Demon Relic Hunter: A Fun, Fast-Paced Urban Fantasy (Riley Cruz Book 1) by L.A. McBride

Author:L.A. McBride [McBride, L.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: One Tree Press
Published: 2023-10-15T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 20

Sneaking onboard the chartered plane proved even easier than I'd anticipated. After spending an uncomfortable hour in a cramped airline supply closet followed by several more hours ignoring Volkov's surliness once he knew I was onboard, I couldn't wait to get off the plane. By the time we landed, Volkov had grudgingly accepted my presence and stood next to me in the aisle waiting for the airplane door to open.

I grabbed my duffle bag, not willing to risk him reaching for it. Although I was confident he wouldn't find the dagger, I wasn't going to chance it. I'd tucked the dagger into my G.O.A.T. cosmetic bag, along with my drugstore makeup and enough cotton balls to stuff a teddy bear. Even if someone opened the bag, I hoped they'd give up long before they got to the magical artifact nestled at the bottom.

We disembarked to find a driver in a dark sedan waiting for us at the private airfield where we’d landed. Volkov apparently had enough influence that no one checked our passports, which was good since I hadn’t had time to get a fake one. The driver stood next to the car with the door held open. The only thing missing was the red carpet.

Thankfully, Volkov sat up front with the driver, so I could enjoy my first glimpses of Romania without the storm cloud of his mood ruining it. The extent of my travel experience was hopping a Greyhound to Kansas City as a teen. Before that, I couldn't remember a time my parents and I left Santa Fe, much less the state. As we drove, I leaned my cheek against the cool glass and took in every building, every tree-lined boulevard, every bustling shopping area we passed. I wanted to commit Bucharest to memory. Women like me didn't often get the chance to see the world beyond where a car could take us. I didn't want to miss a second of it.

The car eventually stopped in front of a five-story luxury apartment building. The old-world building was more beautiful for the juxtaposition of the ordinary streets around it. A uniformed doorman waited to greet us.

“Where are we?” Kali asked, looking around as wide-eyed as I felt.

Volkov scanned the street like he was anticipating an ambush. “My family keeps an apartment in Bucharest.” He said it as if keeping an expensive vacation apartment in a foreign city was something ordinary.

I followed his gaze. “What are you looking for?”

“One at two o'clock,” he said, and I knew he wasn't talking to me.

“Another at eight,” Craig added, confirming it.

Volkov fell in step beside me. When we reached the doors, he nudged me forward with his hand on the small of my back and waited for me to enter first.

“Welcome, Mr. Volkov.” Although the greeting was for Volkov, the doorman's gaze was riveted on my bright pink hair before darting to my clothes and back up again.

As I stepped inside the opulent building, I was painfully aware of my second-hand combat boots and ratty jeans.

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