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“Protecting one girl is not enough,” I tell him. “If you wish to join our ranks, you must prove your strength to me by completing a special assignment.”
“Anything you need me to do, I’ll do it.”
“The Barinov Bratva values loyalty and courage above all else,” I reply, “So whatever challenge we set before you, you must meet it without question.”
“I will.” Viktor nods again. “Thank you for having faith in me. I won’t let you down, Andrei Vasilyevich. Ever.”
Natasha strides back into the garage as Viktor slips away. She is unfazed by Paige’s presence as she stands beside a fuming Dmitri. Paige walks over to a stool and collapses into it wearily. The strain of what happened is starting to wear her down.
“Everybody out,” I command. “Except my wife.”
I wait until Dmitri and Natasha have both left the garage before going to my wife. I kneel beside her, and she leans heavily against my chest. I wrap my arms around her trembling body and kiss her soft cheek.
“Andrei, you weren’t really going to shoot that boy,” she says. “He’s barely older than Emma.”
I respect her for being brave enough to show fear. “The Novikovs have been loyal to us until now. Even if provoked, they wouldn’t have done something like this. But now they’re getting defiant. If I don’t take action now, their rebellion may spark a mutiny.” I pull her closer, and my hand rests on her flat stomach.
“Will you go sort out the situation with the Novikovs?” Paige answers in a quiet, gentle voice, placing her hand over mine.
I give a quick nod. “Dmitri and Viktor will be with me.”
“Please be careful, Andrei.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Emma was missing?”
Paige moves off my shoulder and sits straight. “I assumed she had snuck into our father’s room.”
She’s not telling me the truth, but I don’t call her out. Something else must have happened, and I’ll get the details from Viktor.
“I want to be more useful. Perhaps look after things here in the house.” She pauses. “But I need something first. I want to talk to my father alone.”
“You should,” I reply as I help her to stand. “In the morning. But for now, let’s go to bed.” I press a kiss to Paige’s forehead and remind myself that I’ve done nothing to gain her trust.
She still sees me as a criminal, not the father of her child.
Chapter 25
Paige
Andrei stays in bed longer than usual in the morning, and his hand lingers on my stomach. I wonder if he can feel my heart hammering wildly in my chest. Last night, panic flooded my veins when Natasha told me Andrei was interrogating Viktor, and I ran to the garage. When I entered, Dmitri had a gun pointed at the boy. What would have happened if I hadn’t gone?
I’m out of bed in a flash, heading toward the ensuite to get dressed. Before I close the door, I look back at Andrei, and his eyes are open, looking back at me. I shut the door with a bang, and I’m dressed in a few minutes.
“I’ll walk with you.” Andrei rises from his bed, then his phone chimes. “Just give me a minute.”
I shake my head and sprint toward the door. “I can manage. He’s my father.”
“Okay.” He looks concerned. “You look pale. That’s all. I’ll go down later.”
“I’ll be all right.” I race out of our suite as if my secrets are chasing me.
Alone in the hallway, I pause and rest my back against the wall, closing my eyes. Andrei must know that I was lying last night. I can feel it. They all know it. Natasha picked at her shirt cuffs, refusing to look at me. Dmitri had a small hint of a smirk, and Viktor’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed nervously.
And Andrei …
I saw a flash of something that seemed like relief on his face. Could it be he was bluffing, never intending to shoot the boy? I silently wish that was true. It would’ve been too cruel, even for him. Viktor only made a stupid mistake like any other kid would in his circumstances.
What if he had been our son, facing his father, Andrei, who had to make a tough decision? I block that image out of my mind and open the door to my father’s room.
