Page 63 of Caged
“I agree.” Melissa angles the vent to her face as I pull out of the driveway. “Sitting in the sun, it barely keeps up.”
“There’s a drink stand in the casino. Maybe you would get something icy while I talk to my brother?” It isn’t a secret anymore that Mikhail owns the building.
Another relief that I don’t have to keep that from her.
“Ooh! A smoothie!” Elena wiggles in her booster chair and rubs her hands together.
Melissa sneaks her arm across the console and rests her palm on my thigh as I drive.
I’m not sure why, but that small touch makes some jagged edge deep in my chest to soften.
“Did you want an iced latte?” She looks up at me and smiles.
“That would be perfect.”
I find a parking spot near the entrance, and I lead them up to Mikhail’s office door. “Meet me here when you’re done. I’ll try not to take too long.”
“Can I see Uncle Mikhail?” Elena jumps up and down while holding Melissa’s hand.
“Not today. We have important business to talk about.” Patting her on the head, I glance at Melissa.
She’s watching me with an expectant look on her face.
Grabbing her by the back of the neck, I attack her lips with mine, drawing her tightly against me.
When I let her go, she stumbles away breathlessly.
“I think it got hotter in here.” She fans her shirt away from her belly before leading Elena away.
Mikhail is standing near the wall, his full-length television portraying the dossier on all of our men.
“Did Enzo talk to you?” His deep voice grumbles through his mask.
I nod as I shut the door.
TWENTY-THREE
MILA
Sliding in my ear bud, I flip the app open on my phone so I can hear Nikolai.
Thank goodness it isn’t blacked out this time. The last place that we stopped, he somehow figured out how to jam the signal from his cell.
“Someone is tracking you.” Mikhail’s voice is faint.
Shit. I wonder if that last stop was meeting with their hacker. Tyler said whoever it is, they’re better than him.
I need to remember to tell Tyler that we were parked outside of Ignite. Maybe there are clues as to who it is.
“Yes. I’ll watch where I go.” Nikolai comes through nice and loud.
“The buyer is going to meet us on the corner of Oak and Second Ave. There’s a walled-in lot where we can make the exchange.”
“When? I’m looking forward to these being gone. One less thing Ivan will have on us.” Nikolai grunts, and his voice gets muffled.
I bet he’s sitting.
“Can I get strawberry?” Elena looks up at the menu board, her mouth moves as she quietly tries out each word she sees. “Oh! Does that say muffin? Can I get one of those, too?” She points at the delicious appearing picture next to the drinks.