Page 193 of Dark King Daddy

“I’m here, Ksyusha. I’m all right.”

My mouth trembled.

“You’re sure?”

“I’m sure. Are you?”

I looked at Daniil. At the blood on his shirt and his hand wrapped around mine.

“I’m with him.”

Anton let out a breath I could hear through the speaker.

“Good. Stay with him.”

Arkady came back on the line. “The garage is secure. Sal’s men are all standing. Two of Oleg’s men surrendered. We’re dealing with the rest.”

“And Oleg?” Daniil asked.

“Got to his car before we could stop him. Threw Kostya straight at me. By the time I had a clear shot, he was gone.”

Daniil looked towards the road behind us.

I felt how badly he wanted to go after him. His shoulders tightened. His hand went still around mine.

“We saw which way he went,” Nikita said.

Daniil’s eyes came back to my face.

“We’re taking Ksenia to the doctor.”

“I’ll get men looking,” Arkady said.

“Do that. Nobody hurts Kostya. I want him alive and able to answer questions. Take the phones and everything in the office.”

“Understood.”

For a moment neither brother spoke.

“You have her?” Arkady asked.

Daniil bent his head. His mouth touched my hair.

“I have her.”

The call ended.

Kostya was alive. Somehow I had expected to feel something simple about that. Satisfaction. Rage. I had watched him reach for Oleg’s car as though he had any right to beg not to be abandoned.

Instead, I remembered a wooden box of drawing pencils. My uncle placing it in front of me. How delighted I had been that he’d remembered the exact set I wanted.

I still had it.

I didn’t want it in my house.

“He offered me water,” I said.

Daniil waited.