by Ariel Marie
His mate was a force to be reckoned with. His tiger was pleased that she was able to protect not only herself, but her best friend, while following the instructions that Ivan had drilled into their heads.
“Two bullets to the heart.” Ivan’s words echoed in his head.
His mate was for sure a dead shot. It made him take note to never get on her bad side while she had a gun in her presence.
He radioed in to the pilot of the chopper. “How much longer until we’re there?”
“About twenty minutes, sir,” the pilot responded.
They were on their way back to Kutsk. Now, after speaking to Ivan, he knew that it was imperative that they get to Charlee soon. If Tabakov was not able to cancel the hit, then he would have to answer to West. By the time West left the Russian pakhan’s place of business, they had an understanding. If one hair was harmed on Charlee Black’s head, Weston Rogavac would be hunting down the leader of the Ruslanovich Bratva.
“Did everyone make it from the safe house uninjured?” Luka asked quietly from his position in the helicopter.
“So far. The girls were shaken up, but otherwise fine. Ivan said that he could see that Charlee was in pain, but she hasn’t complained once,” he said, staring out the chopper’s window. His cat was pleased that their mate was such a trooper.
Mate.
He had to get used to using that term for Charlee. His cat had definitely made up his mind, and a shifter’s animal was never wrong when it came to finding their other half.
West couldn’t wait for the chopper to land. He desperately needed to get to her side so that he could see with his own eyes that she was okay. Drago sat across from him on the phone, arranging for more men to head to the area of the second safe house. There was no telling how much action was headed their way.
The sound of his cellphone ringing broke through his thoughts. He glanced down at the glass screen and saw his mother’s name come across. He paused, tempted to ignore the call, but knew that Inez Rogavac would continue to call until she got through to him.
“Hello,” he answered.
“West, thank God!” Inez exclaimed, sounding breathless. His tiger perked up at the sound of her voice. Inez Rogavac was a very distinguished woman, a high figure in the shifter community. Panic in her voice was unusual.
“Mother, what is it?” he asked, sitting up in his seat. His imagination began to run wild with the possibilities of something happening to his mother. If Tabakov reneged on their deal—
“What is going on over there? It’s made national news that Dr. Charlee Black was injured at the sanctuary, and now she and her assistant are missing!”
West settled back and blew out his breath. His mother was okay. He should have known that what was going on at the sanctuary would leak to the news. The news stations were all over the mission before they arrived there. He should have known that snatching Charlee and moving her would create a stir.
“Do you know what happened? You were there too! How could you let something like this happen to them? You know how much she means to the shifter community for all of her work for the tigers—”
“Mother, they’re okay,” he cut her off. Silence met him on the phone. “Charlee and Malena are safe.”
“Well, what in the world is going on? They’re saying that she was shot by a poacher and was recovering, then they both disappeared!”
“It wasn’t just any poacher, Mother. I moved them to keep them safe. We’re the only ones that can keep Charlee safe right now.” He turned to stare out at the clouds as the chopper broke through them.
“What are you talking about?” his mother asked.
“I had to go to the Ruslanovich Bratva. They had a hit out on Charlee,” he admitted.
West couldn’t believe his ears as his mother released a curse. Inez Rogavac was a lady, and ladies just did not use profanity. It was unladylike.
“West, for you to go to that Bratva, that means something. What is she to you? We Rogavac’s have never had to pull out the favor card. It’s been decades since that promise was made to your grandfather. Why now? Why would you go to them and request a favor?” she demanded.
Inez may be a distinguished woman in the shifter community, but she could be fierce when needed. The sound of her voice now reminded him of his childhood when he and his brother, Major, would be in a world of trouble. They loved testing their mother back then, just to get under her skin.
“Weston,” she snapped impatiently.
“She’s my mate,” he shouted. He felt the eyes of Drago and Luka on him and knew that he had just let the cat out of the bag. But he wouldn’t take it back. His mother deserved to know his reasoning behind going to the Bratva. If Tabakov didn’t hold up his part of the deal, it would bring shame to him and his family. Honor was something that the Bratva lived by.
“She’s your mate?” Her voice softened.
“Yes, ma’am,” he answered, his eyes moving to Luka. His friend nodded. No words needed to be said between them. A shifter’s mate was to be protected, and he knew that his best friend would do what was needed to help keep Charlee safe, even if it meant declaring war between tiger shifters around the world and the Ruslanovich Bratva.
“Do what you must to keep her safe. I can’t wait to finally meet my future daughter-in-law.”
“Yes, ma’am,” he assured.
He would end this, one way or another. Charlee Black would make her way safely home and stay in his arms forever.
27
Charlee paced the small sitting room of West’s cousin Grekov’s home. Midmorning and she hadn’t got an ounce of sleep since waking in the middle of the night. Time had flown by in a blur. By the time they had settled in Grekov’s home, she couldn’t sleep. Malena, on the other hand, was snoring quietly on the couch as Charlee thought of her situation.
Ivan’s deep voice could be heard in the foyer speaking to a few men who had shown up. She had no clue who they were. She had yet to even meet West’s cousin Grekov. He was not home when they arrived. Charlee was impressed with his house after the little cottage they had been holed up in before.
“You’re going to wear a path in the wood floors,” Malena announced sleepily from the couch.
“How long does it take to talk a mafia boss out of a hit?” Charlee wondered as she turned toward her friend.
“He’ll come for you,” Malena declared as she sat up on the couch. “I’m actually quite jealous of the sparks that fly between the two of you. And by the looks that he gives you, he won’t be giving you up anytime soon.”
“I’m just worried about him. Who can just walk up to the Russian Mafia and demand for a hit to be cancelled?”
“Charlee, please, stop pacing. You’re looking like a cat trapped in a cage. Please come sit next to me.” Malena patted the spot next to her.
Charlee hadn’t even realized that she had started pacing again, as she was lost in her thoughts. She made her way to Malena and sat, tucking her legs beneath her. Worry filled her chest as her mind began to wander. Why hadn’t West called her to check on her? Was something wrong? What if the Russian Mafia killed him? Why would they stop a hit because of him? He didn’t hold that much power.
Or did he?
“I just don’t like this feeling. The unknown, you know?” She turned to Malena as panic started to set in. “I killed someone last night. I’ve shot a gun plenty of times, but at animals. I killed a human. Someone’s brother, father, son—”
“And that someone was trying to kill you,” Ivan said from the doorway. He leaned against the doorjamb, his intense eyes boring into hers. “It was him or you. Believe me when I say that he had every intention of walking out of there to collect the bounty on your head. He was not going to think twice of killing you.”
“But it’s—”
He held up his hand and cut her off. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves.
“He’s right, Charlee.” Malena nodded. “He was coming to murder you. You were a payc
heck for him.”
Charlee sighed and leaned back into the plush couch. In the back of her mind, she knew that they were both right, but it still weighed heavily on her that she took a life.
“With it being daytime, we should be safe. No one would try to kill me in the daytime, would they?” she asked, turning to Ivan. She just couldn’t imagine assassins making their plans to kill someone in broad daylight.
“These are hard core killers you’re talking about. They don’t care that it’s daytime or nighttime. They’re trying to collect a bounty that has been offered for your death. Forget anything that you may have seen in the movies. These men are the real deal. They will stop at nothing to kill you,” he said, folding his arms in front of his chest.
Her small bubble of hope burst with his words as her fear escalated. She just hoped that everything would be okay with it being daylight, buying her time until West could return to her. She reached up a shaky hand and tucked her thick hair behind her ear.
“Shit,” she murmured. It was the only response that she could come up with. She turned to Malena and found that her wide eyes mirrored the fear that filled Charlee. She closed her eyes and wished that she was back home, relaxing over a long weekend before returning to teach her beloved students.
“Just relax. You can move around the house, but you can’t leave the building. There are a few more men that have been assigned to help secure the premises. We’ll be ready for anything this time.”
“West sent them?” she asked. Her heart skipped a beat with the thought that he was trying to keep her protected while he was away.
“Yes. This should all be over soon.” He nodded before walking away from the door.
“Soon we’ll be able to go home,” Malena said with a yawn. She snuggled down on the couch, pulling her blanket over her.
“How can you sleep at a time like this?” Charlee slapped at Malena’s feet that tried to burrow beneath her leg.
“My body is running on fumes.” Malena yawned again. “We’re safe now. We just have to wait for your knight in shining armor to come rescue us.”
“Fine! Go to sleep. I’m going to look around the house.” Charlee stood from the couch. She was restless and needed to do something. She left out of the sitting room and wandered down the hallway, figuring that she would explore the house. It was a beautiful home, and the owner had yet to come home.
She pushed down the fear that was consuming her with the thought that she was in a member of West’s family home. Hopefully, she would get to meet Grekov. His home was beautiful, and the character of the house spoke volumes about the owner. She made her way to the kitchen, loving the openness and the all glass windows that displayed the yard. She walked over to the window and sat on the window seat.
The property was secluded and was perfect for a tiger to roam. The biologist in her assessed the land, finding it open and with a dense forest that lined the property. She knew that this home and land were perfect for someone who had a tiger in them that needed to roam. A movement in the woods caught her attention. She paused, not knowing what it was. She leaned forward, straining to see, and then she saw it.
Gun.
She let loose a scream, just as a rain of bullets shattered the windows in front of her.
West stared out the car window as the scenery flew past. They had finally arrived to Kutsk and would soon arrive to Grekov’s home. His cousin was out of town, but had opened his home to West for the safety of his mate. His tiger was anxious to get to Charlee. It paced back and forth, needing to put his eyes on her to ensure that she was safe and unharmed from the attack.
Once the hit was officially null and void, Tabakov would contact West. Tabakov would not want to see West again if something were to happen to Charlee. West was not joking when he threatened the pakhan. His tiger would not be as forgiving as the human counterpart.
“So she’s your mate?” Luka’s voice broke through West’s thoughts. West glanced at his best friend and nodded. Just the sound of someone else referring to Charlee as his mate had his cat purring.
“She is,” West confirmed.
“Are you going to teach her our ways and make it official?” Luka asked.
“I am. I believe that her feelings run as deep for me as mine do for her. Even though it’s only been a short time, my tiger is sure.” West looked to his friends, and both of them nodded in understanding. He was confident that his tiger would never steer him wrong.
The sound of a text message notification filled the air. They all reached for their phones, but it was Drago who sat in the passenger seat next to the driver who received the message. West’s eyes flew to Drago as he cursed.
“What is it?” West asked, leaning forward as dread slowly filled his stomach. He didn’t want to hear what Drago was going to say. He knew instantly it wasn’t good.
“The house is under attack.” Drago looked up from his phone with a solemn look.
“How bad is it?” West growled as his tiger paced inside of him, demanding to be let out.
“Full fledge attack.” Drago’s voice was low as he responded.
The contract was still active.
West’s tiger slammed into his chest, not wanting to take no for an answer. Drago instructed the driver to push the car faster. They were less than ten minutes from his cousin’s home.
It was the longest ten minutes of West’s life. Every situation he could have imagined passed through his mind. He sent up a prayer that Charlee was unharmed. He couldn’t imagine anything else. Just the thought that she was laying somewhere injured had his tiger clawing to get out. They arrived at the house and took in the battle scene. Smoke was streaming out of the back of his cousin’s home.
The car came to a screeching halt at the base of the driveway. West exited the vehicle and could no longer control his animal. His tiger burst forward. He dropped to the ground as his body began the swift transformation. The sounds of his clothing shredding faded to the background as he let loose a fierce roar. His cat was pissed and demanding blood. He took off, running toward the house as the sounds of gunfire echoed throughout the air, but his focus was on finding Charlee.
A figure stepped out of the woods with an automatic rifle trained at the house. He didn’t see the large tiger storming his way until it was too late. Surprise flashed across the man’s face as West’s tiger pounced on him. The screams of the assassin were drowned out as West sunk his canines into his throat. The man’s coppery fluid filled West’s mouth as he snatched his teeth out of the throat. Gurgles filled the air, but West didn’t wait around to see if death claimed him.
The sounds of gunfire grew louder, gaining his attention. He had to find Charlee. His tiger snapped and took off toward the gunfire. He found the back of the house engulfed in flames and the yard filled with humans pouring out of the woods, their automatic weapons trained on the house. Two other tigers appeared, rounding the corner of the other side of the house.
West roared, announcing the alpha’s arrival, gaining the attention of the humans. More shifters began to appear from the woods behind the humans. The gunfire halted as the humans stood stunned. The men began to panic as they realized that they were surrounded. They quickly turned, looking for a way to escape, but there was nowhere for them to go. Tigers, wolves, and even a bear appeared from the trees.
The shifters of Kutsk had arrived. West planted his paws firmly on the ground in a defensive stance, ready to charge the humans. It would not end well for them. Some of them raised their rifles at the shifters and West braced himself. Their bullets would not slow down any of the shifters. It would just piss them off, so they had better make sure their shots counted.
“Drop your weapons!” Drago shouted from behind West.
“Fuck no! Do you see these fucking animals?” a male shouted back.
“Lower your weapons. These animals will not hurt you,” Drago warned, walking toward the humans. He walked past West with a cellphone in his hand. “We know who you’re after and the
contract is now null and void. Cancelled. Walk away now and you will not be harmed.”
West growled, knowing that he would not have promised that. His eyes roamed around the property, and each shifter was ready to attack. He was sure that they all had heard that these men were here to kill an innocent human.
His human.
They didn’t deserve to live. They all deserved to die for even stepping foot on the property and trying to get to Charlee.
28
Charlee sat in the corner of the small panic room in Grekov’s home. She brought her knees up to her chest. Once the bullets had went flying, she had run back into the main part of the house. Even though they had only been in the house for a few hours, Ivan had drilled the escape plan into their heads for there as well.
“If shit jumps off, you’re to run into the safe room and not open the door for anyone,” were his exact instructions.
“Why would a person need a panic room?” Malena asked as she sat in the chair in front of the television monitors.
“I have no idea, but I’m glad that he does,” she murmured, laying her head on her knees. Her arm didn’t even bother her anymore. She must have been running on pure adrenaline.
Charlee was shook up. Again, someone had tried to kill her. This time, she saw the bullets coming. There was no doubt that they were trying to kill her. She was absolutely terrified. She wrapped her arms around her knees and drew them in tighter to her chest.
“These monitors aren’t showing me what’s going on outside of the house. All the video feeds are coming from inside the house,” Malena disclosed with a heavy sigh.
The panic room was hidden behind a fake wall in Grekov’s office. Once the heavy steel doors slammed shut behind them, they were sealed into the one hundred square foot room. It was outfitted with television monitors, a large cot, and a fridge stocked with food and water that would last them for a few days. It would take a tank to get through the steel walls and door of the room.
