by Bella King
Still, my feet carry me even as my lungs scream at me, and my heart beats faster than I ever thought possible. I must keep going, or I risk getting caught again. Freedom is so close that I can taste the sweetness of it on the tip of my tongue. It’s like a carrot dangling in front of me, urging me to take just one more step forward, endlessly.
I veer off the road, keeping a steady pace even as my lungs begin to wheeze and beg me to slow down. My legs feel like limp noodles, like I’m trying to run in a dream, but I press forward. The voices behind me are starting to fade out, and I can no longer hear the words they’re saying. I’m getting away.
I don’t know how long I have to run to get to safety, but my body aches already. I’m not going to be able to keep this up for much longer. My tank is all out of gas, running only on a sputtering of weak fumes. I didn’t even sleep last night, nor did I eat breakfast this morning. I’m drained.
As my footsteps begin to slow, the sound of gunshots speeds them up again. It’s funny how the threat of death will give you energy when you think you have nothing left in you.
I look back over my shoulder, fully expecting to see William out with a rifle taking shots at me, but it’s not William who is shooting. Rurik, along with a whole army of men leaning out of armored vehicles, is barreling down the streets, firing a wall of ammunition at the enemy.
I never thought I would be so happy to see Rurik again.
Chapter Twenty-Two
I stop running. In truth, I’m unable to keep doing even if I wanted to. My body has nothing left to give.
I collapse onto the dusty earth, feeling the sting of the dirt in my wounds as I tremble on all fours, my arms struggling to keep me up. I let myself roll over onto the ground, accepting my fate as Rurik drives up in his car.
I lay, looking up at the light-blue sky, and thinking how beautiful it is amidst all this terror. It reminds me of Rurik’s eyes. I find comfort in that as the ground around my body vibrates. A car pulls up beside me, and two heavy footsteps fall into the ground beside me.
“Violet,” Rurik barks, grabbing my arm and yanking me back to my senses.
I’m on my feet in an instant, but I want to fall back to the ground. Instead, I let myself fall forward, planting my face in Rurik’s muscular chest. He’s warm and smells of fresh sweat and cologne. The scent alone is enough to bring me back to life.
“Are you okay?” Rurik asks, grabbing my shoulders and pulling me off him. He looks at my face, his own etched with concern.
I have to catch my breath for a minute because I’m unable to speak. I nod my head, letting him know that I’m fine, but I lean against him like I’m dying.
“Jesus, Violet. Why the fuck did you run away like that?”
“I didn’t know,” I say, my voice wheezing.
Rurik shakes his head and pulls me into the car. “We have to go,” he says gruffly, using firm force to get me into the vehicle. Without it, I would have collapsed outside the car again.
“You’re in a lot of trouble,” he growls once we’re inside, and the car starts to move. “You put the whole team at risk pulling this little stunt. How the hell did you get them to come to the house?”
I look at him. I still feel weak, like an overboiled vegetable, but I’m not as bad as I was a moment ago. The coolness of the car seems to have helped me recover. “I didn’t get them to come. They came on their own. Your guard,” I say, shaking my head. “William. He told me that my father was still alive.”
“Are you insane?” Rurik asks, throwing his hands up. “I watched the man die with my own two eyes. He’s dead, Violet, and we’re all going to be fucked if you die too.”
“Why?” I ask, squinting at him. I know that there is more he’s not telling me. William wanted me alive as well, but he didn’t say why. Something is going on, and this time, I’m going to find out what it is.
Rurik sighs and looks away. “I didn’t want to have to do any of this, but I’ve been given no other choice.”
“Do what?” I ask, grabbing his arm and squeezing it. “Tell me, Rurik.”
Rurik places a hand into the inner pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a gold chain with a little circle pendant on the end. It’s my necklace, but that’s impossible. William stole it right off my neck. How did Rurik get it back?
“This is one half of the code,” he says, dangling the necklace in front of me and turning his head back to look me in the eyes. “You,” he says, his face growing serious, “Are the second half.”
“What do you mean, me? And what’s the code for?” I ask, recoiling at his statement.
“Your father wasn’t an idiot. He didn’t leave anything out where people could find it. Do you remember when I talked about your father’s connections?”
“With the government,” I say, nodding slowly.
“Right,” Rurik says, growing visibly excited. “I believe his connections run deep, and I don’t believe that he didn’t keep records. Just because I didn’t find them, doesn’t mean they don’t exist. Clearly, they also believe the same thing, and that’s what they’re after.”
“But who are they?”
“They? Theta-Y,” Rurik says, as though I’m supposed to know what the means. I have no clue, and he can see that. “Okay,” he says, leaning in. “So, Theta-Y is a terrorist organization responsible for more tragic events in the United States than you could imagine. Think, the biggest tragedy you know, then multiply that by a hundred. They’re responsible for half the shit that goes wrong in this country.”
“Why haven’t I heard about them?” I ask, totally confused.
“The government knows, the mafia knows, but the people never know. They think it’s some lone psycho or some postal worker who’s had enough, and the government lets them believe that. It’s less disturbing for the populace that way.”
Rurik pauses, studying my face to see if I understand, then continues. “The only reason the mafia had beef with Theta-Y is that they wanted information from your father. Mr. Sommer had dirt on just about every greasy politician in the country. That’s valuable stuff.”
“So, they killed him?” I ask, my voice trembling at having to relive his death once again. “That makes no sense.”
Rurik places his hand on my knee. “They killed him to turn the mafia on its head. They wanted chaos. They wanted the whole place to burn so that they could walk right into the ashes and take the information they wanted. I didn’t let that happen. I made sure that we continued to protect you and the information that Mr. Sommer wanted hidden.”
Rurik still hasn’t told me what this whole code is about. The necklace is still clutched in his hand.
I reach for it. “Give me that back,” I say.
“No,” Rurik says, jerking his arm back so hard that his elbow nearly goes through the window. “We need this.”
“How did you get it? William took it off my neck.”
A smile flickers on Rurik’s face. “You’re a heavy sleeper, sweetheart. I had a copy made and swapped it. I’m assuming William was searching for the code.”
I nod, but I’m also horrified that Rurik would do such a thing. He tricked me. He may not have been lying about my father or the mafia, but he was still playing games with me. For all I know, he’s playing games right now.
“How do I know that I can trust you after all of this?” I ask, almost begging him to give me a reason. Truthfully, I want to trust him, but he’s spoken in riddles and stolen something deeply valuable to me. I don’t know if I ever could trust Rurik.
He smiles, a glint of his devious nature moving through his eyes again. “You don’t have a choice, Violet. We’re going to open your father’s vault and destroy everything inside.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“I don’t get how I’m the other half of the code. You have to explain that to me,” I say as Rurik and I exit the armored vehicle and switch to something more discreet – an ocean blue sedan that’s only a few years younger than I am.
The
heavily armored guards don’t come with us. It’s just Rurik and me now, alone together again. He leans back in the driver’s seat once we’re shut into the car. “Has anyone told you that you have lovely eyes?”
I shrug. “Flattery won’t get you away from my question.”
“The truth isn’t flattery,” Rurik insists, “But that wasn’t my intention. Your eyes are important, Violet. They’re the other half of the entry code into the vault.”
“Like an eye scanner?” I ask.
“Correct,” Rurik replies, shifting the car into drive. “We need the code that’s inside of your necklace, and your eyes, alive and well, in order to get in.” Rurik pauses. “That’s what I was told, anyway. Your father was purposely vague about the location of all this, though. I didn’t know where the vault was until you arrived at the house.”
“How did you find it?” I ask, cocking my head and looking at him as we drive further from civilization.
Rurik laughs. “It’s on the chain of your necklace. I counted the links. There are exactly a hundred and eight. That’s a significant number in Buddhism, by the way, and there’s only one Buddhist temple close to the original base of operations for the Sommer Mafia.”
“And you’re sure it’s there?”
“I’m sure that whatever is there will help us find it. Even if it’s not there specifically, there may be another hint. I’m just hoping your father didn’t leave some kind of wacky puzzle for us to solve,” Rurik says, shaking his head.
I laugh. “I always enjoyed puzzles,” I reply.
Rurik looks at me with a worried glance. “In that case, I’m certain he’s left one for us. You’re the key to all of this.”
“I’m up for the challenge, but only if we actually destroy what’s inside that vault,” I say, straightening my back. “I’m sure that my father wouldn’t have wanted Theta-Y to get their hands on all that information.”
Rurik nods. “It was made so that you could access it, which I’m assuming means there is stuff in there that will benefit you as well.”
“Like what?”
“Probably money. Perhaps an explanation as well. I doubt your father would have left you with nothing after his death. That vault was where he kept everything important, and you are very important to him,” Rurik explains.
“Am I important to you as well?” I ask, pulling out all stops. I want to know that Rurik is being honest with me now and that he’s on my side. No more games, and no more lies. I can’t take any more of that.
Rurik glances at me. “What do you mean?”
“Am I important to you?” I ask, raising my voice.
“Of course. Without you, we can’t get into the vault,” he answers lamely.
“That’s not what I’m talking about,” I say. “You weren’t honest with me when you should have been. Was anything real?”
“I should be asking you the same thing, Violet. You ran off after last night, as though you set me up.” He pauses, his face turning to a frown. “Did you set me up?” He looks at me.
I shrink back in my seat. “I did what I had to,” I say quietly.
“You could say the same for me,” he replies.
“But that didn’t mean it wasn’t real,” I add.
“I never said it wasn’t,” Rurik replies. “You’re a special woman, and not just for your eyes. I’ve known you for longer than you’ve known me. I’ve protected you for your entire adult life. It’s hard not to get a little attached. It was strange talking to you for the first time when I had to take you away, but after that, I knew that you were special.”
I realize that Rurik has had every opportunity to fall for me before I even had the chance to meet him. It’s crazy to think about it, but he’s been caring for me from a distance for years. That certainly has more value than the sex we had, even if both were genuine.
“I want to know you better,” I say finally, breaking the silence that has filled the car like smoke.
Rurik’s large hands lightly wring the steering wheel. “I’d like us to have more time together after all of this is over. I can’t leave the mafia, though. It’s my life, and Theta-Y is still a significant threat to our operations.”
“I could date a mafia boss,” I muse, placing my finger on my lips thoughtfully.
Rurik chuckles. “You could also lose your life that way.”
“Won’t you protect me?” I ask.
“Always,” he answers definitively.
I can’t argue with that answer. It’s exactly what I wanted to hear, and I can feel the honesty in his voice. He’s kept me safe even when he didn’t have to, and that’s valuable to me. There’s just one more thing that I need from him in order to trust him.
“Rurik,” I say, leaning toward him in my seat.
“Yes?”
“Will you give me my necklace back?”
“Once we get into the vault, sure,” he answers.
“No,” I say. “I want it back now. I want you to trust me.”
I’m met with a heavy breath through his nose in amusement. “Trust you?” he asks. “That’s a good way to end up with nothing.”
“I beg to differ,” I argue. “If you don’t trust me, then we can’t do this. You need me just as much as I need you.”
“So, you want this?” Rurik asks, keeping one hand on the wheel as he pulls my necklace from his suit pocket again.
“Yes,” I say, staring at the glittering gold necklace clenched in his powerful fist.
“What can I expect from you in return?”
“My trust. We’re going in on this equally. No more games,” I say.
“You’re going to have to listen to every word I say,” Rurik says. “If I say to jump, you ask how high.”
“Classic,” I say with a smile.
“I’m not joking,” he snaps.
My face grows serious. “Neither am I.”
“Then promise me you’ll listen to my every word, and I’ll let you have your necklace back,” he says.
“I promise,” I reply.
“You promise what?”
“I promise that I will listen to you,” I say.
“You promise that you’ll obey me,” he states.
I nod. His words stir an inappropriate excitement in my stomach again, similar to how I felt last night. Putting the power back in his hands is a scary yet thrilling way to go about things. However, I know that he’s better suited to call the shots in this situation.
Rurik hands the necklace to me. “Don’t lose it.”
I take it from his hands and place it back around my neck, tucking the pendant into my shirt. “Do you think I’m an idiot?”
“You lost it once before, need I remind you?”
He has a point, but I still don’t like it. I cross my arms and shake my head at him as we roll down the road. I look out the window and see that we’re approaching a large stone structure tucked away near the corner of the road. There aren’t any people here, but this isn’t a natural occurrence like the other large rocks along the California highway. The structure is manmade.
As we get closer, I realize that I’m looking at a statue of the Buddha from behind. It’s not the fat laughing one that circulates American culture, but the traditional Indian one in a state of meditation.
“Are we allowed to be here?” I ask, looking at the window as Rurik makes a turn down the road where the statue is situated.
“We’re on good terms with these people,” Rurik promises. “The mafia isn’t all bad. It’s a business, first and foremost. The people who run the temple have been protected by us in the past. Your father was a fan of them. They’re good people.”
“He used to meditate a lot,” I note.
“I believe he was a casual practitioner, but don’t quote me on that.”
I’ll chalk that under more things that I never knew about my father. Part of me wishes that I had known more of the truth, but I’m not sure it would have been for the best. My father was wise enough to keep me aw
ay from all of this.
“I’m going to talk to one of the monks when we get there. He’ll probably be interested in meeting you as well, so be polite,” Rurik says as we come up to another stone structure. This one is a building beside a smaller road.
I roll my eyes. “I’m always polite, Rurik. It’s you who needs to work on your manners.”
He smiles. “I’m only rude to people I like.”
I smile with him and shake my head. “You’re really something.”
“I know,” Rurik says. “Just stay in line, and everything should be okay.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The smooth tires of the old ocean blue sedan crackle against the dirt parking lot as we pull up outside the Buddhist temple. My heart is beating fast, and my palms are starting to sweat at the thought of being so close to the vault.
Rurik turns off the car and opens his door as a bald man dressed in an orange robe walks out of the temple, his hands clasped together in front of him and a pleasantly blank expression on his face. This must be one of the monks.
The monk smiles when he sees Rurik. I assume they know each other. I climb out of the car to join them, pressing my necklace against my collarbone as though it might fall off my neck as I exit.
“Fine day, isn’t it?” Rurik says cheerfully to the monk.
“A day as good as any,” the monk replies.
I’m surprised by Rurik’s cheerful state. He seems to be a lot happier now that he’s here. Maybe he just doesn’t want to raise alarm with the monk, who clearly doesn’t know that Theta-Y is in town. I wonder if the monk even knows what Theta-Y is.
“I’ve brought Violet,” Rurik says, motioning to me as I walk up to the monk.
The monk’s eyes widen. “Violet?”
I nod. “That’s me,” I say, giving him a nervous smile.
