The Edge of Light ✔️

Chapter Fourteen

E L E N A

Once Nikolai was out of the house, everything happened quickly. Emilio had planned this for weeks—waiting for the moment when Nikolai would be gone, when security would be relaxed just enough for me to slip through the cracks.

My heart pounded in my chest as I packed the essentials. Emilio had already arranged the flight, and I would be out of the country before nightfall. There was no room for hesitation, no room for second thoughts.

The car Emilio had sent was waiting outside the house. Somebody had come to distract the bodyguards in the entrance while I fled from the back door. As I slipped out, my breath fogging in the cold air, I felt the adrenaline coursing through me. This was it. My chance for freedom.

As soon as I climbed into the car, Emilio sped off and I didn't look back once. My whole body was on fire. A million things coursing in my mind.

"Don't worry, I have everything figured out." Emilio squeezed my hand in a reassuring manner. I looked at him with tear filled eyes. I knew I could trust Emilio with my life but what if he had missed something. We all knew that Nikolai was a very clever man. A powerful man.

"I have someone ready to take you to the new place. You're gonna need to lay low for the first few months but I'll come visit you after things calm down around here. I promise, Lena." Emilio said as he placed a soft kiss on the back of my hand. I gently squeezed his hand back, ignoring the fear gnawing my insides.

It was going to be fine. It had to be.

N I K O L A I

This whole trip took longer than anticipated. The job was messier than I'd hoped, but it was done. The Albanian had been a tough one to crack, but everyone broke eventually. By the time we left the warehouse, blood stained the concrete floors, and the message had been sent. No one crossed our borders without consequence.

The only thing I was a little relieved about was the fact that Matteo was flying back with us. He had finally recovered and was able to work again. Now the cartel was complete again.

As Alexei and I sat in the car, on my way back to the airport, I caught sight of a dress in a shop window across the street. It was a simple thing, yet elegant. Soft material, the kind that would drape perfectly over Elena's curves.

"Stop the car." I demanded and immediately the vehicle came to a halt. Alexei frowned as I wordlessly got out of the car.

I found myself standing in front of the glass, imagining her in it, her soft hair cascading down her back. For a moment, I forgot about everything—about the business, the violence, the blood on my hands. I was just a man thinking about his woman. It wouldn't be nice to go back home empty handed, would it?

Without thinking, I bought the dress completely ignoring the multiple digits on the tag. I couldn't wait to see her in it, to watch her eyes light up with that mixture of surprise and defiance she always carried.

She hadn't reached out to me in the past few days. I knew she wouldn't, still I felt like maybe she would after the farewell we shared.

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Hours later the private jet landed smoothly on the tarmac, but my mind wasn't calm. I couldn't shake the unease that had settled in my chest during the flight back from Russia. Something felt wrong, though I couldn't place why. I just needed to see her.