17. Raven

17

RAVEN

I landed on both feet, then snatched the bag off the pile of leaves that had built up along the motel. When Nicholas didn't immediately follow me out the window, I slung my bag over my shoulder and took off through the woods behind the motel. I could still hear the heavy gunfire as I raced through the trees and underbrush.

Branches scratched at my face and tore at my clothes, but I kept going. I didn't particularly like the idea of leaving Nicholas behind, but I didn't really know him. Sleeping with him didn't tell me a whole lot. Besides, he wanted me to return the eggs. That would be a death sentence for me.

I ran for what felt like hours, but was really just minutes. Blood coated my skin from the multiple scratches and my thighs burned from running so hard. I glanced back to see if I was followed, and that's when it happened. I tripped over a root sticking out of the ground and fell forward, right down the slope of a ravine. I tumbled head over heels the whole way down, unable to slow my descent. The eggs dug into my back as I rolled over them.

If they were damaged, they would be useless in any sort of trade.

I finally skidded to a stop, landing on my chest with my face in a pile of dried-up leaves. Blowing out a harsh breath, I rolled over and stared up at the sky through the thick branches overhead. A crunch sounded to my right and I jerked my head just as a gun appeared in my face.

A man in all black stood just a few feet from me, but it was the gun in my face that I was most worried about. "On your feet."

His accent was thick, but it was the menacing scowl and the Eastern European features that gave him away. I knew better than to argue with a man holding a gun. Slowly, I rolled to my knees and got to my feet, holding my hands out the whole time.

A quick headcount showed three men spread out within a few feet of me. I had no idea where they came from or if there were more, but one thing was for sure. If I went with them, I'd never see the light of day again.

I had the upper hand, though. All men considered women weaker. Even Nicholas thought that when I first met him. He couldn't even fight because he was so shocked a woman was taking him down.

"Don't shoot," I whimpered.

"Give us what we want and we will consider sparing your life," one of them chuckled.

I let my chin wobble and fell back on my days of playing the helpless victim. Tears filled my eyes and with a shaky hand, I removed the strap from my shoulder. "Please…"

The man walked forward, chuckling as he grabbed the bag. "Maybe I have other use for you." His hand brushed down my cheek as he leered at me.

I waited for my moment, waited for him to get really close. My eyes flicked to the man to my right and a twitch crossed my lips just as I slammed my knee up into his groin, grabbing the gun still in his hand and firing at the man to my right. I swung him around, using his body as a shield as I ended the man to my left.

Slamming my elbow back into the man's face, I removed the gun from his grip as he fell to his knees before me. Blood oozed from his nose and his eyes welled with tears. He was about to make a move when I pressed the barrel of the gun to his forehead and smiled down at him.

"What were you saying about having another use for me?"

His eyes widened just before I pulled the trigger. I didn't like to kill people, but I would never back down when someone was trying to take me out. I shoved the gun into the back of my pants and bent over, rifling through the man's clothes. I came up with a money clip filled with hundreds, a pack of gum, and car keys.

Grinning, I kept the money and the car keys, then grabbed my bag and raced up the other side of the ravine. I ducked down, hiding in the trees as I scoped out the area. There was a single car parked alongside the road with no other men in sight. I raced toward it and got inside, slamming the door.

I didn't know where I was going, but far away from here was an excellent idea. I took off down the road and drove for hours, hoping I was far enough away from the chaos when I finally pulled over. I needed to get these eggs as far away from me as possible. It wouldn't necessarily take the target off my back, but I had no other solutions at the moment.

I ran down my list of known fences, trying one after another. When I got to Rooster, I prayed he would take them.

"Yo, this is Rooster."

"Rooster! It's Raven."

"Hey, girl. Whatcha got for me? Something good, I hope."

"Oh, it's good. Worth fifty million."

"You know I'm in. What's the score?"

"Three Fabergé eggs from the Imperial Royal Family."

A restrained laugh fell from his lips. "That was you?"

"And Snatch, but he turned on me."

"Raven, you know I'd love to help?—"

"I'll split the profit with you. And you can keep your usual fee."

He was silent for a moment and I thought I had him. "Still…those are too hot right now. No one's going to touch them."

"You can line up a buyer," I said, a touch of pleading in my voice. "Rooster, I've never known you to not be able to sell anything."

"Raven…" He sighed heavily. "Everyone knows the mob is after those. The Russians. Do you know what they do to people who cross them?"

I had personally seen it. "Yes, I'm aware."

"Then why would you even do it?"

"Because I didn't know at the time. Snatch hid a lot from me."

"Girl, I don't how to tell you this, but…Snatch is dead. I saw pictures of his body and it wasn't pretty. That's how you'll end up if you don't hand them over."

"I can't hand them over. I've already had a few run-ins with the mob."

"How did that go?"

"I'm still talking to you, aren't I?

"And then you called me? Are you trying to get me killed too?"

"They're not after you!"

"But they will be when they see you contacted me. What the fuck have you done?"

He hung up without another word. He was my last contact, the last person who could help me fence the eggs, and I didn't know anyone else who had the connections to move something so valuable on short notice. What other options did I have?

With no other options and exhausted from the day, I pulled into a hotel and checked in using one of my aliases. It was one that I'd never used, so I was hoping I would fly under the radar. When sirens didn't immediately blare and no one jumped out to shoot me, I breathed a sigh of relief and headed to my room. I opened the door and walked inside, flicking on the light, and stopped dead in my tracks.

There was a man sitting in my room with a smile on his face. And I had the feeling he wasn't here for a friendly chat.

?

I woke to a massive headache and blurred vision. What the hell had I done? The last thing I remembered was my conversation with Rooster. The one where he told me he couldn't help. The eggs were too hot to sell at the moment. That wouldn't help me in the least. I needed to get rid of these fast.

But I had a bigger issue at the moment. And that was the fact that I was tied to a chair. And there was a massive plastic sheet underneath me. I was good, but I wasn't sure I could work my way out of this one.

"Ah, she is awake."

The thick Russian accent had me groaning. Why did it always have to be the Russians? I could deal with a lot, but constantly being chased by the mob was wearing on me.

The man walked to a table in front of me and sat down, carefully pulling the eggs out of the protective wrapping. One by one, he set the sparkling eggs on the table. Diamonds and rubies glittered in front of me. All the hard work I'd done to snatch those eggs, and everything I'd put up with since…and it all went up in a ball of smoke with the flick of his wrist.

The man leaned back in his chair, stroking his gray beard as a grin spread across his lips. "It is a great find, wouldn't you agree?"

I didn't say anything. I wasn't sure what was going to happen yet, and I wasn't going to open my mouth and make it worse. Sure, the plastic on the ground wasn't a great sign, but there might still be a way out of this for me.

"Let me ask you, how did you get them?"

I still didn't answer.

"Come, come. We are all in the same profession. You steal things. I kill people. It is all fair in thieving and killing."

"I'm not sure that's a phrase I would use."

"It is phrase I would use," he said with a shrug. "Please, tell me, where did you find these magnificent pieces?"

"What is it you want?"

"The eggs, of course," he chuckled. "These belong to no man. Yet…I cannot help myself. Is too good to walk away from. Yes?"

"Yes," I agreed.

"See? We have something in common already. Now, you tell me where you find these beautiful eggs and I will make your death slightly less painful."

I glanced around the room, hoping for a way out. Yes, it was a wide open space, but there was nothing around I could reach to help free myself. But maybe…if I talked long enough, maybe I could buy myself some time.

"It wasn't my job," I started. "My friend…" I huffed out a laugh for dramatics. "Snatch. He found the job. I was just supposed to help him steal the eggs."

"This man…his name is Snatch?" he looked at me quizzically.

"Yes. It's his work name."

"I see. I know another man with very peculiar name. Is American thing?"

"I suppose."

"So, this Snatch. He ask you to work with him. Where is he?"

"Dead."

He leaned forward, resting his arms on the table as a glint in his eyes shown through the dim light. "You kill this man and steal the treasure."

"No. He actually tried to kill me. There was a man…another man."

"Ah, another man. This man, you love him?"

I had to snort in amusement at that. "Love? No. I mean, he stalked me and followed me across the country. I doubt this will ever lead to love."

"A man's heart can lead him to do strange and terrible things. In Mother Russia, To love is nothing. To be loved is something. But to love and be loved is everything. "

"Um…what's your point?"

"My point is that it is everything to have and give love. For a man, he will protect his family. He will die for his family. Is the way it always is."

"I'm pretty sure that's not what this is," I huffed out a laugh. "It's more of an obsession."

"Ah, but all love is obsession. A woman, she can twist the mind and make thinking nearly impossible."

I gave him a tight smile. I wasn't sure why he was trying to twist my words. He was going to kill me, after all. What did it matter to him if Nicholas loved me or not?

"Anyway," I continued. "When Snatch turned on me, Nicholas saved my life."

"Ah! You see? It is love."

"No, he's a protector. He would have done it for anyone."

"Yes, but it was for you."

"And it could have been anyone else," I argued.

"But it wasn't," he grinned. "Is true love."

I nearly rolled my eyes, but remembered that I was about to have my head chopped off. If he wanted to think Nicholas loved me, who was I to disabuse him from the notion?

"You're right."

"I am always right," the Russian grinned.

"So…he saved my life and then the Russian mob came for us."

"Ah, yes. It is not good to be on bad side of Russians."

"Maybe you could talk to them," I said hopefully.

"Is no good. I am not friends with them."

My jaw nearly dropped at the confession. "Wait, you're not part of the mob?"

"No. I am…how you say…interested party."

How unlucky was that? I had the Russian mob after me and another Russian—who wasn't associated with them—coming after me also. That had to be some kind of bad karma.

"And what is it you're interested in?"

"Why, the eggs, of course."

"Get in line," I muttered under my breath.

"What is it you say?"

"Everyone wants them. I wouldn't even have them, except for the fact that I can't give them away. They're too hot to sell."

"It is good thing I am not buyer." He shoved up from his chair, looking even more menacing than when I first saw him.

I started rambling, hoping I could delay the inevitable. "Like I said, we were surrounded by Russians. Just his friends Rae and Fox. I knew the mob would move in on us…" I swallowed hard as he started circling me. "Anyway, I took off with their car. I didn't think I'd ever see them again. But…but they caught up to me at the same time the mob did. Just when I got the eggs back. Snatch made some horrible deal with them, trying to save his own ass. He might have mentioned that before he got me involved."

"Yes," he murmured, leaning over behind me. "It is terrible thing when friends do not include you in plans. I dealt with this myself not long ago. Only, it was me who betrayed my friend."

"So…you know what I'm talking about," I said hurriedly.

He wrapped his hands around my neck, applying just enough pressure to scare the shit out of me. "Yes, it is no good."

"Right…that's what I thought," I rambled. "But Rae and Fox and Nicholas and FNG…they saved my life and?—"

"What?" the Russian asked, taking a step back and releasing my neck. He stalked around in front of me and narrowed his eyes. "What did you say?"

"Uh…I said that…" What was I saying? Fuck, I couldn't remember. He was about to kill me.

"You said someone saved your life. Of whom do you speak?"

"Rae and Fox and Nicholas and F?—"

"NG," he finished. His eyes sparkled in delight as he clapped his hands together and barked out a loud laugh. "This is wonderful!"

"Uh…what is?"

"You know FNG!"

"I…I do."

"I know FNG. He is man who can't die!"

That sounded vaguely familiar, and then I remembered when he jumped out from behind the dumpster and ran straight toward the men firing their weapons at us. "Yes! The man who can't die!" I laughed.

"Is good. I know this man. He is good man." He chuckled, bending over as if he were going to tell me a secret. "He was my butler for short time."

"Your…your butler?" I said in surprise."

"Yes! My companion. He was great friend, but I had to betray him and fake my death. He was most upset when he found out."

"Yes, I can imagine. But you seem like such a nice man. I doubt he held it against you."

"I would like to make it water over bridge, but is not easy."

"Water under the bridge," I corrected.

He waved me off. "Yes, yes. But FNG. I must speak with him."

"Um…I don't have his number."

"Is no problem. Do not go anywhere," he said, stalking out of the room. The door slammed shut behind him and I sat in silence, pondering the new turn of events.