Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 103852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 103852 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 519(@200wpm)___ 415(@250wpm)___ 346(@300wpm)
Our attention is on high alert as we watch our backs until we get home.
Lia is shaking uncontrollably all the way in, with a steel hold on Jeremy, who surprisingly spent the entire ordeal asleep.
Ogla is at the entrance, and she doesn’t need me to say anything before she understands the situation. She’s been quick-witted ever since she worked for my parents. “I’ll get hot water and warm clothes.”
I take the stairs two at a time until I reach our bedroom. I only release a breath when I carefully place Lia and Jeremy on the bed. At least they’re safe here. I’ll take care of things outside.
My wife scrambles under the blanket and sits up against the headboard. It’s then that I notice the trail of blood on the sheets.
Fuck.
I crouch beside her, taking her small hand in mine. “Are you okay? I’ll call Dr. Putin.”
She squirms free. “I’m fine. It’s just normal bleeding from childbirth.”
My jaw clenches. “Lia…what the fuck did I say about pulling away from me?”
“I just saw you murder another man in cold blood, so excuse me if I don’t want you to touch me with the same hands.”
“If I didn’t kill him, he would’ve fucking killed you and Jeremy. Is that what you want?” My voice rises with every word. It’s the first time I’ve bellowed at her like this, and it doesn’t go unnoticed as unshed tears rush to her lids.
“Do you expect me to see this as normal? I didn’t even get to greet my child properly.”
“You know who I am and what I do, so don’t pretend all of this is news, Lia.”
“I’ll never get used to it if that’s what you’re insinuating.” A sob catches in her throat. “A child can’t live like this.”
“So what are you suggesting?”
A small spark lights the deep blue of her eyes. “We…we can live in another house and you can come visit if you like. We can be normal.”
Humorless laughter bursts from me, one that makes her stiffen. “They already know who you are. The moment you walk out that door, you’ll be murdered or kidnapped and raped to get to me. You’re my wife and that means you belong by my side. So don’t you ever—and I mean fucking ever—think you can get away from me.”
A knock sounds on the door, and it takes everything in me to say in a semi-normal tone, “Come in.”
Ogla walks inside with various supplies and I leave without sparing another glance at Lia. If I do, I’ll be teaching her where she actually belongs, but I can’t do that when other matters are more pressing.
I trust Ogla to take care of her, but I’ll make sure to return as soon as possible.
My blood boils with different things altogether. One, Lia’s foolish belief that she could live away from me, which means she’s been thinking about leaving me all along. Two, the sorry fucks who thought it would be a good idea to attack my wife and child.
Gun in hand, I click the earpiece. “Kolya.”
“Yes, Boss.”
“Where are you?”
“Doing some pesky cleaning.”
“You got rid of them?”
“All but two.”
“Bring them to the guest house.” I’m going to enjoy torturing the answers out of those fuckers before I kill their boss. If need be, I’ll convince Sergei to start an all-out war on them. Lazlo would back me up.
“One of them talked,” Kolya says.
“Already?” I don’t hide the disappointment at Kolya ruining my fun.
“He’s a Spetsnaz fucker.”
“Why would the Rozettis hire Spetsnaz?”
“That’s the thing, Boss. I don’t think the entire hit was orchestrated by the Rozettis. I suspected it at first, but there was too much manpower for their level.”
“Then who is it?”
“He says his contractor never showed his identity. They did a transaction over some app.”
“Mercenary?”
“I believe so.”
Fuck. They really picked the worst day to try and assassinate me.
“Bring him and the other one over.”
“On it, Boss.”
I don’t usually revel in torture, but I’ll enjoy every fucking second of making those assholes talk before I kill them.
No one threatens my family and lives.
I pause at that train of thought.
After Aunt Annika’s death, I considered myself without a family.
This is the first time I’ve felt like I have a family again.
Lia and Jeremy.
If I have to destroy the world and everything in it to keep them safe, so be it.
31
Lia
I rock Jeremy in his crib, smiling at his sleeping form. His tiny fist is curled around my index finger and the other is resting near his neck.
He’s so small and soft and the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. He smells of baby and summer and happy memories.
It’s been five weeks since he came into this world, and sometimes, I still can’t believe that I gave birth to this little human who looks like the purest of angels.
The events surrounding his birth are the subject of my nightmares, though. Every day, I wake up in a cold sweat, imagining Jeremy drowning in a pool of blood.