Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 144908 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 725(@200wpm)___ 580(@250wpm)___ 483(@300wpm)
Master had been half expecting the answer. No doubt Helena had seduced the warden to get access to the prison, but it was the deputy warden who held the power she was looking for. He had the information on the prisoners, and he would be able to house her assassins. Let them slip in and out when needed. He would handpick others for her.
“Anton Elin is the deputy warden.”
Master raised his eyebrow. Elin was a common last name in Russia. The origins of the meaning were rooted in English, but there was a biblical origin as well—Helen. He remembered Anton Elin. He had never spoken with the man, but he’d seen him speaking to a few of the other prisoners. He’d talked to Reese on more than one occasion.
“The names of the assassination squad housed in Crawley.”
Karlin swore in his native language. Master recognized the signs. He wasn’t going to give much more information. This was about all he would get out of him.
“A five-man team. They rule the prison. Everyone’s afraid of them, and they should be. Two brothers, Filip and Mark Gusev, Nil Gorkey, Stas Krupin and Timothy Garin. They’re always together in the yard.”
When he’d been in Crawley, Master had seen the men. There were always the ones that everyone had to stay away from or in some way bow down to. Master hadn’t been in Crawley to make trouble. He was there to bring justice to Lance Picard. He’d avoided the rulers of the prison, always staying a distance from them and keeping a low profile so he remained off their radar.
Master nodded to Karlin, but he really was giving Maestro the go-ahead to kill the man. There was nothing more to get out of him, and pushing him would only make him clam up. Master didn’t want him to see it coming. He’d given them the information, and Master was a man of his word. He didn’t want Karlin to see death coming or to feel it.
He went to the bedroom and opened the door to confront Stoddard. “Got word from the others. Your wife is alive, but she’s in bad shape. She’s being airlifted to the hospital in San Francisco. I’m texting you the details so you can get there fast. We’ll clean up here. When they ask you questions, you don’t know about us, understand? You talk about us, really bad things can happen to you.”
Stoddard nodded. “I get it. Thanks for everything.”
“She’s in bad shape, and if she survives, she’s going to need understanding, counseling and a lot of patience and care.” He felt like an idiot standing in the doorway in his colors and motorcycle boots dictating to the man.
Stoddard nodded again, this time with tears in his eyes. “She’s everything. I’ve got to get to her.”
“Then go.”
SEVENTEEN
Ambrielle rarely found anyone to be intimidating. She hadn’t been raised that way. Her parents had brought her up to believe she was equal to anyone. She had plenty of self-confidence, and right at that moment, the only person who mattered to her was her husband. Still, for all that, as many times and in as many situations as she’d seen Czar, she’d never felt more power radiating off a person than she did from him right at that moment. His energy filled the room until it was a tangible thing, shimmering in the air and making the walls bulge with it.
“Breathe, princess.” Master wrapped his arm protectively around her and drew her body closer to his. “There’s no need to be nervous.”
Did she look nervous? She was. She was about to take on the fight of her life, and she knew it. Master, as always, was going to sacrifice himself. She knew he was. She could feel it. She wondered how this powerful man commanding the room and everyone in it didn’t realize that Master would never come back whole and sane if he did what Czar expected him to do. He would never be the same wonderful, amazing man that was her husband.
“I’m fascinated by him,” she admitted softly and inched even closer to Master, inhaling his fresh, woodsy scent.
They sat in a little love seat together in Czar and Blythe’s great room along with most of Torpedo Ink, Reese and Tyra. Sandree, Reese’s little girl, was being taken care of by Darby and her sisters in another room.
“Reese.” Czar’s voice was pitched very low, but it was compelling. “We know this has nothing whatsoever to do with your family. It never did. You refused to throw the fights when you were told to. Helena manufactured a way to get you put in prison. She may have used your family to do it, but she was behind it. She uses sex to bind men to her and make them loyal to her. That was what she was trained to do. It’s what she’s very, very good at.”