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I scowled slightly at her. “It’s not nonsense, Paloma. I’ll never be able to outrun any enemies.”

“You don’t need to. You can let Nikolai handle it.”

Let a man handle my life? My son’s?

I shook my head again.

“No. That’s not— No, Paloma. Running and hiding will never amount to anything good. Only fighting back will.”

Her lips tilted up in a small smile.

“And I will. I didn’t know how to before. When I thought someone was following me and when Nikolai showed up that night and took over my safety, I went along with it. But now…” I frowned as I zoned out and looked at the coffee table in front of me. “Now, I feel like the only answer is to fight back however I can.”

“It’s not the only answer.” She patted my hand. “These Volkov men will not let you down.”

“I can tell. But I can help too.” I licked my lips and frowned. “If there is anything I can do, I will. It’s early yet. I’ve only just started participating in any actual investigation today. It’s not like I’ve done much⁠—”

“I beg to differ.” She leaned over to see Brady. “Yes, I’ll take that one,” she called back to his holding up books for her to pick from. “I beg to differ, Louisa. Whatever you were looking into this morning must have triggered them to panic. You were the catalyst to make the enemy react.”

I liked that interpretation. I didn’t like the invasion of privacy that came with that drone being spotted here, but I liked the concept of forcing their hand. Of threatening them into action. It had to mean that I was on the right path, worrying the correct people.

But they’re supposed to be the good guys.

“It seems so strange to think of the cops as the enemy,” I admitted. I had never really considered myself overly Puritan or self-righteous. I was a law-abiding citizen… until this morning. Hacking into a law enforcement agency’s database was a huge breakage of the law.

Yet, I wasn’t weighed down with guilt.

Of course, there were good people who did bad things and bad people who could do good things. Nothing was ever set in stone. Having this reaction to my search through the state police’s database was proving how gray things could get.

I was here to be protected. And they were challenging that.

If Paloma or any of the women wanted to persuade me to walk on the wrong side of the law, then I would’ve naturally wanted to protest. But this, experiencing the law coming after me, that changed everything.

“I won’t tell you what to think,” Paloma said. “But I think you’ve already understood that Nikolai—and his brothers and cousins—are not the enemy.”

“They definitely are not,” I agreed. “Nikolai ceased being my enemy the moment he killed to protect me.”

She smiled and nodded once, like that made it final. “And he won’t stop. He cares, Louisa. He really, truly cares. So although it might be another adjustment to make, and although you’re comfortable here, just keep it in mind that this house”—she pointed down, as if I needed the emphasis to understand—“this location might be compromised now.”

I frowned, glancing at Brady. “He loves it here.”

“He does. But I think he loves being with you, no matter where you are, more than anything. He’s happy with you present and home. Even while you worked today and I preoccupied him, he was content to know you were here.”

I smiled. She would never know how much that meant to me. Making sure I didn’t miss being a present mother was my main goal for so long, and because of Nikolai, it was my reality. “He loves being with you, too,” I replied. I placed my hand on hers and squeezed it reassuringly. “You’re the grandmother he’s always wanted.”

She smiled as her eyes teared up. “Oh, that boy is just making my heart burst. He’s such a darling. So precious to have around.”

“And he loves being near Nikolai as well,” I said. “Sometimes, I worry that they’re getting too close. There’s nothing official that’s keeping me here.”

She furrowed her brow. “Is that why you want to work and contribute? To ‘earn’ your place here?” She shook her head before I could even reply. “That’s not necessary.”

“No, that wasn’t the main reason. I want to contribute. I want to help them find Gregori. But at the same time, I have wondered what could happen after. After Gregori is caught and dealt with.” I knew that actually meant when Gregori was caught and killed, but I didn’t have to acknowledge it now. “What will happen when there isn’t a threat on my life?”

She smiled more naturally now. “I’ve got some ideas.”

I arched one brow, knowing by her smile that she was working with wishful thinking now.

“You know. Maybe a wedding. Another baby on the way…” She nudged her shoulder against mine.