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I kept wrestling with Feliks, not about to let him spoil the pure happiness I had with Karine. Shots went wild and my heart raced, thinking she would be killed, but my brave girl refused to leave my side.
I lost my grip on Feliks’s throat and thought I was about to feel a bullet tear through me, but then someone else burst in waving a gun. I cursed, thinking he was about to shoot Karine, fighting even harder. Both our lives depended on me getting the gun from Feliks so I could end this once and for all.
“Stop,” a familiar voice shouted. “I’ve got it under control.”
Keeping a grip on Feliks, I looked up to see the gun the other guy was holding wasn’t aimed at Karine, but pressed against Feliks’s temple. Knowing he was bested, Feliks relaxed his grip on his own gun. I grabbed it and scrambled to my feet.
I was shocked to see my half-brother Leo, and hurriedly told Karine who he was. Stunned, she sank onto the bed and pressed her hand against her chest.
“Did the Morozovs just save us?”
Leo grinned. “You’re damn right, we did. Now go wait in the living room.”
She stood but faltered when she looked down at her father with the gun still pressed against his head and my foot on his chest.
“We’re just trussing him up for easy transport,” Leo told her, saying in an undertone to me, “For now.”
She nodded and scurried toward the door. We pulled her father to a standing position and just as she was about to leave the room, he went berserk, throwing his weight at Leo and knocking him to the ground. Then he lunged at her, smashing her into the doorframe. When I heard her cry of pain, my vision went red. As his fist raised to strike Karine, I whirled him away from her by the back of his neck. He turned to me with a snarl on his face. A face full of hatred. The face of a man who’d kill his own daughter because he didn’t get his way.
Without thinking, I raised the gun to his chest and fired.
The sound rang out, seeming louder than the wild shots during our tussle. A red stain bloomed over his heart and he dropped to the floor.
I couldn’t believe I actually killed someone. And Karine’s father, of all people. I looked at her, about to babble an apology, but she threw herself into my arms. Leo took the gun from my hand and left the room, saying he’d get whoever was left from Feliks’s crew out of the area.
“We shouldn’t stay long,” he warned. “As much as we don't like US police attention, we really don’t want the Mexican police on our asses.”
I could tell Karine was in shock as she continued to silently hold onto me. I might have been, too. But I gathered up some of our things and got us out of there, sorry to have to say goodbye to our little home like that. Right before we followed Leo out the door, I left behind a wad of money for the landlord to cover the damage. He’d been a good guy letting us rent without any references and if he couldn’t get the blood stains out of the carpet, I left him enough to replace it.
Leo led us to his SUV parked on the next block and the only thing I knew was we were heading north. I kept my arms tight around Karine in the back seat, trying to find the right words to say to express my regret. I could only manage to tell her I loved her, hoping it was enough for now.
“I love you, too,” she whispered to my surprise, then repeated it more forcefully.
I couldn’t believe how good it felt to hear her finally say it even though I knew. Her actions had shown it, but I could have listened to her say it a thousand times more.
I opened my mouth to tell her how sorry I was, but she reached up and pressed her finger against my mouth. “Stop feeling guilty. He had to go.”
“Karine,” I said. “I still—”
“No,” she interrupted. “I’ll always choose you, just like you chose me.”
I pulled her close and she rested her head on my shoulder. There would probably be a deeper conversation about this in the future, but for now my heart was at ease with my wife safe in my arms.
Leo turned around from the front seat. “Are you two ready to get back in the game?” His grin was wide and expectant, and even the driver had a knowing smirk. Crazy Bratva, always raring for a fight.
I looked to Karine for the answer. “Whatever you want to do.”
Her smile took over her pretty face. “Hell, yeah. More than ready.”
And so was I. For whatever came next.
Epilogue - Karine
One week later
Miami
I was stunned at how welcoming the Morozovs were to me when we returned to Miami. Evelina offered to help me plan another wedding if I wanted, and Roman seemed all for it. I told them I’d think about it, not wanting to disappoint them, but I was never that concerned about the wedding aspect of being married. I just wanted to end up with someone I loved who loved me back. And I got that, so no need for another ceremony.
