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“He stood up for me—distracted Vikka and then—”
“I know, babe. I watched the whole thing.”
She stilled. “You were there?”
“It was part of the plan.”
She made a grim line with her mouth. “I’ll bet that was hard.”
“Yep. And I felt almost as helpless, but not quite, because I knew we were going to get you. So I stayed the course. And…gotcha.” He brushed his hand over her cheek. “But I’m sorry you were hurt.”
“It’s okay. But Judah is still in there. And he really got hurt.”
“Shae. We can’t get him out. I’m sorry—”
“I know. I…know. But he said something to me that helped. He said that life is not safe, and that we can’t stop bad things from happening. That we have to learn to live despite the danger, believing there’s a bigger plan.”
“Maybe that’s the hard part for me. I have trouble not being in charge of the bigger plan.” He rolled back over and lifted his arm, settling it over his head.
“Yeah. I can’t help but think that just being around me, you’re going to get hurt, or killed.”
“C’mon. You’re notbad luck.”
She made a face at him.
“Really, that’s what you think?”
“I don’t know—I just feel like being around me…maybe…bad things happen.”
“And it’s not your fault.”
“I think—”
“You have a choice, just like me. You can be a victim of your circumstances, or you can be a victor. From where I’m sitting, you had a lot of bad stuff happen to you and around you, but notbecauseof you. And you survived. You are amazing, and smart and strong andnota victim. In fact, you’re the best thing that’s ever happened to—”
Pounding at the door made him sit up.
“Otkroi dver!”
She froze.
Ned didn’t. He pulled her up and reached for the Sig he’d put in his backpack. “Get behind me.”
She jumped on the sofa as Sasha emerged from her bedroom. Sasha motioned to the other room, and Ned grabbed Shae and pulled her into the room with him. Closed the door.
Paced. Think, think.
“Otkroi!”
The sound of the door shuttering open was shattered by shouts, all in Russian and then—
A shot.
Ned turned, searching for a way out. The window. But it had bars on the outside.
“Get in the closet.” He opened the door to a standing wardrobe and practically shoved her inside.
“Ned—”
