37 The Inevitable Confrontation

The present day…

Hugo sat in the hotel room, staring out of the window. Gabriel’s words echoed in his ears. It had been a while since Hugo had killed the Bratva leader’s son. There had been no retaliation from Ivan. When Camila disappeared from his mansion with the American architect, he had doubted that there was a Russian hand behind it but his doubts faded when he found his Camila reemerge as Jessica in a remote town in Nebraska. He had ordered his men to secure her house so he could meet her in person. He awaited the confirmation and stared at nothingness outside the window. Everything was dark. Only a handful of neon lights and screens were visible. His phone buzzed. It was a call from an unknown number. There were rarely any people who dared to call him on his phone directly. He stared at the flashing number for a while before answering it. There was silence on the other side. Then he heard a familiar voice.

“Hugo Ortiz?” Jessica’s voice emerged. Hugo sprang up to his feet in s