Dark Chase (The Gunrunner Series) (17 page)

Sophia pushed her hair over her shoulder. Heart thumping. The woman was baiting her.

Kana stepped away, sinking down into a small bench across the line of sinks. “I loved him once, too.” She bit her lip, staring down at her feet. “I thought he loved me, but he didn’t. He never really did.”

Sophia wanted to run. She wanted to call for the bodyguards. She wanted to leave this place. But she didn’t. Her feet were glued to the floor, her eyes resting on the beautiful enigma of a woman in front of her. A ghost from Dmitri’s past she had no interest in revisiting.

“Save his life?” Sophia prompted, accepting the bait.

“Yes.” Kana straightened. “I am telling you this because I still care for him. I tried to tell my stupid half-brother but he won’t even give me an audience either.”

Sophia glanced at the still-closed bathroom door. “Tell him what? What are you talking about?”

“You have a traitor in your midst. One who is trying to take over Hitoshi’s enterprise. One who is planning to overthrow him. One who is planning to do the same to Dmitri. One who seeks to kill him.”

Sophia’s heart lurched in her chest. Ice filled her veins. As dramatic and silly as this woman was, her instincts were that she was telling the truth. Years of interviewing thousands of people for jobs at Red Bluff had taught her something. She could read people. She could tell when they were being honest. And Kana was being honest.

“Who?” Sophia hissed. She plopped on the bench beside Kana. “What are you talking about?”

“Naomi,” Kana said. She grabbed Sophia’s hand. “She is deadly. She is seductive. She is highly intelligent. She is manipulative beyond all measure. She has paired with the S-Triangle and God knows who else. Do you know who they are?”

Sophia nodded in horror. The S-Triangle was the Asian cartel that Dmitri was supposed to be protecting Naomi from.

“Yes. She is planning to overtake her father’s regime.” She brought her hands to her face. “He is sick. Dying. And she is plotting all of this.” She thrust her hands back down. “She came here to kill Dmitri. She is using his brother. This is all a set up.”

“What the—” Sophia shouted.

Tatiana burst into the bathroom. “What the fuck is going on in here?”

“Guards!” Sophia shouted. “I need the guards.”

“What is it?” Tatiana rushed to Sophia’s side. “Who is this bitch?” She raked her eyes over Kana. “Do I need to kick her ass?”

“No! Don’t touch her,” Sophia shouted. “There’s no time to explain.”

Tatiana stared at her for a second longer and then ran out the door, hopefully to get the bodyguards.

“Why didn’t you say something sooner?” Sophia shouted. “Why didn’t you tell one of the men that answered the phone? Or Gram? Or send a fucking letter?”

“I didn’t know who to trust… I didn’t…” Kana stared at her hands.

“Is this a game to you? To meet me? To taunt me?” Sophia raged at her. She wanted to hit her. To punch her. But she’d warned Sophia. Conflict tore her apart.

She didn’t have time to worry about Kana right now, or why she did the things she did. All that mattered was him.

She clawed through her purse, desperately searching for her phone. Dmitri was at the house. With Naomi. The killer.
Fuck.
She pulled it out with shaky fingers and punched in the numbers to his most recent burner phone.

It rang and rang. No answer. No click. Nothing.

No.

Zeek and Dan rushed in. She ran to them. “Dmitri and Gram are in danger. Naomi’s behind it all. It’s Naomi.”

They looked at each other in confusion then back at her. She pounded on Zeek’s chest. He grabbed her wrists, shocked out of whatever catatonic state he was in. “Did you fucking hear me? Naomi is going to kill Dmitri and Gram. Do you understand? Do something!”

His eyes slid back to Kana, and then he pulled out his phone. “We’re leaving.” He pulled her roughly out of the restaurant, with his other hand dialing numbers on his phone. “I will deal with you later,” he barked at Kana.

Tatiana followed them closely. “Where the fuck are you taking her?” Tatiana screamed, chasing them out of the restaurant.

Several patrons stood, tossing each other confused looks as they ran through the restaurant.

He said nothing, just pulled her into the shiny black car parked down the street. “Fuck!” he yelled. “Gram’s not answering. Neither is Dmitri.” He opened the passenger door for her and then slid into the driver’s seat. “Something is wrong.”

“Oh, my God!” Sophia screamed. Tatiana beat the passenger window. Sophia rolled it down, tears falling down. “I have to get to Dmitri. He’s in trouble.”

“Let me come!” Tatiana pleaded. Her eyes flicked to the second bodyguard as he got in the car. “Please. You can’t do this alone.”

“It’s not safe. I’ll call you!” She slammed her hand down on the dashboard. “Go!” she said to Zeek.

“Damn it, Sophia!” Tatiana screamed as they drove away.

Chapter 21

Sophia pulled out her phone as they sped through the dark city, calling Dmitri again. It rang and rang. Tears filled her eyes and a coldness filled her chest. What if she’d gotten to him? He was strong. He was capable of protecting himself. She had to remember that.

Dan was dialing his phone in the backseat, too. He slammed it down. “I can’t get anyone over there.”

“Not anyone else. Not any of the men there?”

He shook his head. “There were only two other men with them,” he said.

“Fuck, fuck, fuck!” Sophia leaned against the glass watching the city fly by.

“I’ll call for back up.” Dan barked commands into his cell phone as they sped through the city.

Sophia’s stomach dipped and churned. She stared at her phone, willing for it to ring.
Please, Dmitri.
That cunning bitch. She’d known Sophia was leaving. She’d known she was taking men with her as guards. Oh, the fucking irony.

Sophia didn’t need the guards. Dmitri did. Gram did.

She’d masterfully portrayed a shell-shocked damsel in distress. They’d all bought it, damn it. She’d probably been collecting intel and passing it along. She’d been behind it all. That’s why the assassins knew when to attack them at the hotel.

She called again, the phone ringing over and over. Still no answer.

Desperation carved a hole in her stomach. She couldn’t think about anything but Dmitri.
Please let him be okay.

They approached the front of the dark estate with lights and engine off, coasting to a stop. It was now after midnight. The dark was oppressive. It was too still. Too quiet.

She jumped out of the car and bolted towards the front doors. A faint whiz buzzed by her ear.

“Get down!” Zeek shouted.

She did, army crawling across the loose gravel. More rocks exploded around her. Someone was shooting at her.

Zeek crouched between the car doors. “Go. I’ll cover you.”

He unleashed a round of bullets in the direction the shots were coming from. Sophia didn’t think. She didn’t have to time to. She just ran. Ran like mad until she was inside the house.

It was dark. Not a single light was on. She paused in the entry way. A faint, male groan reached her ears.

She ran toward it and stumbled over something warm and soft in kitchen. She flicked on the light. Gram was lying on the floor, clutching his stomach, his skin a sickly green. Sweat coated his body, soaking through his clothes.

“Gram!” she shrieked.

She crouched next to him, patting his cheek. “Can you hear me? Gram?” She pushed her fingers into his neck, relieved to feel a steady, weak pulse.

“Naomi, she—” he whispered, licking his lips.

“Shhhh… Just rest. I know. Let me get help,” Sophia said. Her heart raced.

“No,” he mumbled. “No time. Get Dmitri. He is asleep. She went up there after him.” He clutched his stomach and moaned. “My gun. In my boot. Go.”

“Oh, God.” Sophia pressed her hand to his forehead, tears running down her face. “What did she do to you?”

“Go,” he said. “Save him.”

She reached into his boot, extracted the small holster, and removed the gun. It was a subcompact semi-auto. She knew how to use it, thank God.

“I’ll come back for you.” Their eyes met, and she saw anguish in his; it was so bad it made her want to crawl into a dark cave. He knew he might not have enough time. He was making the choice for her. He’d been betrayed by the woman he loved. It would be the worst way to die.

But she had to leave his side, so she did.

She held the gun with both hands in front of her, leading with it when she walked. She made her way out of the kitchen and towards the main entry of the home. She swung it left and right in the cavernous open space of the entry before she stepped out into the open. Gunfire still echoed outside, which meant Zeek and Dan were occupied.

She kicked off her shoes and then climbed the staircase, careful to make sure her steps didn’t make a sound. Her heart raged in her chest, her head pounding with every beat. She had to save him. Somehow, she had to save him.

She made it to the third floor. She looked left and right, not seeing anything in the unlit hallways. She crept down the hall towards the private sanctum that she and Dmitri had shared.

When she got closer, she could see the door was open.

Oh, fuck.
She sprinted towards it, all thoughts of being quiet gone.

She ran into the room and screeched to a halt.

A petite figure was crouching over a sleeping Dmitri, a gun aimed squarely at his head. She swung it towards Sophia as she stumbled loudly into the room.

Sophia didn’t hesitate. She pulled the trigger.

The boom filled the room with light and sound and then all was quiet. The faint smell of gunpowder reached her nose.

Dmitri sat up in bed. “What the fuck?” he roared.

Sophia turned on the light. Her aim was horrible, but at least she’d hit Naomi. She was on her knees, clutching her shoulder, silent in her pain. The gun she had just pointed at Dmitri had fallen from her grasp.

Dmitri eyes swung from Sophia’s smoking gun then over to Naomi. Understanding filled his face. He pounced out of bed and swiped the gun away from Naomi.

Rage filled his eyes. He pistol-whipped Naomi’s head with the gun, sending her flying back with a loud thwack.

She screamed and writhed on the floor. Dmitri stood over her, pointing the gun she’d almost used to kill him back at her. “What the fuck are you doing? Who sent you here?”

He glanced at Sophia.

“No one sent her. She sent herself. She’s been the driving force behind all this,” Sophia said in a strong, clear voice.

“Is this true?” Dmitri said.

“No!” Naomi clutched her head. “I was set up for this. My father made me do this. He said he would kill me if I didn’t. You have to help me!”

“That’s not true,” Sophia said. “She’s working with the S-Triangle and others. She’s plotting her own father’s demise. And yours.”

“No!” Naomi said. She wrapped her hands around herself, tears flowing down her blood soaked, pretty face. “He made me. I didn’t do those things. I’m trying to save Gram.”

“You used Gram,” Dmitri said.

“She poisoned him. He’s dying right now.” Sophia moved into the room, closer to Dmitri. “He needs help.”

“You poisoned my brother?” His voice was quiet, but his veins popped from his neck and forehead. Sophia almost cowered from his seething rage.

“Please. You have to believe me. I was supposed to kill him, but I only sedated him. I couldn’t bear to hurt him. You have to believe me. I love Gram. I love Gram more than anything in the world.”

Sophia saw the conflict on Dmitri’s face. He lowered his gun slightly. He glanced at Sophia.

Sophia was mad. Angry. Rage made her blind. Her body moved on its own fruition. She stalked over to Naomi, grabbed a handful of her hair, and pulled it back. “Tell the fucking truth, or so help me God, I will blow your fucking brains out.”

Naomi’s lip trembled, eyes widened. “Okay, okay.”

Sophia let go of her hair.

“Yes. I funded the attacks against your interests. I’ve been siphoning funds from Dad for years. I’ve made alliances with our enemies. Dad’s weak. Fumbling. I had to take over or it all would have fallen apart.” Her eyes flicked to Dmitri. “I really did care for Gram. I love him. I do. More than anything.”

Sophia saw the lie in her eyes, saw it bloom on her lips. The woman had tried to kill Dmitri, had probably killed Gram.

She pulled the trigger.

Chapter 22

In a split second, she became a killer. She hadn’t decided to be a killer. She didn’t even know she had it in her. It was a simple act, the most simple in the world. A little squeeze of the trigger finger and a woman was dead.

Naomi was no more, just a piece of bloody flesh lying on the floor.

She was gone. There would be no inquisition. No jury. No judge. No sentence. Just death.

Dmitri covered her trembling hands with his, guiding her to lower the firearm. She’d still had it pointed at the lifeless body. “My love,” he whispered. “I would have done that for you.”

She put the gun down on the floor and then slid into his arms. He enveloped her. “I’m just glad you’re okay, Dmitri.”

He leaned back, looking in her eyes. “You saved my life. You…did that. For me.” He grabbed her hand, pressing it against his bare chest. “My love. I will never forget.” His eyes bore into hers with an intensity that she’d never seen before. Her skin burned against him, his outpouring of raw emotion filling her up like a balloon. The intensity ratcheted up between them. Whatever was flowing between them was more than love. It was something else entirely. Something transcendent. A bond that could never be broken.

Two loud knocks on the door proceeded Zeek's entry. His eyes took in their embrace and the body on the floor.

She tore her gaze away from Dmitri. She didn’t want the connection to end, whatever it was.

Zeek cleared his throat and then spoke, “We took out her men. She had ten out in the woods. Back up is here. Gram is being transported to a hospital.”

Dmitri was still watching Sophia. “Thank you for the update.”

Zeek glanced at Naomi’s body. “I’ll take care of that.” He looked at them and then left the room, closing the door behind him.