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“What the hell is wrong with you? I’m not asking her out, Kas. ” I glared at my best friend.

“You don’t have to.” He looked down at his phone. “Someone from the Huntington FBI office just reached out requesting a meeting with you on her behalf, so I figured…two birds, one stone.”

“How did they know you’d be in town?” Dimi frowned.

“Think about it. The four of us are on the flight manifest. You know the feds were alerted as soon as we were in the air.”

“Set it up.” I barked, before turning to Mak. “We’re only going to have one shot at this. There can’t be any mistakes.”

The stakes were higher than any gamble I’d ever made. One slip up meant the difference between building a future with the woman of my dreams or living alone in this waking nightmare.

It took the entire flight to West Virginia to formulate a plan, however shaky it might’ve been. Even as I sat alone at the restaurant, not-so-patiently awaiting the arrival of my target, doubt crept into my mind. I’d chosen Steak on Main in Ashland, Kentucky for two specific reasons. First, the owner, Nicholas Grady, owed me a favor. Second, it was close to Huntington, yet far enough away to put the feds at a disadvantage. They didn’t have access to the same resources I did, which gave me time for the head start I desperately needed.

Alaina Biggs didn’t make me wait long. She showed up at the exact time of our scheduled meeting, wearing a little black dress that fit her like a glove. Too bad I had zero interest in the federal agent beyond what she could do for me. Her dirty blond hair swayed from side to side as she followed behind the maître d’. As requested, she came alone, though I knew she had backup in a van parked out front.

I stood at their approach, holding out my hand. “Special Agent Biggs, it’s a pleasure.”

“Same, Mr. Vlaschenko.”

The maître d’ pulled out her chair, and handed each of us a menu while spouting off the specials for the evening.

“Your server will be with you soon.” He bowed at the waist before leaving us.

“Zak, please.”

“Hmm?” She raised a confused brow.

“Call me Zak. May I call you Alaina?”

“Only if you have a death wish.”

Steepling my hands under my chin, I grinned. “Feisty. I like that.”

“This isn’t a date, Zak.”

I sobered. “No. It’s not.”

Silence ensued, only to be shattered by the server asking if we’d like to start with wine. Playtime was over. Pru’s life was in danger. It was time.

“I’m afraid we won’t be staying.” As soon as the words were out of my mouth, a text alert sounded on her phone. “You’re going to want to check that Alaina. Don’t worry, your friends in the van outside are getting a similar message as we speak. Seems I have a death wish after all.”

I knew precisely what she saw on the screen when she pulled the phone from her purse. Images of her friends in a hospital room, each with a red dot from a sniper rifle on their foreheads. We’d done our research and knew where her loyalties lay.

“I’m truly sorry for deceiving you, milaya.” Her head snapped to me, eyes narrowing as if she knew I’d just called her dear. “For what it’s worth, I have no intentions of harming you or allowing harm to come to you. Machail, nor his men, will get anywhere near you. You’re safe with me.”

I wasn’t lying. My priority was getting Pru to safety, but that didn’t mean I was a bastard. There was no way I’d intentionally put Agent Biggs in danger, the opposite in fact. Kas would protect her with his life. I’d make sure of it.

She barked out a laugh. “You’re out of your fucking mind, Zakhar. In about three seconds, four very pissed-off FBI agents are gonna storm in here and kick the shit outta you.”

“They won’t.” I shook his head.

“What makes you so sure?”

“Their text message, which included a picture of you marked with the same red dot, instructed them not to.”

“So what’s your big plan here, Zakhar? You're just gonna walk right out the front door with me?”

“In a manner of speaking…yes.”