Page 97 of Russian Roulette
Jumping into a knife fight set me back in terms of time and energy. I need to keep advancing my plan. Each passing hour gives the Russians more time to find Natasha before I do.
If they haven’t already.
Feeling increasingly restless and confined, I’m going nuts alone in this large house that isn’t mine. I decide to find a way to visit Platinum by myself, knowing the guys will disapprove of the idea.
Seven is the only one remotely on board, mainly because his father was a con artist. My plan intrigued him until he realized it meant going against Giovanni. It’s too soon to dismiss him entirely, and I won’t give up. I remain convinced Seven would make an ideal partner for me.
The best way to visit Platinum is to sneak out tonight after Kit goes to bed. I’m sure the guys concealed my car keys. Fortunately, I have two spare keys hidden. One is stashed in an obvious spot under the hood near the engine. The other is taped to the car’s underside, where no one would think to look. If they discover the conspicuous key, they likely won’t search for the other.
Meanwhile, I’ll do my best to gather as much information as possible about Platinum. Examining the club’s ownership records or legal documents could provide valuable insights.
I’ll behave and remain indoors today, as I promised. Tonight will be an entirely different story.
48
KIT
I’m eager to return home to Jade. She’s the first woman I’ve ever invited to stay at my ranch, and it’s weird knowing someone will be there when I arrive. Not a bad feeling at all and something I could get accustomed to.
When I pull my Jeep into the large garage attached to the house, I’m relieved her car is still there. I have her keys in my pocket and Vulcan found her spare set hidden under the hood. It wouldn’t surprise me if Jade has the skills to hotwire it and drive it out of here without keys if she wanted to. I wouldn’t put anything past her.
After I unlock the kitchen door and step inside, I call out to her. “Jade! Are you in here?” I’m half expecting total silence.
“I’m in the living room,” she yells back.
My shoulders slump in relief. She doesn’t need to know how worried I was that she would be gone again. “How did your day go?” I ask, walking into the room. “Are you still in a lot of pain?”
She’s sitting on the sofa with her leg propped up on the table, wearing a pair of shorts and one of my huge T-shirts. “I’ve improved quite a bit today and can even walk around without hobbling,” she says, smiling at me. “You’re an excellent nurse. Thanks again for fixing me up.”
“I need to check your bandage to make sure your leg is not showing signs of infection,” I say. “I can’t help worrying about nasty bacteria being on Vulcan’s knife.” Kneeling on the floor beside her, I carefully unwrap the bandage. “The cut is healing nicely and there isn’t any redness or sign of infection,” I say after examining the cut. “Tell me if you notice anything out of the ordinary, especially if it feels hot to touch. You might need to be on antibiotics.”
“Honestly, I’m much better,” she says. “You worry too much. By tomorrow, I’ll be back to normal. I’m tough.”
“Not just tough, you’re a badass,” I tell her, meaning every word. “What do you want to do tonight? Should I run out to the store to pick up anything for you? Just name it and I’ll do it. We can also order food to be delivered. Don’t worry, I won’t pressure you to be a vegetarian while you’re here. I’ll order anything you want for dinner.”
“I’m stuffed from eating snacks all day,” she replies, pointing to the food basket I left for her. “Come over and sit.” She takes her leg off the pillow and pats the sofa cushion beside her. “What I would love is for you to sit here with me and tell me more about yourself. You and I haven’t had many opportunities to talk.”
I sit on the sofa and she scoots closer. Draping my arm around her tiny shoulders, I tug her against my side. “My life story is boring. Are you sure you want to hear it? Wouldn’t you rather watch a movie?”
She smiles at me. “I can’t imagine anything concerning you being boring. It’s impossible, so start talking.”
“What have you already found out?” I ask.
“Only what you’ve told me. The other guys haven’t said much except Vulcan told me you’re a good guy and not to fuck you up. Or something along those lines.”
“Vulcan said that? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. We’ve been watching each other’s backs for a long time. Maybe I should rephrase my question. What have you found out from searching the internet? You’re a computer whiz and I’m sure you’ve googled all three of us extensively.”
A soft laugh bubbles out of her. “You got me there. Yes, I did and couldn’t find out much about any of you except what your media kits revealed. And absolutely nothing on Vulcan. According to the internet, none of you have a past or any computer history that I can find before you arrived in Vegas and hit the big time. Since none of you go by your real names, it was a challenge to find your life history, and I failed. Your life is a black hole.”
“Good, I’m glad,” I say. “We prefer keeping our past lives in the past where they belong. A stage name makes it easier to protect our privacy. Should I start from the beginning?”
“Please,” she says.
I stretch my long legs out in front of me and hesitate before speaking. I haven’t discussed my life with anyone in a long time and only then to Vulcan and Seven. If Jade is going to be a part of us, then she deserves to learn who we all really are and where we came from. The good, the bad, and even the ugly.
“How far back to you want me to go with my story?” I ask, dreading her answer.
“I want to hear anything you’re willing to share. You’re a unique person with a pure heart. How did you turn out that way? Tell me about your childhood and work your way up through the years until now.”
