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But I still have a job to do.
I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone.
Chapter 38
Dani
The media storm that follows threatens to knock me off my feet. The arrest of Konstantin Antonov, Edvard Levitsky, and Violetta Salkov—three of Russia’s most notorious Bratva bosses—is all anyone on the evening news wants to talk about. Their capture has made them even more infamous. Everyone and their mother knows about the horrible things they’ve done, of all the people they’ve hurt. Currently, they’re being held at different max security prisons across the country, pending their trials set for early next year.
But I’m the one under the most scrutiny.
Naturally, Peterson gave me a huge earful when he discovered I went after The Trinity by myself, even though I was supposed to be resting. For the most part, I keep my story as vague as possible. I tell the truth about tracking down Melissa Pritt—who has now been arrested, pending treason and various other charges—and the information she gave me about The Trinity’s compound in Alaska, but after that, the details getsuperfuzzy.
I leave out the fact that I had help getting there. There are obvious holes in my story, but as far as I can tell, the FBI believes I was a lone wolf. A few at the office wanted to scrutinize me further, but with all the press coverage and spotlights on me, the higher ups decided to leave well enough alone. After all, how bad would it look if they interrogated an American hero for putting away the bad guys?
Peterson calls me into his office one Monday morning, looking a bit haggard. There are dark circles under his eyes, and his hair is a mess. His desk is covered in a mountain of used coffee mugs he hasn’t bothered returning to the staff room. Peterson’s usually very organized, so the mess of documents spread out over his office tells me he must be at his rope’s end.
“They want to give you a promotion,” he explains to me after I’ve taken a seat.
I have a hand on my belly. It’s been four months since I found out I was pregnant and I’mjuststarting to show. All my clothes are getting tighter, and all my shoes pinch my toes uncomfortably. I need to go shopping for some maternity clothes soon.
I wanted to tell Luka. I really did. But with the way everything went down… It wasn’t the right time.
And now I’m worried it’llneverbe the right time.
After we parted ways in Alaska, the entire Antonov family disappeared. Pyotr promptly announced his retirement from CyberFort, selling the company to Microsoft. From what I can gather, the FBI hasn’t had any leads on the Antonov Bratva in months. Their operations are still running, but the ones in charge—Mikhail and Dimitri—have practically vanished into thin air. Even the parents, Lev and Catherina, quickly packed their things and put their villa on Long Island up for sale.
They’re gone. All of them.
I miss Luka the most.
“What’s the position?” I ask tiredly.
“Mine.”
I blink up at him. “Oh?”
“I had a long,longchat with my wife the other day.” He smiles as he speaks. “The stress of the job… I think it’s finally getting to me. I’m considering an early retirement. I’m hoping to spend the rest of my days somewhere warm and tropical. Hawaii or Fiji, I’m thinking.”
“Oh, wow. That’s, uh, I think that’s great, actually.”
Peterson nods. “I haven’t filed the paperwork yet because I wanted to talk to you about it first. The higher ups are impressed. Those arrests of yours made big waves. That’s why I’d be more than happy to give you my personal recommendation. The job is yours, if you want it. You just have to formallyaccept.”
I hold my breath. This ishuge. If I take over Peterson’s position, I’d be the head of the FBI’s New York Division. I’ve been dreaming about this, working toward it for years. How many countless nights have I spent at my desk, putting in overtime, my nose to the grindstone? All my hard work has finally paid off. The promise of a promotion should excite me to no end.
But the excitement doesn’t come. I feel the exact same as I did a minute ago. Numb and a little sad. The pregnancy hormones are probably throwing my emotions off. I’m grateful, obviously, but I can’t seem to find any joy in his announcement.
I force a smile anyway. Maybe the news hasn’t fully sunk in yet. I just need to give it a moment. “I happily accept,” I tell him.
Peterson nods, smiling. “It’s a good fit for you. I’m sure you’ll do great things.”
“Thank you, Tom. Though, I am curious… The big bosses do know I’m going to be leaving for maternity in a few months, right?”
He waves a dismissive hand. “I’ll stick around for a while. Give you time to settle in with the baby, learn the ropes. I’m not going to just up and ditch you, Harper. Think of it as soft retirement.”
I breathe a sigh of relief. That’s certainly a load off my mind. “Thanks.”
“I’ll send the paperwork. How about I treat you to a late lunch to celebrate?”
