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She gestures toward Mikhail. “And what does this have to do with buddy boy over here?”
“Mikhail is Luka’s brother,” I explain. “And we’re here because I’ve decided to help them track down the people who have Luka hostage.”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen Tabitha’s face paler, her eyes wide in shock. “You can’t be serious. Dani, you just got out of the hospital. Shouldn’t you leave this to the FBI?”
My throat goes dry. “They’re not going to get to him in time,” I mumble. “I’ve seen what his captors are capable of. And… I have a personal stake in this.”
“A personal stake? You mean…” She searches my face for answers. “Oh God, Dani, you’re in way over your head. There has to be another way. Is this about revenge?”
“Not revenge,” I murmur. “Something much more important than that.”
She stares at me. The pregnancy is one thing, but I can practically hear the gears working overtime in her head. “Do you… Dani, are you in love with the guy?”
“It’s a long story.”
“Oh myGod!”
“Tabitha, please calm down.”
“How am I supposed to calm down? Do you even hear yourself? You’re going to get yourself killed.” She shakes her head. “That’s it—I’m calling Tom!”
I reach out quickly and take her hands, squeezing her fingers tightly. “Tabitha, listen to me. I know this is a lot to process, but you have to understand that I don’t have another choice. The people who took Luka and me… They’re dangerous. And yes, I could go to the FBI, but there’s a lot of red tape to get through. Protocol to follow, a chain of command to respect. Luka’s running out of time, which means I can’t afford to wait for the higher ups to give me permission to go after him.”
“You could be jeopardizing your career,” Tabitha points out.
I nod. “Some things are more important.”
“Holy shit, you really must love this guy. And…” She glances at Mikhail, keeping my secret. She chews on the inside of her cheek as she returns her gaze to me. “But that doesn’t explain why I’m here.”
I take a deep breath, doing my best to remain as calm as possible. “The day of the explosion… We had a mole, Tabitha. An agent I used to work closely with. When I was being held hostage, she mentioned you. Threatened to…” I press my lips into a thin line. I can’t bringmyself to say it. “The point is, she knew about you and where we live. That whole time, you were in danger.”
Tabitha looks like she’s about to be sick. “I had no idea.”
“This mole is still out there somewhere, and that means you’re still at risk. Even more so because I’m going after them on my own terms.”
“So is this, like, an FBI safehouse or something?”
“Sort of. It’s obvious any safehouse under FBI jurisdiction is out of the question because of the mole, so I had to find alternate arrangements to ensure your safety.”
Tabitha nods slowly. I think my words are finally starting to sink in. She eyes Mikhail suspiciously. “Can they be trusted?”
The eldest Antonov clears his throat. “I give you my word, Ms. Harper, you’re safe in our care. Luka asked us to take care of your sister, and therefore our protection extends to you.”
“I know this is a lot to process,” I tell my sister, “but you have to trust me.”
“I do, Dani. I just worry about you.”
“I know. Once this is over, I promise I’ll stick to desk work.”
Tabitha regards me carefully, still chewing on the inside of her cheek. “You’d better.”
* * *
The inside of the villa is just as impressive as its exterior. Polished tile floors, cream walls, fancy golden light sconces. There’s no telling how many rooms this place has, but something tells me I won’t be sticking around long enough for a grand tour.
Mikhail leads Tabitha and me down a long hall. We arrive at some sort of sitting room, the curtains drawn to let in the afternoon sun. It’s quite comfortable here, practically a library. All the walls are covered in floor-to-ceiling shelves, a grand collection of books out on display.
I am reunited with the remaining Antonov brothers, Dimitri and Pyotr. While Dimitri smiles in greeting, Pyotr nods once. Apparently, the fraternal twins are as opposite as they come.
