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“She’s safer with us.” I stare into Eden’s eyes, and the desperate look on her face dissolves into knowing.
Her voice contains firmness as she speaks directly to Pavel. “Treat my cousin as a guest, and I promise she won’t lash out again.”
Mercy’s eyes widen in shock. “Edie …”
Eden gives Mercy a stern look, and she instantly closes her mouth. Mercy wavers a moment on her feet, looking a little defeated as she understands she won’t get what she wants, not even from her own cousin.
Eden motions to Dominika, who gets a pair of scissors and cuts the ties on Mercy’s wrists.
“Do not make me regret this,” Eden tells Mercy, her voice strained and hard. “You may think we’re being unkind, but you’re in danger until we prove who’s responsible.”
“Are you serious, Edie?” Mercy’s eyes stare at Eden as if she’s gone mad along with the rest of us. “Yourfathertried to fucking shoot us. What the hell is wrong with him? When I tell my father …”
“You won’t,” Eden cuts her off. “This is Bratva business. And the Bratva will take care of it.”
“Edie,” Mercy tries again, but Eden won’t acknowledge her pleading gaze. She turns to glare at me instead. “My father told you to take care of me, Starukhin. But it’s not you I trust; it’s my cousin.” Her gaze shifts toward Pavel, and her eyes fill with unadulterated anger. “And my threat toyoustill stands.”
Eden lifts her chin. “Dominika, show my cousin to my old room.” She then looks at Mercy. “You will stay there, you will rest, and I will come see you after I speak to Nikolai.”
She speaks in a tone that brooks no argument. Underneath the calmness of her words, I can sense something else. Something powerful. Something dangerous.
Mercy frowns, and her shoulders slacken somewhat. It seems that she can sense it too.
“You learned quick, Edie.” Her voice deflates somewhat.
She glances around the room, and the flicker of defiance in her gaze slowly gives way to cold ashes. She knows she has no choice but to obey Eden’s wishes. Calmly, Dominika leads her up the spiral staircase. The click of the bedroom door echoes in the silence of the office, and then the chaos begins again as Gunsyn and Alexander enter.
“You can’t keep her here.” Alexander’s gaze hardens on mine. “The woman is a threat. She is full Lanzzare.” His eyes go to Eden. “She won’t be so easy to tame.”
“Keep your hands off my cousin,” Eden warns. “You’re not taking her to a warehouse and holding her to do whatever your filthy mind pleases.”
“She’s a Lanzzare!” shouts Gunsyn. “She is not Bratva,” he scoffs at Eden. “And you’re barely Bratva.”
“We all know who is responsible,” Eden snaps back. “Why are you being pigheaded?”
“One wrong move,” Gunsyn warns Eden, “and I swear, I’ll?—”
“Enough!” My voice silences their bickering instantly. “If you’re afraid of wrong moves, then don’t make any.” I meet Gunsyn’s gaze with a nastier one. “I’ve made it clear she’s a guest under my roof. We will take down the one responsible for the attack.”
The angry voices quiet, and I pull Eden against my side, holding her tight. I glimpse our reflection in the tall windows. A gray image of a battered couple on what should’ve been the happiest day of our lives.
Instead, I’m debating a hostage’s fate with my brigadiers.
And later, I’ll arrange a funeral.
“Nikolai Gennadyevich,” Gunsyn says, his voice low and cautious. “I know you want to keep the girl safe, but my boys are questioning the decision already. They think having her here while Zakhar is on the loose is too dangerous.”
I clench my jaw to maintain control. “Am I your pakhan, or are they?” I ask evenly. “Zakhar is not interested in Mercy Genovesi. Besides, she saved my life, and I owe her for that.”
“Saved your life?” asks Alexander.
“I walked into a Lanzzare-owned establishment. And Ms. Genovesi treated me like a customer instead of calling her father. I was unarmed, without guards, and Eden was with me. Yet I left there alive and whole. She did the same for Larissa.”
“Did she know who you were?” asks Alexander in disbelief.
“Of course she knew,” I snap.
“With all due respect, Nikolai Gennadyevich. She’s not one of us.”
