’m so sorry.”

  “The phone was in the car,” he explained.

  It seemed like he needed to talk, so she didn’t reply.

  “I tried Sergei, but he didn’t answer. I assumed he was asleep. So, I called the Loughmans. That’s when Owen told me Sergei’s car had blown up.”

  Reyna closed her eyes to block herself from the agony she knew Lev felt. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and try to take some of his pain, but she couldn’t at the moment.

  Lev’s blue eyes briefly slid to hers. They were filled with torment and anguish. “He was an old man.”

  “It was a way to get to you, that’s why they went after Sergei.”

  “They’re cowards.”

  “Yes, they are,” she said. “Sergei wanted to join the fight against the Saints. He knew he physically couldn’t, which is why he turned to you.”

  Lev took her hand and squeezed it. “I wasn’t there when he died. I should’ve been there.”

  “He wanted you in Kiev.”

  “I should never have gone. I should’ve remained with him. Maybe then he’d still be alive.”

  Reyna glanced at their intertwined fingers. “Or you would be dead with him.”

  Lev didn’t respond, but he was no longer as tense as before. That was something.

  “Sergei saw what I do,” she continued. “You’re the type of fighter who gets under the skin of groups like the Saints. They underestimate you, which gives you an advantage. The kind that will help to topple them.”

  Lev gave a small shake of his head. “You give me too much credit.”

  “No, I don’t,” she said with a laugh. “I’ve been doing this for years now. I’ve worked with and encountered all kinds of people who are highly trained. You have their skills, yes, but you come at things differently. It makes you unpredictable. That scares them.”