Page 40 of Miles
Miles releases me, and I look at the image again. “Yes, it’s him.”
“The bastard was wrong because we were always coming for you. Now he’s going to pay,” Milo says.
They shake their heads. “I can’t believe Novak thought he was slick,” my father says.
“The fool should have kept his mouth shut, and we wouldn’t have been onto him so quickly. Now, it’s time to get his ass.” Miles clamps his lips shut as he seethes with rage.
Minutes later the vehicles pull up and it’s Miles security with five SUVs. “Time go home,” Miles says. We load up, and I sit beside my fiancé. They are making plans as I rest my head on Miles’s chest, but I listen in.
“We’re going fly you and your mother out to the Steeleville compound, and then you’re staying put until we deal with our problem.” Honestly, that sounds great. As tough as I am, I’ve had enough.
I jolt up and ask, “What about Mistress?”
“Mistress?” Wrench asks.
“Our dog,” I answer.
“She’s coming with. Don’t worry, Princess. I wouldn’t leave our baby without her mama.” Miles kisses my forehead. “Now, we need to get moving before we draw any attention.” The vehicles finally started moving and the first crunch of the leaves drew my attention to where I was kept prisoner.
We move fast past the small metal shack into the middle of the woods. When I look back, I can’t believe he’d taken me so far away from home. I stare at the ground all around me. My body could have been lost to the earth below me. I would be part of the foliage, permanently buried if they didn’t find me. I don’t grasp that I’m crying until my face is wet. “Princess, what is it?”
“The reality…I just…” Miles tightens his arms around me, and the warmth takes away the sadness. I need him, but I understand that he needs to protect me and our future which means he has business to deal with. I sigh and close my eyes, resting on him again.
“Rest. We can talk about it when you’re ready, but know this. We wouldn’t have given up, Elsa. None of us.” He kisses my temple and my soul doesn’t ache as painfully as it did a moment ago.
“He’s right,” Boomer adds. “Not a one of us. Riders to the end, little girl.” With their words of reassurance, I relax just enough to stop crying, but I can’t sleep and I’m grateful for it because I can see how far he took me. We ended up forty miles from home.
As we pull into my parents’ home, my family is waiting for me. Even though I see my brothers, it’s the one person who I’ve always gone to comfort that I search for. My mother, whose eyes are red-rimmed and face blotchy, throws her arms around me.
“My baby,” she sobs. Those tears break me and make me whole all at the same time.
“Mommy,” I cry, needing her so much.
“I’m here. I’m here.” We walk inside together, and she takes me over to the sofa where we sit down and she cradles my upper body like a little girl all over again. “Elsa, I almost lost you.”
I sob harder and press my head into her chest. I need this.
Chapter Thirteen
Miles
Scorched Earth.
That’s what the fuck is going to happen. Watching my future wife throw herself into her mother’s arms as her heart breaks is devastating. I understand more than I care to admit. When my mom called earlier, I felt her warmth, and I needed her comfort. She gave me that added strength to handle this crisis. She’s always been the quiet solace for all of us.
“We’ll be back. Don’t let anyone in. If anyone comes here that is not on the approved list, be ready to end them,” I warn the security. “No failure will be tolerated.”
“Yes, Mr. Ivanov.” I know it’s Emiliano’s house, but it’s my woman, and I just killed for her. I plan to do a lot more for her.
There was a war about to take place, and I won’t lose.
We have twenty men available and could have another twenty ready within hours, but it wouldn’t be enough if Novak activated his street thugs. In order to coordinate, we head to my home where I have access to my advanced computer systems. My father and I can do a lot while Kyros and his team of men can track down his lackeys and keep tabs on his crew.
“We need to do this financially, Miles, and you know it.” I pressed my lips together.
“Yes, Father. It seems history repeats itself. I need to dispose of my enemy in more than one way.” He and I head to work with our computers, logging in with untraceable software and the latest malware and work to hack into Novak’s systems.
The man is a dinosaur. He’s only about ten years older than my father, but he acts like he’s in his eighties. All his security files are running on old-school McAfee. I was hacking that before I was potty trained. It’s like he’s not even trying. I wonder if he’s still running Windows 10. I try not to laugh at the old tech. It’s no wonder we were able to get to the cabin so easily.
