Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 120165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
The man on the doorstep was craggy and good looking, in an older man sort of way, his hair streaked with silver. He was dressed in a black suit and tie, and he presented a bakery carton to me with a flourish. “Courtesy of Mr Gulyev’s girlfriend,” he told me with a smile. “I am Grigory, Mr. Gulyev’s head of security.” I could hear the pride in his voice as he said the last part. Behind him, car after car was pulling up, filling the driveway.
Radimir and the others crowded into the doorway around me. “How did…” asked Gennadiy, looking at his watch. “How did you get here so fast? It’s impossible!”
“We didn’t drive,” Grigory told him. “Mr. Gulyev was concerned about your situation, so he had us use his private jet.” He smiled and glanced over his shoulder. “And he sent a few extra men, just to be sure...”
We all stared. Men were climbing from the cars, all carrying stubby sub-machine guns. But there weren’t thirty, like we’d asked for. There were closer to—
“Sixty-three,” Grigory deadpanned. “It was a little crowded, on board.”
It was a long night. We had to coordinate Konstantin’s men and our men and push back Spartak while also defending the territory we still held. It was slow work, but numbers were on our side, now, and Spartak was caught off guard: he’d thought we were finished. By morning, we’d taken back what was ours and actually started taking over Spartak’s territory. Exhausted and running on nothing but coffee, we started to give each other cautious, hopeful glances. Finally, Valentin said what we’d all been thinking. “We might actually win this. If things keep going our way…”
Gennadiy rubbed his cheek, a full night of stubble rasping. “Even if we win, I don’t know if we’ll ever get back the power we had. Not as long as we’re cut off from The Eight.”
“One thing at a time, brother,” Radimir told him, patting his shoulder.
“I need to go check on the store,” I told Radimir.
A quick shake of his head. “Out of the question!”
I pointed to the map. “Spartak’s never even come close to threatening that neighborhood. It’s deep, deep in our territory. The fighting’s on the other side of the city.”
He frowned and opened his mouth to argue. “Just for a few hours!” I said quickly. “Come on, Jen’s been covering for me ever since the wedding. I can’t leave her on her own anymore.”
He glared for a moment and the protective need in his eyes made me weak. Then his face softened, and he sighed. “Just a few hours,” he warned. “And I’ll come with you, to make sure it’s safe.”
When we arrived, the store was already open. The freezing rain was still hammering down but the warm light from the store’s windows was like a beacon, welcoming people inside. Walking in felt like coming home: I was never normally away from the store for more than a day at a time, and so much had happened since the wedding that it felt like I’d been gone for a month. God, I missed this place! I was buzzing, and not just from all the coffee I’d drunk to work through the night. Things were looking up: the war was going our way and the meeting with Konstantin had sparked an idea. I had a plan that maybe, just maybe, could save the bookstore.
I’d brought Jen a takeout cup of coffee and the box of pastries Hailey had sent over: it was the least I could do. As soon as I saw her, I pulled her into a hug. “Thank you,” I told her. “I don’t know what I’d have done without you.”
She hugged me back but without much strength and when I moved back, she looked pale and skittish. “You okay?” I asked.
She nodded quickly. “Just tired.”
I gave her another hug, then turned to Radimir, who was standing in the doorway. His phone bleeped with another message: the war was going our way, but he was still needed. “Go,” I told him. “Everything’s fine here, I’ll help Jen for a few hours: you know where I am if you need me.” Radimir looked uncertain. “Leave someone here to guard the place, if you’re worried,” I told him.
He grudgingly nodded but insisted on leaving four of Konstantin’s heavily-armed men in a car right outside the store. I made a mental note to take some coffee out to them. Radimir pulled me to him and kissed me. “Be careful,” he told me. His hands stubbornly gripped my shoulders, unwilling to let me go.
I nodded meekly. “You too.” I looked towards the door. “Go,” I said softly. “I’ll be fine.”
He sighed and released me. When I watched him drive away, there was an ache in my chest: it was the first time we’d been apart since we left for New York.