Page 80 of The Pakhan's Forced Bride
“Yana. Come on. What was the call really about? What did you mean when you said you wouldn’t say anything to ‘her,’ were you talking about me?”
“Ugh.” Yana lets out a frustrated sigh. “I hate being stuck in the middle of this.” She throws her hands in the air in defeat. “Ardalion is here in Las Vegas,” she blurts out. “I know you’re still struggling with everything, Belle. We just didn’t think it was a good idea for you to know he was here.”
“Ard is here?” I stammer in shock. “He’s in Vegas? Why didn’t he come see me? Why is he here?” I’m so confused about what’s going on.
Maybe Nestor asked him to come down. Why else would he be here?
Ulyana closes her eyes for a moment. I can see her wrestling with the fact that she wasn’t supposed to say anything at all—and now she’s telling me everything.
“Ardalion is working with Benedikt to stop the attacks.”
Her confession has my heart racing.
“We have to go check on them,” I say with urgency.
Yana shakes her head. “It’s dangerous, Belle.”
“We don’t have to get too close. I just want to see if they’re still so angry at each other. How can they work together if they hate each other?” I furrow my brow and stare at her with the widest puppy eyes I can muster. “Please, Ulyana, I’m going crazy here. There has to be a safe way to check on them.”
“Benedikt is going to skin me alive,” Ulyana groans. “Come on. I’ll drive.”
“Oh my word, thank you.” I grab her in a hug, then follow her out to the car, my body tense with anxiety at the idea of possibly catching a glimpse of Ardalion again.
***
We park far enough from the warehouse that we’re out of sight, but with a clear view of the front area.
Both of us climb out and stand with our backs leaning against the bonnet of the car, looking down the embankment towards Benedikt’s warehouse.
Ulyana is nervous, not wanting Benedikt to see her and be angry with her.
“You can blame it all on me,” I reassure her, lifting the binoculars to my eyes for a closer look. She lifts hers as well, and together we scan the area looking for them or any clues.
“You know that won’t work,” she huffs. “He’ll still be angry with me.”
“But I can’t tell you how much I appreciate you bringing me here, Yana,” I say. “I needed to see this with my own eyes.”
After a while, I drop the binoculars down and squint towards the warehouse. Something’s happening. Men are coming out from inside.
And suddenly he’s there, standing in front of the wide corrugated doors.
Ardalion is a massive bulk of muscle and strength, and standing next to my brother, the two of them look unstoppable. He’s dressed head to toe in black, as he usually is, his thick arms folded across his chest. He’s wearing a double shoulder holster, two guns set against his ribs on either side.
There are a lot of security guys around them.
They’re clearly discussing something and planning as Benedikt points and men move off in different directions, getting into place in preparation for the attack.
My eyes are set on Ardalion, my heart racing, my mind spinning with all the things that might have been between us. All the unspoken words.
Seeing him hurts. It sets a fire in my chest and burns the threat of tears behind my eyes.
It makes the longing to be in his arms a hundred times worse.
Why didn’t he at least message me to tell me he’s here?
He didn’t even try. As though I mean nothing to him.
“Oh my word—around the side,” Ulyana gasps.
