Page 78 of Regal Queen

"Come out," Bourbon commanded them, “throw away your weapons and put your hands out so Dimitri can see you."

Bourbon's men hesitantly stepped out of their hiding places and made a show of getting rid of their guns.

When they were done and Dimitri had herdeed them into a group, away from their weapons, he jerked his head at me again. "Now. Very slowly, you will come with me."

"Where are we going?"

"Count your steps,” Dimitri said, ignoring my question. "Count them out loud, every step you take to me. Then you, the Kings and I will get back on the plane. And you will take me to your sister."

I began to follow his orders, doing my best to focus exactly on him and what he'd instructed me to do, and not at anything else going on in the background. I knew that from where Dimitri was standing, that Bourbon was in the direct line of Dante’s shot. There was only one in a million chance he could hit Dimitri and not hurt Bourbon, a chance I wasn’t willing to take.

It took me twenty steps to get to him, and all the while he had the gun at Bourbon's neck, holding him tight.

Bourbon watched me with an intense focus, never flinching or looking afraid, giving me courage.

I had to give it to him. I was about to pee my pants. I had no idea how he could be so calm.

I was going to have to have him train me on his mental tactics, if we got out of here alive.

When I was close enough, I shifted my focus back to Dimitri. "Tell me. why me? Why Aster?"

This was the truth I really needed to know.

Once we killed him, was anyone else going after Aster?

Why was he so desperate to have us, kill us?

There had to be a reason.

"That's none of your business. Just keep coming to me, or your man is dead."

I shook my head, taking two more steps towards him. 'You're not going to kill Bourbon. He has too much information you could use to take down Nero."

“Who says I want to take down Nero? He will only make me more money."

"Unless you take over his empire, then you won't have to split the profits with him."

"I don't want the work," he sneered. "Working with the Kings is just like having cheap labor."

"Then why haven't you given him the ozone yet? You're keeping it from him for a reason."

I was standing face to face with him now, my heart pounding, my blood racing. Now was when everything could go wrong.

Both Bourbon and I were so close to him, it would be so easy for Dimitri to kill us both and then use Coulter for information.

"Tell me, Dimitri. Tell me why you want Aster so badly."

He scoffed, then shifted the gun so it was pointing at me. Bourbon jerked in response and the gun was back at his neck.

"Get on the plane, Rose."

I shook my head. "Tell me first and I’ll go willingly. Why do you care so much about Aster?”

"Net. You get on the plane, then I'll consider telling you before I cut your heart from your chest."

We stared each other down in a true Russian standstill. There would be no negotiation between us.

I decided I'd had enough. I tapped my hip with my fingers, giving the signal.