Page 47 of Deceptive Vows
“Lex, Dimi, back them up.”
He shook his head, a barely audible grumble as he rolled his eyes. “Full report by morning. And Thea?” His gaze softened, just a flicker. “Don’t do anything stupid.”
I smirked, palming my chest. “Me? Do something stupid?I would never.”
Dimitris snorted, and even Lucas’s lips twitched.
As we filed out, Nazar stuck close, a solid presence at my side. It wasn’t like fighting beside Lex or Dimi—it felt heavier. I hated how much I didn’t mind it, and it made me want to punch something.
Preferably him.
Chapter Seventeen
NAZAR
We didn’t reachthe office door before I texted Pasha that I’d call him when I got to the car. If he was in a meeting, it’d give him a chance to excuse himself so we could talk. The moment I slid into the driver’s seat, I hit his number and put the phone to my ear.
“Thea’s in the car, but you’re not on speaker.”
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“The Gray Wolves are in Chicago.”
Pasha swore under his breath. “Did you see one?”
“Nyet.” I startedthe car. “One of Kalantzis’s guys spotted a guy with a Wolf tattoo in the warehouse district. Near our theater deal.” I paused. “Marco.”
Pasha’s string of curses was impressive, even by Krysha’s standards. I heard him bark at someone in the background before switching to Russian.“I suspected as much. This explains why I was called back to New York so urgently.”
I shifted to our native tongue, my jaw tightening as I navigated traffic.“The timing is too perfect. Rico’s warehouse warning... my contract that prevents me from leaving Chicago...”
Each piece clicked into place, a trap we’d walked right into.
“Da.”His voice hardened.“We’ve been played.”
Bozhe moi.If not for Thea, I would already be at Marco’s estate, my knife making him confess every sin before he died. But more than him, I blamed myself. I prided myself on thoroughness. Researched him for weeks, and still—blind as a newborn pup.Nyet, worse. The failure sat in my chest like a stone.
Marco was much smarter than I’d given him credit for.
I turned into the penthouse parking garage, the abrupt transition from daylight to dim fluorescentmaking my eyes narrow. The concrete amplified the car’s engine to a rumble that bounced off the low ceiling.
“I’ll set up a team first.”I pulled into my spot with a squeal of tires on polished concrete. I cut the engine, the sudden silence heavy between us.“We think the Wolves might have the women. We’re going to check out the warehouse district tonight and see if we can find them before the auction.”
“Nazar, this reeks of?—”
“—a setup. South warehouse, now a Wolf sighting...”I finished his thought.“Divide and conquer. Classic.”The implications settled like ice in my stomach. If Marco was working with the Wolves, the auction, the theater—all of it was compromised.“I’m going hunting tonight.”
“All right.”
“And I don’t want you anywhere near those warehouses. Let the men take care of it.”
“Nazar.”
That tone—the one that reminded me of our boundaries. But some lines were worth crossing.
“Pasha.”I matched his firmness.“Our fathers’ ghosts would never let me rest.”A reminder that I was responsible for his safety, just as my father had been for his father.“Stay at the house.”
Pasha sighed.“Fine. I’ll stay home.”
