79

Chapter 30
Aurora
Abbie and I stand and watch as Misha, Alek, and Armani take their weapons from the guards.
Watching Misha tuck the gun in the back of the waistband of his pants before covering it with his jacket is hot.
And scary.
Yes, I’ve seen him fight, and there’s been a lot of talk about the bratva and that he’s taken lives, but it didn’t actually hit home that he’s an enforcer
– a killer.
I glance at Abbie, and seeing the worry in her eyes, I ask, “Everything okay?”
“I just realized we’re leaving the safety of St. Monarch’s with three bratva and mafia soldiers. I’ll shit myself if they turn on us.” Her eyes lock on mine. “How sure are you about Misha?”
“Like life-and-death sure. He won’t hurt us,” I try to calm her down. “Yeah, but I might,” Alek chuckles before he walks out of the doors.
“Don’t listen to the fucker,” Misha says as he takes hold of my hand. He meets Abbie’s eyes. “Just stick close to me.”
“Got it,” she chuckles nervously before gluing herself to my side.
Squashed between my boyfriend and my best friend, we walk out of the castle and take the steps down to the armored SUV Misha arranged for today.
Misha opens the back door, then nods at the seat. “Get in.”
Abbie climbs in first, then me, followed by Misha. Alek takes the passenger side while Armani slides in behind the steering wheel.
“Ready?” Armani asks.
Misha places his hand on my thigh, then replies, “Yeah, let’s do this.”
As Armani steers the SUV through the massive iron gates, Abbie mutters, “If my father saw me now, he’d kill me himself.”
I let out a nervous chuckle. “That makes two of us.”
Misha squeezes my thigh, and I lean into him, looking out his window at the passing scenery.
When we reach the heart of Geneva, Armani finds a parking space close to Louis Vuitton.
Abbie’s practically bouncing with excitement as she reaches for the door handle.
“Wait,” Misha snaps. “You only get out when I give the signal.” “What’s the signal?” I ask.
“We’ll fucking wave like cheerleaders,” Alek mutters before he climbs out of the SUV.
Abbie and I watch as the guys check the area, and when Misha gestures for me to come, I open the door and get out. He immediately takes my hand, and we walk fast to the store’s entrance.
The second we’re inside, Abbie makes a beeline for the handbags. “Sweet Jesus, I’m in heaven.”
I follow her while the guys hang back, constantly on guard.
“Let’s not make a day of this,” I say to Abbie. “The guys are tense.”
“Can I have thirty minutes to enjoy in Louis?” she asks, giving me a hopeful grin.
“Thirty minutes.” While Abbie drools over the latest designs, I walk back to Misha and say, “We’ll go back to St. Monarch’s after this.”
A frown forms on his forehead. “Why?”
“I can see you’re tense. This is a huge risk, and I’m already regretting it.
I told Abbie she has thirty minutes.”
Misha takes a deep breath, then nods. “I’m good with whatever you decide.” He glances around the store, then asks, “Aren’t you getting anything?”
Grinning at him, I reply, “Of course I am.” I press a kiss to his jaw, then head straight for the perfume counter.
I stand and sniff all the bottles until I feel lightheaded, but determined to find the right one, I keep going.
I’m running out of samples when I finally find one that smells like Misha – manly and just plain badass.
I ask one of the shop attendants to get me a bottle and to have it wrapped as a gift before checking how Abbie’s doing.
“Did you find anything?” I ask when I reach her.
“Yes! Two handbags and the cutest pair of pants.” She grabs hold of my arm and drags me to the counter so she can show me her choices.
“Ooh, I like the black one,” I say as I pick it up. “Gosh, the leather is so soft.”
“Can we have another bag like this one?” Abbie asks the attendant, then she sings, “Matching bags.”
Chuckling, I turn my attention to the cashier to pay for my purchase before waiting for Abbie to wrap things up.
As we walk to the guys, Abbie asks, “Do you think they’ll mind stopping at a drive-thru? I’m dying for a burger.”
“I’m sure they won’t mind.”
When we reach Misha, Abbie asks, “Can we stop at Burger King? I’m buying for everyone.”
“Then we can definitely make a quick stop,” Armani chuckles.
Stepping out of the store and walking to the SUV, I lean into Misha and whisper, “I got you a gift.”
His eyebrows raise as he glances down at me. “A gift? For me? Why?” Giving him a playful scowl, I say, “Because I love you.”
“Down!” Alek shouts.
The store’s front window shatters, and Misha yanks me so hard onto the sidewalk my bag skids into the road. He pulls his gun from behind his back, and my body leaves the ground for a second as he shoves me behind a parked car.
Wildly I glance around me, and seeing Abbie crouching next to Armani, I feel intense relief.
Then the shock hits hard – someone just tried to kill Abbie. “We have to get out of here,” Misha shouts at the guys.
“Just stay covered,” Alek yells, then he breaks out into a sprint, and dropping to his side, he slides toward the SUV while firing his weapon.
A spray of bullets slams into the parked vehicles, making glass shatter everywhere.
People on the sidewalk scream, and it feels as if time slows down.
“Up!” Misha yanks me to my feet, and I run as fast as I can. Suddenly he jerks to a stop, and I’m tugged behind his body.
The sound of his gun firing is so loud, I cringe and cower against his back.
Armani takes shots as well, then Alek shouts, “Good one, brother.” “Move,” Misha orders.
I run to the SUV and climb into the back, holding out my hand for Abbie. The moment our fingers touch, I yank her in, and she falls over me with a gasp.
“I’ve got you,” I say as I help her sit on the seat. I wrap my arms around her and cling to my friend, shocked that someone just tried to kill her.
The men pile into the SUV, and within seconds Armani speeds out of the parking spot with screeching tires.
Misha leans over Abbie, who’s stuck between us, and grabs hold of my shoulder. “Did you get hit?”
I quickly shake my head. “I’m fine.” I pull away from Abbie and check her for wounds, letting out a sigh of relief when I don’t find any.
“Are you okay?” I ask Misha, my eyes scanning over every visible inch of him.
“Yeah, I’m good.”
“We’re fine too,” Armani says, turning the steering wheel hard to take a corner at high speed. The back of the SUV skids before we’re racing down the street again.
Only when we reach St. Monarch’s does Abbie ask, “What the hell just happened?”
“Someone tried to blow your brains out, sweetheart,” Alek mutters from the passenger seat.
Her features tighten as the shock hits again, and I quickly pull her into a hug. “You’re okay. It’s all that matters.”
When Armani stops the SUV in front of the St. Monarch’s castle, Alek shoves his door open, snapping, “Next time you want to spend your daddy’s money, think twice. You’re such an easy fucking target.”
We all get out of the SUV, and the guys have to stop to hand their weapons to the guards.
Instructor Nikolai comes walking toward us, looking like a thunderstorm waiting to happen. “What the fuck were you thinking leaving the grounds?”
My eyebrows fly up for what feels like the hundredth time today at his strong reaction.
Then my mouth drops open as he grabs hold of Abbie’s arm, checking to see if she’s okay.
Yeah, I’m fine too. Thanks for checking.
When he’s sure she hasn’t been shot, he explodes. “You know there’s a fucking hit out on your life! Are you fucking insane or just plain stupid?”
“Excuse me?” Abbie gasps as she yanks her arm free from his hold. “Who the hell do you think you are, talking to me like that?”
Oh. Shit.
Abbie steps closer to Nikolai, her chin raised high.
It looks like they’re either going to kiss or have a fistfight. I’m not really sure which one it will be.
Nikolai’s voice is filled with rage as he growls, “You’re one of my students. It gives me the right to fucking worry.”
Abbie narrows her eyes on him. “Yeah, keep lying to yourself.” Lifting up on her tiptoes, she whispers something to him that has his nostrils practically flaring like an enraged bull.
Well, this is interesting.
With a sarcastic smile, Abbie pats his chest before she walks toward the stairs.
“I’m going with Abbie,” I tell Misha before I run after her.
Only when I shut the door behind us, and we’re alone in my suite, does a sob break free from her.
Horror-struck, she locks eyes with me. “That man will drive me to drink!”
“What’s going on between the two of you?” I ask as I wrap her in a hug.
“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. The asshole.” She almost regains her composure, then whimpers, “I thought the hits were canceled?”
“Only the one on my family,” I whisper, feeling like a rotten friend for agreeing to go out.
We should’ve just stayed here.
“God,” she breathes as she wraps her arms around herself. “I could’ve died today.”
“You didn’t.” I engulf her in a hug. “You’re alive.”
We stand in silence as the shock slowly fades and reality sets in, then Abbie murmurs, “They saved my life. I owe them big time.”
Yes, we do.
God only knows what kind of repercussions will come from this. The uneasy feeling I had in the store hasn’t left. If anything, it’s multiplied.
There’s a storm coming, and I’m not sure if Misha and I will survive it.