Lace and Sin (Sinners Series Book 1) (15 page)

There’s a grunt from the doorway as Alek and Jimmy
appear, and see us practically screwing on the floor.

“Sorry to walk in on you in such a compromising
position” Jimmy chuckles, “but we got some business to attend to, if you care
to join us?”

Chapter 17

Kayla

As soon as they revealed their plan I was all in, I
needed to get to Mikhalov’s computer anyway, so what perfect timing.

Mikhalov requested to see Carter tonight at his manor
– alone. Jimmy being Jimmy refused to let him walk right into the lion’s den
without some sort of plan, without any help if necessary.

So that is why I’m now tucked away in the trunk of his
car, while he drives right through the gates of Zoloto Manor. Alek and Jimmy
are on the outside in a separate car, and since I connected to the network and
security system the other day, Alek will be able to disconnect it while Jimmy
gets in.

The only reason I’m in the trunk is because guests
park just outside his personal garage, so my objective is to subdue the dogs
while Jimmy makes his way in. I guess when you really think about it, we
could’ve both squeezed in the trunk, but then we would have to deal with the
dogs on the way out as opposed to now anyway.

I feel the car come to a complete stop and the door
open and close as Carter gets out. There’s muffled talking and then silence. I
play Tetris on my phone while I wait an excruciatingly long five minutes, then
push the back seat down and climb my way into the main part of the car.

I pop my head up quickly just to look around, and I’m
a little surprised to see that the car is actually inside the garage. Why would
Abram let Carter park in here? Now that’s special treatment for sure.

I pull out my phone and text Alek.

Me: I’m in the garage. Work your magic

I wait a couple minutes before getting out of the car,
quietly closing the door behind me with a soft click. I take a look around his
garage, my jaw dropping open in awe – holy shit he sure has some impressive
cars. My head turns from one end of the giant garage to the other, taking in
the entire expanse of lined up luxurious cars. Bentley, Ferrari, Maserati, you
name it and he’s got it.

I walk quietly along the white tiled floor that
literally looks like a museum than an actual garage, and make my way over to
the little room on the side. I pull the door open a fraction, and once I see
it’s clear I step in, automatically feeling annoyed at how little room he’s
given the dogs compared to the grandeur space for his cars.

I wonder how Carter’s doing and what it is that Abram
actually wants from him. I find myself realising that this isn’t as
exhilarating as I thought it would be, getting into Mikhalov’s manor. Is it the
fact that Carter is in there on his own?

I press the button to open the little doors and put
the treats into the empty bowls for the dogs - just a little something to calm
them down. Then I hike myself up on to the top shelf against the wall.

I put my fingers in my mouth and lightly whistle, then
wait for the dogs in total silence. After a couple minutes one or two come
trotting in and sniffing around, sensing someone’s presence. They catch a whiff
of the treats and start to crunch on them loudly. The rest of the dogs show up
and follow the same motions of sniffing around for the intruder, and then
eating the treats.

I hang on to the edge of the shelf with one hand, and
use my free one to pull out my phone to text Alek again.

Me: Tell Jimmy it’s all clear.

I wait another five minutes, but to my surprise the
dogs are still wide awake. This stuff should have knocked them out for a good
hour without hurting them. I take a cautious little jump off the shelf and
stand there motionless as the dogs ears perk up at my movement. One comes over
sniffing, and to my surprise nibbles gently at my hand just as Jimmy climbs in
through the little door.

“Holy shit” he says surprised, “I thought they’d be
out cold.”

“Uhh” is all I manage, and risk patting the dog gently
behind his ear. He turns his head into my hand, and seems to be enjoying this
gentle touch and show of companionship.

“I think these dogs are just mistreated” I say.

“Right, well…we aint got time to be playing nice with
the dogs right now, love” he says with a grin. We close the doors to keep the
dogs in, and eventually they settle down and pass out. We walk back through
into the garage, and Jimmy whistles in appreciation, “What I wouldn’t do to
drive these cars again” he says.

“Again?”

“See that white Bentley? First car we ever got for
him. And that F12 Berlinetta, my favourite by far” he grins wide.

“Wouldn’t mind test driving a ZR1” I laugh, and to my
surprise he winks and says, “I’m sure Carter and I can help you out with that.”

We get to the garage door that leads us inside the
manor, and no surprise, it’s locked. Just as I’m about to pull out my little
tools, Jimmy is already fiddling with the lock and impressively has it unlocked
and pushed open within thirty seconds.

“My, my, aren’t we the true lock master” I joke as we
slip our way inside and close the door quietly.

“This way, sweetheart” he says, and leads me quietly
up a set of stairs. I look around at the high ceilings, and giant chandeliers
that hang in a mesmerizing sparkle of diamonds, no doubt all real.

The giant span of the foyer is dimly lit by some small
lamps, giving the paintings that line one wall a strange ominous vibe. It feels
as though each and every single pair of eyes in the paintings are following us
as we creep our way up the massive marble staircase, judging us on what we’re
doing.

We hear faint voices coming from one room, and Jimmy
turns to me with his finger against his lips as we sneak our way down the long
corridor. Carter is in that room right now with Mikhalov, and I find myself
freeze momentarily. This is the closest I’ve ever been to him. Mikhalov is
literally just on the other side of that door. Just him, Carter, and an unknown
amount of guards, which makes me anxious to walk further away from that door
and leave Carter behind.

My hand slides into my front pocket and my fingers
wrap around the cold metal of the gun, firmly gripping it for a small sense of
ease. I push my legs to follow Jimmy as he makes his way up another set of
stairs, not as grandeur as the marble ones. He leads me down another corridor,
and finally we step into Mikhalov’s office where his computer is.

Jimmy quietly closes the door behind him and walks
around the room checking what’s on the other side of the other doors. One of
them leads to the opposing room which is made up into a lounge area. The door
on the other side though is like a minor jackpot. The little room stores a
giant safe, and glass shelves with jewels the size of my fist. Apparently in
that very safe are numerous documents that are worth more than all these
diamonds put together – or so Jimmy says anyway, but I’ll take his word for it.

I reach my hand out in appreciation, but before my
fingers can touch the glass, Jimmy grabs my wrist gently and shakes his head,
“These are tripped to another security altogether. Alek wouldn’t have
disconnected this one from the outside.”

I nod in understanding, and make my way back to the
desk as he walks over to the safe. He starts fiddling with a little screen and
attaches it to the keypad of the safe. I watch for a brief moment mesmerized,
as the little screen comes to life and he starts to enter codes to try and gain
access.

I squat down in front of the desk and pull out the
main body of the computer, then use my little pliers to pull it open. I pull
the little bug out of my hair and attach it to the main wire, then shut it all
back up. I slide the computer back into place, and then sit in Mikhalov’s oversized
leather chair.

The chair squeaks as I move, and I can’t help but try
making the serious moment a little less grim, “It was the chair.”

“You’re an idiot, Kay” Jimmy murmurs with a grin, eyes
never leaving the safe.

I smirk at the use of the nickname Carter uses, and
then sit there quietly with my arms crossed observing the room. Bookshelves
stacked to the brim with leather bound books that no doubt have never been
read. The giant mahogany desk, just like at the realtors office, which has me
picturing Carter picking me up to put me on the desk. Carter twisting his
fingers through my hair as he kisses up my neck, sliding his tongue in my mouth
because he can’t help himself.

I pull out my phone and check the time, realising
we’ve been here for over half an hour. Carter is supposed to let us know when
he’s out safely, and neither of us has heard a word from him yet. I fidget in
the leather chair as my nerves go into overload, wanting to go down to that
very room we heard them in, to bust through the doors and take out anyone who
even thinks of laying a finger on Carter.

It’s then I realise how much I’ve come to actually
care for him, how much he actually means to me.

“Fuck” Jimmy swears softly, obviously not having much
luck with the safe.

“Jimmy we gotta go” I whisper anxiously to him, because
something feels wrong.

He swears again when he still hasn’t opened it, and I
freeze when I hear footsteps and voices coming down the hallway.

“Jimmy we really have to go, someone’s coming!”

He rips the wires of the little screen away from the
key pad and shoves it in his back pocket, then grabs my hand and practically
runs to the other side of the room, shoving us through the door into the lounge
room. We breathe deeply, our chests rising and falling rapidly with our
uneasiness.

“I told you already, there’s nothing in this world
that will get me to help you again” Carter says as he steps through the door
into the office, Mikhalov leading the way. I freeze, and crack the door open
just a fraction so we can see them better.

“I would have thought after all this time, you would
see how much I have given you” Abram says with a thick Russian accent, and I
can’t help by shiver as a chill runs up my spine.

Looking through this crack in the door to the murderer
in the other room, automatically takes me back to when I was eleven. Watching
as he slaughtered my family right before my eyes. I was too young to know what
to do, too helpless to know how to save them, but not now.

I unclench my fist and slide my hand into my pocket. I
wrap my fingers around the cool steel of the gun, and slowly pull it out -
hands trembling. The door is luckily off towards the back so I have a perfect
aim at Mikhalov, and a view of Carter’s face. He looks so angry, yet so
vulnerable right now.

Can I do this? Can I murder someone for what he’s done
to me, for what he’s done to Carter?

My hand moves out of its own accord, and I nudge the
door open a little wider with the gun. My hand starts to tremble a little more.
Is it fear that has me shaking? Is it because I’m not in fact a killer?

“Now is not the time sweetheart” Jimmy whispers in my
ear softly, “too many guards would be on your ass before you could even say a
big fat fuck you to Mikhalov.”

My hand doesn’t waver, just continues shaking with my
pent up anger.

“I know you might not care about you, but what about
Carter?” he says quietly, realising I care about Carter way more than I might
have led on.

An angry tear slips from my eye as Jimmy gently wraps
his hand over mine holding the gun, his other hand wrapping around my waist as
he pulls me gently against him.

“It’s alright Kay” he says, as he slips the gun out of
my grip, and tucks it into the waistband of his jeans.

Carter and Mikhalov are still talking, getting a
little more heated with their argument. I find myself almost wilting against
Jimmy with exhaustion as we listen, his hand rubbing up and down my arm
soothingly.

“You know why you’re still alive, even after all the
fuck ups we’ve had?” Mikhalov questions, “After Tommy tried to ruin me?” he
laughs maliciously as if it’s crazy that anyone even tried.

I see a faint smile pulling at Carter’s lips, almost
like he knows exactly what Mikhalov is talking about.

“No idea Abram, but I’m done. I told you I was done
the second you killed my dad” Carter says through clenched teeth. Mikhalov
chuckles lightly, and shakes his head as though that’s not the answer he’s
looking for, like he won’t stop until he gets the right one.