The Defender Page 15

  “They’ve already searched,” Helge argued.

  Lev twisted his lips. “I know I’d come back and look again. Especially as vocal as you were about your dislike of them. I’d figure you’d be the one to find whoever I was hunting.”

  “And bring them back for food,” Reyna added.

  Helge poured more schnapps into his glass. “Let them come. I can hide you.”

  Reyna put her hand over his. “We appreciate that, but neither of us wants anything to happen to you.”

  Helge’s aged eyes locked on Lev. “If you take her out there tonight, neither of you will make it. You know this.”

  “We might,” Reyna said, not giving Lev time to respond.

  Lev knew Helge had a point. However, he also knew how good Reyna was. If it were anyone else at his side, he might think twice. He very much wanted to stay and curl up in bed with Reyna beside him so she could sleep through the night. But it wasn’t meant to be.

  Helge made an irritated sound and shook his head. “It’s the wrong decision.”

  “You need to be around to help others the Saints are after,” Lev told him.

  “Finish,” Helge told Reyna. “You’re going to need your strength.”

  Lev rose and retrieved his weapons. He checked each of them and loaded the magazines. Once that was done, he grabbed Reyna’s and repeated the process.

  Both took their guns and put them on their body. Lev stood the rifles in the corner so he could grab them easily if it were necessary.

  “You’re nearly out of bullets,” Helge said.

  Reyna yawned and said, “We’ll make do.”

  He snorted and drained the alcohol in his glass before he got to his feet. “I have some. Let me get them.”

  Reyna looked Lev’s way when the old man was gone. “I’m fine.”

  It was her way of telling Lev that it was time to go. He gave her a nod and grabbed his glass to finish off his schnapps when Helge stumbled into the room. His eyes were wide, and his hand clutched at his throat where red poured through his fingers to fall down his chest onto his shirt.

  In the next heartbeat, Lev was on his feet, grabbing the rifles. Reyna rushed to Helge as he fell to the ground, but the old man was already dead.

  She held out a hand, and Lev tossed her one of the rifles as she stood. He moved in front of her toward the entrance where Helge had come from. Reyna tapped his shoulder to let him know that she was ready. Then he leaned around the doorway.

  Bullets pierced the wood by his head. Lev jerked back and pointed to the back door. Reyna took the lead, moving swiftly. No sooner had they gotten to the door and opened it than more bullets flew at them. Lev grabbed Reyna to pull her back before she got shot. He kicked the door closed as they put their backs to the wall.

  “We’re not getting out of here,” he said.

  She raised a brow. “I’m not going to wait for them to come for me.”

  “You want to run out there and be gunned down?”

  “That’s what’s going to happen either way.”

  Lev glanced at the doorway he’d been in. “I’m not so sure.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “They obviously know we’re here. Have for a while. Why haven’t they busted through the door to contain us? I was in the shower. You were wounded.”

  Reyna thought about that for a moment and then jerked her chin at Helge. “Then why slit his throat?”

  “Maybe he saw something he wasn’t supposed to. Or heard something.”

  “They shot at us, Lev. I saw the bullets.”

  “They shot toward us,” he corrected. “Not one of the rounds directed at me went past the doorway. They were in a cluster.”

  She looked at the wall where the holes from the bullets fired through the back door were and blew out a breath. “Another cluster. So, if they don’t want to kill us, what do they want?”

  “Information is my guess.”

  “If you’re right, and they don’t want to kill us, then they’ll do anything to keep us in here until someone comes for us.”

  “And that someone will be Lorraine.”

  Reyna’s lips turned down into a frown. “No doubt.”

  “I don’t relish waiting for that to happen. If we’re not going to wait here, then that means we need to leave.”

  “And take our chances that none of the bullets hits us.”

  He shrugged. “You have a better idea?”

  “No,” she said.

  He glanced at her wound. “You up for this?”

  “Even if I wasn’t, I would still say yes.”

  Lev smiled. “I know.”

  Reyna blew out a loud breath. “I think we should go out different doors.”

  “No,” he stated. “I’m not getting split up again.”

  “Because I’m wounded?” she asked tightly.

  “That’s part of it. The other part is that we’re good together. If we split up, we give them an advantage.”

  She bit her lip and shrugged one shoulder. “I could argue and say that by splitting up we weaken them. Both opinions are valid. The truth is, I’d rather have you beside me. And it has nothing to do with me being injured.”

  “I know.” He held her gaze, letting her make the decision of when they went.

  “You ready?”

  “Say the word.”

  She closed her eyes. “I’ll be shooting to kill.”

  “As will I.”

  After another deep breath, Reyna’s lids lifted. Her dark eyes met his. “We will get out of this.”

  “Absolutely.”

  Neither wanted to state the many and various incidents that could occur to sideline their plan. They needed to focus on living. It had gotten them this far.

  “You take the lead,” he told her.

  He could see the argument beginning to form on her lips, but she nodded. With her injured and slower than usual, it would be better for him to watch her back. It also meant that he could get to her if her wound gave her trouble and didn’t allow her to run.

  “Even if we get past these men, there will be more,” she said.

  Lev shrugged. “There has always been that threat.”

  “Yes, but they found us.”

  “They’ve had us before.”

  She looked away. “I’m trying to tell you that I want you to get away if they get me.”

  “They won’t get you.”

  “Lev—”

  “Reyna,” he stated. “I didn’t leave you when you were shot and unconscious. I’m certainly not now.”

  Her gaze met his as she smiled sadly. “I could kiss you.”

  “No one is stopping you,” he replied with a grin.

  She laughed softly. As soon as she maneuvered toward the door, their conversation halted. Lev wanted to pull her into his arms for one last hug, but the time for romance was over. For now, at least.

  Reyna looped the rifle over one shoulder and palmed her handguns. She looked back at him and smiled. Then said, “I’ve fallen hard for you, Lev Ivanski.”

  No sooner were the words out of her mouth than she threw open the door and rushed outside. Lev was right on her heels. Bullets flew all around them, and he heard someone yelling, “Cease fire!”

  Reyna lifted her weapons and began shooting the same time he did. He didn’t care that the Saints were being told not to kill them, because he knew what would happen if they captured him or Reyna.

  He’d seen for himself the atrocities of the Saints, and he would do whatever he had to in order to keep that from happening to either him or Reyna.

  Besides, he hadn’t been able to digest her confession fully. And he wanted a chance to respond.

  Lev winced when a bullet grazed his shoulder. Despite the orders of the soldiers to stop firing, they weren’t listening. Lev saw one of the Saints turn his rifle on Reyna. Lev fired, putting his bullet dead center of the soldier’s forehead.

  The trees made it difficult for the Saints to get a lock on them as t
hey put more distance between themselves and Helge’s house. Lev had counted at least twenty Saints, and yet luck was once more on his and Reyna’s side.

  They weaved their way through the trees as they went down the mountain, slowing only when they had no choice. Lev eyed her injured side often to see if she was bleeding, but so far, everything looked good.

  They didn’t stop until the trees gave way to a road. Lev looked behind him to see if the Saints were coming. He caught movement about three hundred yards behind him. To linger meant capture and, ultimately, death.

  “We need a car,” Reyna said as she bent over to gulp in air.

  Lev nodded and went to reach for the map. That’s when he remembered that it was in his pack back at Helge’s house. “Dammit.”

  “They know we’re going to the coast,” she said as she straightened. “They’ll have Saints everywhere.”

  He looked back up the mountain. Whatever he’d seen was gone now. “That’s why they aren’t chasing us.”

  “They’re allowing us to think we got away. False sense of security.”

  Lev faced her and lifted his brows. “We have to get to the coast. I say we pick the city with the highest population. We’ll blend in there more, which means, it’ll be harder for them to find us.”

  “Like you said, we have to get to the coast.”

  “We’re running out of land.”

  She nodded and looked up at the dark sky. “It doesn’t matter where we go. Anyone who helps us will be killed.”

  Lev moved to stand before her and waited until her gaze met his. He smoothed her hair back from her face and pulled her into his arms. “If you thought you could make that confession back there and I would forget, you were wrong.”

  “I just wanted you to know in case I died.”

  “Then let me tell you that I’ve fallen for you, Reyna Harris. Hard. I know that when I’m with you, I feel as if I can do anything.”

  She lifted her face to his and kissed him. “Then let’s go conquer the world.”

  He took her hand as they turned toward the road.

  24

  “What the hell do you mean, they’re gone?” Lorraine demanded.

  None of the soldiers would even meet her gaze. Fury burned within her. The men had cornered Lev and Reyna, and yet, somehow, they’d gotten away. She could barely fathom it.

  She turned and saw Anatoli enter the house. At least he wasn’t making some comment about her losing the couple again. He would later. Of that, she was sure. She had a small reprieve.

  But she wasn’t worried about what her ex-lover had to say. With every day, every hour that she didn’t produce Reyna and Lev, her reputation within the Saints took a hit. She didn’t care what those below her thought. It was Lester and the elders. Those were the ones who had the authority to order her death—or grant her life.

  Lorraine knew that it would be pointless to yell at the soldiers. They’d been ordered not to shoot at Lev and Reyna, which gave them little options for containing them. She’d hoped that when she got the call that the men had found the couple that she would get to them before they made a run for it.

  She hadn’t been so lucky. In fact, she’d had nothing but bad luck since the moment Lev arrived in Kiev. If she were a suspicious person, she’d think someone had cursed her.

  Lorraine sighed and looked around the yard. Bright lights were set up so she and Anatoli could see. The bullet holes that riddled the trees and ground proved that the men had fired upon Lev and Reyna, even though they had orders not to.

  But with the couple wounding—and killing—at least two men, Lorraine didn’t blame the soldiers for firing back. She certainly would have.

  Things would be a lot simpler if the elders didn’t want Lev and Reyna alive. Lorraine could set up a sniper and take them out easily. She’d be back in the office in a day instead of traipsing around after two people she wanted dead.

  The sound of footsteps approaching pulled her attention from her thoughts. None of the soldiers would dare approach her, which meant it was Anatoli. And she wasn’t in the mood for his comments.

  “Two dead and seven wounded,” he said when he reached her. He put his hands in his pockets and rocked back on his heels. “If that’s what Lev and Reyna can do in the dark while running, I’m not sure I want to meet them head-on.”

  She rolled her eyes before she looked at him. “You afraid of them?”

  He flattened his lips and shot her a dry look. “They’re good, Lori. Even you have to admit that.”

  “I know how good Reyna is. I chose her, remember?”

  “And Lev?” Anatoli pushed.

  Lorraine wanted to discount him, but she couldn’t. “It’s obvious Lev has some training. No US agency or military I spoke with admitted to training him, though.”

  “Some people have that kind of skill naturally. It’s rare, but it does happen.”

  “I disagree. That kind of proficiency is only obtained by many years of intense training. Someone gave him the skills. I’ll find out who one way or another.”

  Anatoli blew out a loud, exasperated breath. “What does it matter?”

  “It always matters.”

  He faced her. “No. What matters is doing what you’ve been ordered to do. You’ve come close a few times, but your quarry continues to slip through your fingers. You would’ve had them this time had the soldiers not killed the old man.”

  “The men obviously felt they had no choice.”

  But she agreed with Anatoli. She couldn’t believe they had possibly ruined the capture of Lev and Reyna simply because the old man had caught sight of one of them.

  Anatoli rubbed a hand over his mouth and whiskered chin. “It’s obvious where they’re headed.”

  “The coast,” she replied. “It’s why I called those chasing them back. There’s no need to waste the time and effort since I know where they’re going.”

  He nodded as he looked into the darkness beyond the lights. “I would’ve kept men on them. It might have caused them to make a mistake.”

  “Yes, because that’s worked to my advantage since we began this.”

  Anatoli’s blue eyes slid to hers. “We?”

  “Do you have to be an ass about everything?”

  “Up until now, you’ve said ‘I.’ I’m curious why you would suddenly include me.”

  God, she hated him. Really, what she hated was how he managed to catch her in such instances. “Fine. Since I began this. I would like to point out that you’re here, which means you’re on the hook for this, as well.”

  Anatoli chuckled. As he walked away, he said, “And you wonder why everyone thinks you’re a bitch.”

  His words stung, but she wouldn’t let it show. She didn’t have her current position to make friends. So what if everyone thought she was heartless? It was that merciless, take-no-prisoners attitude that had gotten her where she was. She wouldn’t apologize to anyone for that, nor would she change who she was.

  Anatoli halted and turned on his heel to stalk back to her. He stopped in front of her, anger flashing in his eyes. “Everyone out here would stick their necks out for you if you showed them some respect. Instead, you treat them as if they’re the dirt beneath your shoe.”

  “They do show me respect because of my position in the Saints. They know with one word that I could claim their life.”

  Anatoli shook his head, gazing at her with disgust. “We treat those not in the Saints like that, not our own.”

  “You don’t,” she reminded him. “I do things differently.”

  “And it’s that approach that has you where you are.”

  She barked with laughter. “What? Continuing to rise in the ranks?”

  “Alone in the cold. Because that’s what’s going to happen if Lev and Reyna get away. No one is going to stand with you against the elders.”

  “Are you saying if we were still together that you would? Are you honestly telling me if I was nicer and complimented those around me that each and
every one of those men would go before the elders and speak on my behalf?” Reyna snorted and rolled her eyes. “Bullshit.”

  “I would, yes.”

  Her head whipped back around to him. She hadn’t really expected him to answer.

  He lifted one shoulder in a shrug. “At least, I would have. You made your choices.”

  In other words, even he would forget that he knew her. Fine. If that’s how he wanted it.

  Lorraine inwardly shook her head. Of course, that was how he wanted it. She had left him without so much as a by your leave, and then for the next few years, went out of her way to ignore him. She’d climbed the Saints’ ladder, doing whatever she needed to in order to get to the next level.

  And she’d done it all with the knowledge that it might one day come back to haunt her. Although, she hadn’t really thought that would actually come to pass. There was still a chance that it wouldn’t. All she had to do was capture Reyna and Lev.

  She lifted her chin and met Anatoli’s gaze. “Yes, I did make my choices.”

  With that statement delivered, she turned and walked to the house. She put his words out of her mind as she looked over the bowls of food and the schnapps on the table. The old man held bullets clutched in one hand while the other was stained red with his blood.

  If he were giving the couple ammunition, then they must be running low. And they had used a lot to escape the house. If only she knew for certain that they had used everything.

  “Ma’am.”

  She swung her head around to find one of the soldiers holding up a backpack. Lorraine recognized it as one she’d seen Lev wearing. She walked to the man and took the bag from him to place it on the table so she could sort through it. Unfortunately, the only thing of use she found was a map. Everything else was food and water.

  “What else did they leave behind?” she demanded.

  It wasn’t long before she saw the used bandages with dried blood as well as Lev’s discarded clothes. There was nothing else for them there.

  “Let’s wrap this up and move on,” she ordered. Her gaze landed on the sergeant. “Make it look like Reyna and Lev were intruders who murdered the old man.”

  Lorraine walked past Anatoli, uncaring if he agreed with her decision or not. The more people after her quarry, the better. Enough Saints were looking that Lev and Reyna should be found, but those not associated with the organization could be swayed to help them by seeing the lie about the murder. That would leave the couple nowhere to go.