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“I owe it to your father to warn you about the threat. I’ll do what I can to deter people, but I was booted out of my position when he passed, and I no longer have much sway. But I can get you out of town—you and Sean.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I have a life here,” I told him.
“You’re going to die here if you stay,” he said through ground teeth. I could see that he was considering forcing me to leave. Whatever loyalty he had toward my late father was severe enough that he wouldn’t question risking himself.
“I have protection.” He looked me up and down as if to call my bluff, so I continued. “I’m married to Viktor Nikolaev.”
The words felt like acid as they left me, but if claiming this tie to Viktor would keep me safe, I’d use it as much as I could, even if I didn’t like it.
“Nikolaev,” he said, turning over the name in his mouth and scowling. “That wasn’t a name I thought I would hear again—not on pleasant terms, at least.”
The hostility in his tone didn’t surprise me. The Russian mob and my father had been going back and forth for years before I left. Viktor hadn’t been the boss at the time, but he was set to rise in the ranks, and hehad.If Erin or my father knew that I had his baby…
“Well, he’s the reason I’m alive, so the terms are nothing but pleasant.”
He nodded, taking a step away. “I can see that you hate me as much as you hated your late father, Cee. I’m not going to linger around somewhere I’m not wanted,” he said. The old childhood nickname drew emotions I didn’t want to acknowledge. He was as much to blame as my father. He’d supported the deal with the Chicago Irish mob boss, and I couldn’t forgive that so easily.
He’d killed just as many people in front of me as my father.
“I don’t want you anywhere near my son,” I told him. “Don’t come here again.”
Disappointment flashed in his eyes as he turned and strode away. Seeing him go had my heart aching, but I knew it was for the best. He and my father had traumatized me and used me in a way I couldn’t forgive. But as his words came pounding back into my mind, I froze, considering them. He’d traumatized me, but had he also been protecting me all that time?
I shook my head and made my way back to Andrei’s car. I’d have to ask Viktor about all of this, and after today, I’d have to pull Sean from school. The thought made me sick. He thrived here, and he loved being around his friends and teachers, but if Erin could find us, anyone could find us.
I had to do what was best for my family, but I couldn’t decide what exactly that would entail.
Chapter Five
Viktor Nikolaev
Damien sat across from my desk, both feet propped up as he reclined backward. “You need to make more public appearances if you want the word to spread quickly about your marriage,” he said. “If anyone has more than one brain cell, they won’t believe that you married a girl who you haven’t been seen with. And when they realize who she is, they’ll push you.”
“Nobody will push me,” I told him.
“I beg to differ. With a price on her head, anyone who thinks they can get away with it will push.”
“How much are we talking?” I asked.
“Two million,” Nadia said from the loveseat across the room. She scrolled through her phone, chipping into the conversation to either give insight or piss off her brother.
“That’s a decent chunk of change—enough for someone to risk their life. If you don’t make a public statement, it’s not going to do anything to deter people,” Damien said. “Or, you could let her fend for herself.”
“That’s not an option,” I told him, narrowing my eyes at the idea.
“Marrying the enemy will cause animosity on all fronts. Do you want to deal with that? Because I sure as hell am not dealing with our own men turning their backs on us because of this.”
“Since when do you handle these issues?” Nadia asked. “The girl needs protection, and boss is giving it to her. Are you afraid you might have to tell the lackeys to shut the fuck up and take orders?”
“Nadia, I swear to God,” Damien said menacingly.
Her smirk covered her face before she said a word, and I knew I was seconds from breaking up a sibling spat. “What? We all know you don’t like the confrontational parts of the job. Maybe it’s because you’re not man enough to handle it without Daddy Viktor coming to the rescue.”
We all knew the incident she spoke of. He got in a heated stand-off with three lieutenants, and guns were drawn. One of the lieutenants nearly shot Damien between the eyes before I walked in and ended it. Damien shifted as if he planned on standing, and I slammed a hand on the desk. “If you take one fucking step toward your sister, you’re going to have me to deal with.”
Damien exhaled a long breath, rolling his shoulders. “Boss,” he snarled.
I looked at Nadia. “And if you call meDaddy Viktorone more time, I’ll beat the fuck out of you, too.”
