The Defender

by Donna Grant

  It was semi-stocked, but not nearly what would be needed for their voyage. There were places they could dock and fill their stores, but the less they had to do that, the better.

  With her mental note in place, Reyna went back into the house to look for the boat keys. She found them near the back door, hanging on a hook. After slipping them into her pants’ pocket, Reyna located a reusable grocery bag. She went through the kitchen pantry and fridge, taking everything that she could. When the bag was full, she brought it to the boat and unloaded it before making a third trip.

  That jaunt included some clothes she’d found washed in the laundry room. She didn’t know if they would fit Lev, but anything was better than wearing the same items for weeks at a time.

  After that, she went through the house, wiping down anything she’d touched to obscure her fingerprints, as well as locking the front door. She kept the towel in her hand as she walked to the back. The dog tried to go out with her.

  “No, buddy, you can’t,” Reyna told him.

  She bent over, ignoring the pain, and gave him a good rubbing before she slid the glass door closed, locking it with the dog inside. With the bag of clothes in hand, she turned to the boat.

  Her wound was hurting, and she was becoming fatigued, but she was determined to get on the vessel and find Lev. Reyna’s hands shook from the pain and nausea that had set in while she was untying the boat from its moors. It took her a couple of tries to get the key into the ignition. She started up the engine and looked back at the house where the dog was barking and pawing at the glass. She gave the animal a wave.

  She caught sight of Lev swimming toward her and made straight for him. It worried her how slow he moved, but she knew it had more to do with the cold water than his wound, though she was sure that had something to do with it, as well.

  Thankfully, he looked up as she slowed the boat to pull up alongside him. He treaded water until she stopped. She put the engine in idle, and as she turned to go to Lev, she jerked to a stop because she thought she heard the retort of a rifle. Lev then climbed up into the back unharmed, and she thought it must have been her imagination. She met him with a towel and a smile.

  “We did it,” she said.

  He grinned and wrapped the towel around himself. “Let’s put some distance between us and the Saints.”

  Reyna didn’t need to be told twice. She returned to the wheel but pointed at the bag behind her. “There are some clothes you can change into.”

  She gunned the throttle, propelling the boat forward. The more they moved away from Norway, the better she felt. But she knew it was temporary. The Saints would find them.

  When she couldn’t stand it anymore, she sat in the chair and kept the boat at a steady speed. It wasn’t as fast as she wanted to go, but she didn’t want to draw unnecessary attention to them either.

  After thirty minutes, Lev came up beside her and held out a plate of food. “You need to eat and rest. I can handle this.”

  She looked over his face. He didn’t appear to be as seasick as he’d gotten the last time. She didn’t want the food, but she had to build up her strength.

  “Thanks,” she said and took the plate as she got to her feet.

  She stayed with him, sitting behind him as he took the wheel. After the first tentative bite, she realized she was famished and devoured the rest of the food.

  Lev’s chuckle caused her to raise her head to look at him. “What?” she asked.

  “I can fix you some more. I didn’t realize you were that hungry.”

  “Neither did I,” she replied with a smile. “This is fine for now. How are you doing?”

  He shrugged. “So far, so good. This boat is huge. I had no idea they could be so luxurious.”

  “This is a smaller one. Wait until you see a big one. I’m surprised Sergei never had a yacht.”

  Lev shook his head. “Sergei did his business at the docks because it was accessible, not because he liked the water.”

  “I can understand that.”

  “But you like the water.”

  She grinned as she looked out the window at the dark waters of the sea. “I don’t love it like some people, but I enjoy being on the water. The longest I’ve been out is a week, so this should be interesting. I might go stir-crazy.”

  “Oh, I’m sure we can come up with some activities to keep you entertained.”

  Reyna saw the desire in his eyes and nodded. “That could be fun.”

  28

  The funeral home was somber. Then again, they always were.

  “You doing okay, babe?” Cullen asked.

  Mia looked into his hazel eyes and smiled sadly. “No.”

  “Me, either.”

  She leaned her head on his shoulder when he put an arm around her. They sat at the back of the room, squeezed in between a crush of people. Mia was amazed by how many had shown up for Sergei’s memorial.

  Though she shouldn’t be.

  He might have been a mob boss, but he’d had one of the biggest hearts that she’d ever encountered. And she was going to miss him dearly. However, there was someone who would miss him more—Lev.

  “It’s not right that Lev isn’t here,” she whispered.

  Cullen shifted his head so that his mouth was by her ear. “Don’t say his name too loudly.”

  Her head jerked up as she frowned. “Why? Everyone knows how close they were.”

  “Yes, but only Sergei knew why Lev went away. The others think he’s gone on business.”

  “So?” she said with a shrug.

  Cullen blew out a breath as he met her gaze. “I heard some of Sergei’s men talking.”

  “About?”

  Cullen looked at her pointedly.

  “Oh,” she said, realizing he meant Lev. “What were they saying?”

  “Some claim that he was the one who killed Sergei.”

  “But that’s not true.”

  “And when he gets back, Lev will make sure they know.”

  If Lev returned. The obstacles surrounding him and Reyna multiplied every day. Mia and the others might know how good Lev was, but against so many Saints? The odds weren’t in his favor.

  “Don’t worry about him,” Cullen said.

  She rolled her eyes as she looked at the giant picture of a smiling Sergei set up at the front of the room surrounded by dozens of flowers. “Right. As if you aren’t concerned about him.”

  “Not as much as I was.”

  Mia raised a brow and swiveled her head to him. “What did you do?”

  He lifted a shoulder in a shrug. “Just sent a message.”

  “To who?”

  “Maks.”

  Her eyes widened. “What? You know how to get ahold of him?”

  “No, but I know he’s been keeping tabs on us. He’ll get the message.”

  “And what did you tell him?”

  Cullen’s lips turned up in a smile. “I just said that one of us was being hounded and might need a hand. If Maks can, he’ll help Lev and Reyna.”

  Mia twiddled her thumbs anxiously. “We should’ve flown out to Norway.”

  “That would’ve been suicide.”

  “And sending Lev was signing his death warrant,” she whispered.

  Cullen tightened his arm around her shoulders. “It was his choice to go. No one, not even Sergei, could’ve made Lev do anything he didn’t want to do. And if any of us could get out of the situation he’s in, it’s him. Maks is good at blending in, but Lev is good at getting out of jams.”

  “I would’ve agreed before this,” Mia said, jerking her chin toward Sergei’s picture.

  “Yeah,” Cullen agreed with a sigh. “I’m also concerned that Lev will focus on revenge instead of getting back to us.”

  “Do you blame him?”

  “Not in the least. We saw them together, and even in that brief time, it was obvious they were close. It wouldn’t surprise me to find out they were closer than we imagined.”

  Mia blinked to stop the tears th
at threatened. “The last time I talked to Sergei, he called Lev the son he’d never had.”

  Cullen kissed her temple and pressed his forehead against her hair. “I had my reservations about Sergei and Lev, but they saved us. I owe them both. Even if I didn’t, I would still seek revenge for what was done.”

  The lines of retribution and fighting for what was right were getting blurred. Then again, with a group like the Saints, they would hit anything that hurt those that opposed them.

  Mia couldn’t imagine them killing Cullen. She’d never survive without him. The Loughman family had so much at stake. The entire world did, but so few realized it. She wanted to stand up and tell them the truth, even if no one believed her. At least they’d hear it.

  She and Cullen grew quiet as the memorial began. The walls on either side of them were lined with members of Sergei’s Bratva. The brotherhood. Mia didn’t need to check their coats to know that they were armed. At the front of the room, the first couple of rows were for those in the top tier of Sergei’s crew.

  A tear leaked down Mia’s cheek when she saw a space reserved for Lev.

  The target was locked through the scope. Maks sighted Anatoli Kozel in his crosshairs. Maks then shifted the rifle and zeroed in on Lorraine as a group of Saints milled about the car Lev and Reyna had last stolen.

  Anatoli looked bored as he messed with the cuticle on one of his nails. But Lorraine looked like a woman at the end of her rope.

  Maks smiled. He couldn’t wait for Lorraine or her men to discover the dead body of the Saint floating in the water. Maks had found the sniper before he even saw Lev or the woman with him. Maks took out the gunman without hesitation, allowing the couple to get away.

  He might have blown his own cover to help out, but he didn’t mind. There were so few of them standing against the Saints. If they didn’t remain united, then they didn’t stand a chance against the group.

  Maks wished he knew what Lorraine was saying to Anatoli, but he couldn’t get closer. It would be so easy for him to take out a half-dozen of them before they even realized what was happening. As much as he itched to do just that, it wouldn’t do any good.

  The Saints would send even more people. Right now, they were on Lev’s trail. Maks had another path he had to walk. And if everything went to plan—along with some luck—then he and his friends just might be able to hit the Saints with a hard enough blow that it would wake up the rest of the world.

  It was a long shot, but that was the only kind he’d ever known.

  He wouldn’t reply to whichever of the Loughmans had sent him the message. It was too risky. Soon enough, he’d be back with the rest of them in Texas. And, hopefully, Lev and his woman would be, as well.

  Maks moved his finger to the trigger and contemplated putting a bullet in Lorraine’s head. She would hound Lev and Reyna relentlessly. There was nothing more Maks could do now that Lev was out on the water.

  It would be up to the Brigadier and the spy to stay alive until they reached America. Once they entered the States, the Loughmans could help them.

  Maks was rather impressed by Lev and Reyna making it as far as they had against two dozen Saints hot on their trail with more of the group searching for them. Lev had shown the Saints that they weren’t invincible, and that made Maks smile.

  In fact, Lev had all but flipped them off. And he’d done it with a smile on his face.

  Maks moved his finger from the trigger and sat back as he started to dismantle his rifle to pack it away. In no time, it was in its metal suitcase. He stood and walked to the BMW 8 Series coupe and put the briefcase on the floorboard behind the driver’s seat as he got in.

  The engine roared to life as he turned the car back toward Russia.

  This can’t be happening.

  Lorraine repeated that over and over in her head, but the proof was right before her. The car was empty, and Lev and Reyna were nowhere to be found. Which meant they had already gotten on a boat.

  Or were hiding.

  Lorraine pivoted and stormed back to Anatoli, who was looking at his nails. “We have a leak.”

  Several seconds passed before he looked up at her. “You have to be joking.”

  “I’m not. That’s the only explanation.”

  “It could be that Lev and Reyna are just lucky. If the woman hadn’t been found at the petrol station, we wouldn’t have known to come this way. If there was a leak somewhere, don’t you think that would’ve been taken care of?”

  “Not if the person didn’t know about it.”

  Anatoli rolled his eyes. “You want to blame anyone and everyone instead of accepting that you might very well have met your match. I warned you to send men after them when they left the house. You chose to call them back. Reyna is trained in our ways. It was obvious when we realized where they were headed, and they knew that, as well.”

  “I’ve not been outsmarted,” Lorraine replied—and then inwardly winced at how childish she sounded.

  “They hid the car here. What does that tell you?”

  She didn’t want to play this game. Lorraine put her hands on her hips. “It means they didn’t go far because they wouldn’t want to be out in the open.”

  “Precisely. Check around to see if any boats are missing.”

  She laughed. “They wouldn’t be able to steal any of the vessels around here. Take a look at this part of the community.”

  “So, what if those around this area are wealthy?” he said with a shrug.

  “Fine. I’ll send out men to look.” Lorraine barked out the order, and men spread out to begin asking questions to homeowners.

  Anatoli was smiling when she looked at him. “What are you going to give me if I’m right?” he asked.

  “I won’t hit you like I’ve longed to do,” she retorted.

  He laughed. “You always were passionate.”

  “Stop,” she said in a low voice while looking around to see if anyone had heard him.

  “No one cares.”

  “I care.”

  Anatoli shrugged, the smile still in place. “And that’s the problem.”

  “Smug bastard,” she mumbled when he walked away.

  Lorraine turned and looked at the water. If Reyna and Lev had managed to steal a boat, radar could locate them, as well as other, larger ships that the Saints controlled.

  If the couple thought they could get away on the water, they had another thing coming.

  Lorraine’s cell phone rang. She lifted it to see that there was no caller ID and a blocked number. Her hand shook as she accepted the call. “Hello?”

  “I understand you have more bad news.”

  She closed her eyes at the sound of Lester’s voice. “They’re slippery. Both are highly trained, and it doesn’t help that Reyna knows our protocols.”

  “That doesn’t excuse you from continually disappointing me. I assured the elders that you would succeed. You’re making me look bad.”

  “Do you think I’m doing this on purpose?” she said, letting her anger get to her. “Trust me. I want them as much as you do.”

  “The elders’ patience is running thin. You really don’t want to make them wait much longer.”

  “I’ll find them.”

  “So you keep saying.”

  Lorraine closed her eyes and searched for patience. She almost told Lester about her theory of a leak, but she decided against it at the last minute. “I will.”

  “Don’t make me call again, Lorraine. You won’t like the consequences.”

  The call disconnected.

  29

  Lev shook the water from his face and swam to the back of the boat. He’d spent the last hour removing the old numbers and replacing them with the new ones. It wouldn’t keep the Saints off their trail completely, but it would make life difficult for them, that was for sure.

  He climbed up the ladder and got out of the water. His gaze scanned the back of the boat as he dried off. Lev had left Reyna sleeping. As she had been for the six hours prio
r. The fact that they were relatively safe allowed her to get the rest her body so desperately needed.

  When she woke, he would take a look at the wound. He’d wanted to inspect it before she went to sleep, but he hadn’t had the heart to wake her when he found her curled up on the bed.

  Lev checked the map and the compass to make sure he was headed southwest. They had decided to skip stopping in Scotland or Ireland. Iceland was on the way, but Lev would prefer not to stop there either.

  He started the engine and throttled the boat forward, headed toward Dover, Maryland. No doubt the Saints were waiting for him, which is exactly what he wanted.

  For the third time, he turned on the cell phone and checked the clock. Barely one minute had passed before the phone vibrated with a text.

  All clear.

  He smiled when he read it. Right after, the device rang. He didn’t hesitate to answer. “Hello?”

  “I’m sorry it took so long,” Callie said.

  Lev chuckled and sat back in the chair as he kept the boat on course. “No need to apologize. I knew you’d figure it out one way or another.”

  “I don’t like that it took me so much time. The Saints began attacking us virtually, which is what slowed me down.”

  His smile disappeared. “Should I be worried that they’re tracking this.”

  “Oh, please. You know I would never have called if that was a possibility.”

  He did, but he couldn’t help but worry. “How did you stop them?”

  “I haven’t yet. At least, not completely. I focused on separating this line from everything else, which will allow you to check in when you need to.”

  “You mean they’re still attacking you?”

  Callie laughed. “They sure are. I set up several layers of firewalls and malware because I knew they’d come at us this way. It’s keeping them busy, but I’m having to add more and more layers so they can’t get through.”

  Lev knew the Saints had a team, while Callie was working on her own. “Is there anything we can do?”

  “Stay alive,” Callie stated. “I’m hoping you’ll come around the States and come into port at Galveston, but I suspect you’re about to tell me you’re headed somewhere else.”