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“I murdered my own brother and the only woman I have ever loved, printsessa. Alexei Ivanov is not a man of mercy,” he sneers as he raises his arm and I see the glint of a blade as he brings it toward Liam’s neck. Before he can make contact, I squeeze the trigger of my gun and the blade clatters to the floor as Alexei clutches his throat where the bullet has just torn straight through it. He drops to the floor and I run to Liam, catching him before he hits the ground too.
“Liam.” I smooth the blood matted hair from his forehead. “I’m here, baby. I’ve got you,” I say as I wrap him in my arms. The sound of Alexei choking on his own blood next to us is of little comfort as I wonder at the easiest way to get Liam out of this place and to a hospital as quickly as possible. He can’t stand and there is no way I can lift him. But like an answer to my prayers, Shane is right beside me.
“You did good, Hacker. Now let’s get him out of here,” he says as he hoists Liam up and onto his shoulder.
“How long have you been in here?” I pant with the effort of lifting Liam’s weight.
“Long enough. Now let’s go. We need to get him to the car.”
As we’re making our way out of the room, I steal a quick glance back at Alexei. His blood pools on the floor beneath him as he lies there with lifeless eyes. But I can’t take a chance. Too many ghosts from my past haunt me. I won’t allow another one to do that. I raise my gun again and discharge my remaining bullets into his motionless body.
Shane stands with Liam and waits for me. When I’m done, I take half of Liam’s weight again and we leave the room without another word. We meet up with Conor and Mikey along the hallway and I’m relieved to see they are both unharmed. They both run to us, but it is Mikey who takes his twin from me and Shane, lifting his brother into his arms.
“The car is still out front. We need to check him over and see if we need to head to the ER,” Shane snaps as he indicates the door.
“Then let’s get the fuck out of here,” Conor snarls as we turn for the exit.
Before we reach it, my father’s second in command, Vlad, steps into our path out of nowhere.
Shane points a gun at Vlad’s head, and the Russian holds his hands out in surrender as his eyes lock on me. “Where are you going? This is all yours now, Jessica,” he says as he looks around the huge mansion.
“What? Are you serious?”
“You’re the only surviving member of the Ivanov family,” he says solemnly. “You are the new head of the Bratva.”
Shane and Conor stare at me while Mikey shifts Liam’s weight in his arms.
“I am not the head of the Bratva!” I snarl.
“But, this is all yours.”
“You can have it, Vlad. I don’t want any of it. You were his second, so you take over.” I spent more time with Vlad than I did Alexei the last time I was at this mansion, after my father lured me here under false pretenses. My instincts tell me he is a better man than his predecessor ever was.
“I don’t understand,” he frowns at me.
“I hate the Bratva. They’ve taken everything from me.”
“But, you are Jessica Ivanov. You are the Bratva,” he replies, as though he’s unable to comprehend why I wouldn’t want this.
“Jessica Ivanov died ten years ago. My name is Jessie Ryan.”
Conor takes hold of my hand and squeezes and moves to stand beside me.
Vlad stares at me for a few seconds, and then he nods his head in comprehension.
“I trust there will be no more bloodshed between our families?” I say to him.
“Of course not. It is done. I wish you a long and happy life, Jessie Ryan,” he says as he steps aside and allows us all to walk freely past him.
Chapter
Eight
JESSIE
Sitting on the back seat of the SUV, I cradle Liam’s head on my lap as he drifts in and out of consciousness. Conor drives as fast as the car will allow, while Shane talks on the phone, making arrangements for their personal physician, Dr. Lisa Adams, and a surgeon friend of hers to be waiting at the apartment for us as soon as we get back. Shane and Conor quickly checked Liam over as soon as we got him to the car and decided we should head straight home.
Mikey sits in the back seat with Liam and me, staring anxiously at his injured twin brother.
