Drake Sisters 06 - Turbulent Sea

bloodbath the likes of which few had ever seen the moment Nikitin knew who was trying to kill him. And from the way Nikitin was covering Brian, it would be worse for whoever was trying to kill them, their bad luck to catch Brian in the cross fire. Nikitin's feelings for the man had to be real, and that made him all the more dangerous, because if it was true - Brian was probably the only person in the world Nikitin had genuine feelings for.
    Ilya needed him to make those calls. He needed numbers - and names if possible. Pavel Demidov had always been Nikitin's right-hand man in the human trafficking operation. Ilya didn't dare even glance at the Russian boss. He needed to appear concerned only with keeping him alive, but inside, everything stilled. It was now or never that he would get the information they had waited so long for.
    Nikitin flipped open the phone, and while Eddie took the car screaming around another corner, weaving in and out of traffic, the Russian made his calls, warning his associates one by one to lay low, put everything on hold, until they could find and remove the threat to their network.
    'Coming up on our left,' Ilya warned Nikitin calmly. 'Eddie, don't evade. Sergei, stay low. Just keep up the speed, but hold the car steady until I say otherwise, then you're going to pull hard to the left.'
    Eddie nodded his understanding.
    Ilya watched the big Cadillac barreling down on them, the calm, centered place inside of him seeing every target, every detail of the night itself and the traffic around them. A small pickup truck swerved, suddenly aware of the drama taking place on the highway, recovered and hit the brakes to allow the Cadillac to move into position. Gun hand braced, Ilya centered on the driver, ignoring the guns flashing, and very deliberately squeezed the trigger.
    'Now, Eddie, clip it hard.'
    Eddie swerved into the larger vehicle, bounced off, recovered and kept going. The driver of the Cadillac slumped over the wheel, the deadweight of his foot on the gas. With their car sideswiping the caddie, the larger vehicle spun out of control, slamming into the guardrail, breaking through it at high speed.
    'They're gone,' Nikitin said, looking back, satisfaction in his voice.
    'Get down.' Ilya hissed the order between his teeth. 'Eddie, take the exit and head down toward the river.'
    'My concert's in an hour,' Brian said. 'Sergei, I have to be onstage in an hour. Everyone's going to be freaking out.'
    There was silence. Ilya glanced back at Nikitin and saw the stunned look on his face. He was used to violence, Brian wasn't, and in that moment, Sergei realized how shocked Brian really was. 'It will be all right,' he promised.
    'Why are they doing this?' Brian asked. T don't understand why they're doing this, Sergei.'
    Nikitin rubbed his back, all the while looking out the window, watching the other car fishtail down the exit ramp after them. 'I don't know, but we'll find out. Just stay down where you'll be safe. I don't want anyone to see you.'
    Ilya didn't point out that Pavel Demidov had known Brian was in the house, and since he had, then chances were good Dominic Dylan had been told at the very least that Brian was a good friend, or worst case scenario, that he was Nikitin's lover. Nikitin had always been discreet about Brian. Ilya had guessed at the relationship for a number of reasons. Nikitin had been different since he'd met Brian, definitely mellower and much happier. His aura had changed, and around Brian, sexual colors had grown stronger.
    'Okay, Eddie, start slowing down. Stay ahead enough to keep them from getting a good shot, but make sure they follow us.'
    The road ran along the fast-moving river. It had rained often and hard, and the river was swollen, threatening to breach the banks. In some places the road had a bit of water across it where the current splashed up over the sides.
    'They're on us, Ilya,' Eddie confirmed, glancing in the rearview mirror. 'Not tight, but they're coming, about a curve or so back.'
    'We want a clear stretch without any witnesses or bystanders that can get hurt,' Ilya said. 'We should be coming up on a turn that will take us under the bridge. They'll lose sight of us. Slow down, let me out, and keep going.'
    'No, no, that's not a good idea,' Nikitin objected. 'We shouldn't separate.'
    'I'll take out the other car without a risk to you or Brian. Eddie can take you up the road to the exit back to the freeway. You should be able to see from up there. If