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Aziza tipped her head in my direction, her gorgeous golden eyes piercing my soul. When Kostya reached out, the four soldiers moaned as if they expected their El Capitan to be eaten. Aziza lowered her head, allowing the man I was falling far too hard for to scratch behind her ears.
“Emily. It’s okay. You can come here. Aziza would like to thank you.” Kostya’s words were full of confidence, respect, and more love than I thought I’d ever hear. I didn’t fear the man or the lion. As I walked closer, the cub reacted instantly, mewing for his mother. There was a very special bond between mother and child.
I’d been allowed to see it dozens of times while practicing medicine. The beautiful moments had almost drowned out the horror of watching babies die. As Kostya opened the gate, Aziza didn’t try to charge the soldiers. She took a few steps back, allowing us to enter. As I slowly crouched down, carefully peeling the blanket away from the cub, tears slipped down my face.
I remained where I was, never for once experiencing a sense of danger. As the cub trotted to his mama, I held my breath. I’d never been allowed to see anything like this in my life. The joy of their reunion would stay with me for many years to come.
As I felt Kostya’s presence behind me, I finally took a deep breath.
“What you did I will never forget,mi hermosa flor. You are a very special woman.” His tone was dark and delicious, softer than normal, his words heartfelt. Now I understood why I was his beautiful flower.
After a few minutes, Aziza directed her attention toward me, walking slowly in my direction. When she bowed her head, her cue to allow me to touch her, joy erupted in my heart. “You are gorgeous, Aziza. Take care of your baby for me. Okay? I’ll be watching. If you need me, I’ll be here.”
Aziza looked me in the eyes again, the connection even stronger. Then she grasped her baby in her mouth, moving toward the trees.
When Kostya pulled me against his chest, allowing us to share in the moment together, the ache in my heart was undeniable.
I’d fallen desperately, ridiculously in love.
CHAPTER13
Kostya
“Uberi sobaku otsyuda!” my father screamed as soon as he walked in the door.
Get the dog out of here.
“Net, papy!”
No, Papa.
“Togda u menya net drugogo vybora, krome kak ubit yego!”
Then I have no other choice but to kill him.
The ugliness of the single memory of my father I’d ever had continued to roll through my mind like wildfire. I thumped down in one of the seats, staring out the reflective window as the sun started to fade in the sky, uncertain I’d made the right decision. I never second guessed myself, but this was an entirely different situation. The same images flooded my mind once again, vivid and bloody. In my mind it was an omen.
Accepting Ovachov’s offer would be the death of me.
I jumped up again, unable to get comfortable.
Another goddamn plane ride. Another destination.
More bloodshed.
I was nothing more than a lion in a cage, pacing the airplane aisle almost the entire time.
At least we were close to touching down.
Famished, I would fulfill my needs. Period. And they had nothing to do with food.
Emily.
The delicate flower was the only good thing in my life, a sudden light to a darkness that I’d required myself to live in since I could remember. From her feisty demeanor to her refusal to accept my bullshit, she’d wrapped herself around me in such a way the tether could never be broken.
What Ovachov had emailed had changed my decision as he’d expected, although I wasn’t foolish enough to buy the validity of the details he’d sent. However, his desperate attempt at hiring me had pushed both Diego and me into learning as much as possible about Volkov. His brutal reign was expanding, enough so he’d taken control of a few of the smaller countries. Given our secure connections, it had been confirmed the man had his sights set on other countries, starting with the Miami market. The South American Cartel had been weakened by the Bratva and Italian mafia working together, which left the area vulnerable.
From there, Volkov could easily roll up the East Coast, taking out several crime syndicates in the process. It was entirely possible the man was targeting the other members of this consortium. That meant Volkov had tremendous power.
