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It was Danny.
He had my dad in a headlock, both of his legs wrapped around Dad’s waist like a boa constrictor, and he was slowly choking the fight of him. Our gazes clashed, and I could see in that brief moment that Danny wanted to kill him. He wanted to end my father’s reign of terror against my family. He wanted to deliver us from the abuse and the fear.
“No,” I croaked, my voice rough. “We need him alive.”
Another man, one I had never seen before, crouched down beside Danny. He had spiderwebs tattooed on his hand and neck. His aura was one of pure danger. This man had seen things. This man had done things.
He said something in Russian, something slow but firm. It seemed to shake Danny from his stupor, and he eased up on the forearm he had against Dad’s throat. Burt flopped to the floor, unconscious but alive.
Danny crawled toward me. He seemed unable to speak, unable to find the words to say what we both were thinking. He cupped my face and pressed his forehead to mine. I didn’t realize I was crying until his thumbs stroked the tears on my skin.
Overwhelmed, I clutched at his shoulders and buried my face in the crook of his neck. I sobbed hysterically and held onto him with trembling hands. Danny combed his fingers through my hair and gently shushed me, rocking me side to side like a baby. “You’re all right now. I’m here, Macy.”
“Don’t let go,” I begged. “Please don’t let go.”
“Never,” he promised and squeezed me tighter. “I’m never letting go, Macy.”
For the first time in years, I felt truly safe. I closed my eyes and reveled in the strength of Danny. My man. My protector. “I love you, Danila.”
He kissed my cheek. “Ya ne mogu zhit' bez tebya.”
I didn’t have to speak Russian to understand what he meant.
Chapter Sixteen
Five Weeks Later
Danny checked his watch for the third time. He was cutting it close. If Sean didn’t show up in the next five minutes, he was leaving and would have to reschedule their meeting. He refused to be late for his date tonight.
There were two minutes left on his deadline when Sean sauntered into the coffee shop. He wore another of his crisply tailored suits, this one a subdued black. He looked every bit the wealthy asshole he was, and Danny couldn’t help but wonder how big of a problem he was going to be in the future. Not that he would have to deal with it, of course. He was leaving for Riga in two days.
“Danny Boy,” Sean greeted patronizingly. “Sorry I’m running a bit late.”
Danny checked his watch. “You have seven minutes.”
Sean grinned and slipped into the seat across from him. “I’ll make it quick.”
“It’s done?” Danny asked, meeting Sean’s black gaze. It meaning Burt. Done meaning dead.
“Handled it myself,” Sean said with a too pleased smile. He reminded Danny of a great white shark with that predatory gleam. “I wanted to thank you again for that little bit of help. Breaking his jaw before handing him over to the police was a good call. Kept him nice and quiet while we sorted things on our end.”
That had been Kostya’s suggestion. Danny didn’t think he would ever forget the sound of Burt’s jaw shattering or the sinister ease with which Kostya accomplished it. Boychenko wouldn’t forget it either. He had practically been taking notes while shadowing his mentor as they staged the scene and gave Janie and Macy their script.
Burt had kidnapped Janie. Paulie had been helping Macy find her stepmother. There was a fight. Paulie broke Burt’s jaw. Burt beat Paulie before collapsing. Macy called 9-1-1 with Paulie’s phone.
Danny had been hidden nearby, Boychenko at his side, while they watched the police and EMS respond to the trailer. Burt had been arrested. Macy, Janie and Paulie had been taken by ambulance to the hospital.
In the aftermath, the police had uncovered what Macy had already discovered about Burt’s tangled web of lies. Fellow inmates at the jail under the control of Nikolai, Besian and the Leungs had applied the right amount of pressure to Burt, encouraging him to tell an approved version of the truth.
Burt had probably believed he would get to live as long as he kept his mouth shut. He was wrong. As soon as Janie had gotten her kids back and the charges against her were dropped, arrangements had been made to handle Burt once and for all. He wouldn’t be allowed to stand trial or take a plea bargain for the kidnapping of Janie, the attempted manslaughter against Paulie who still hadn’t fully recovered or the attempted murder of his family.
“How?” Danny asked, wondering how Burt had met his end.
Sean smirked. “Did you know that when you have your jaw wired shut, they tell you to carry wire cutters?”
Danny narrowed his eyes. “Wire cutters?”
“In case you get sick.” He mimicked an eruption of vomit with his hand sliding from his belly to his throat. “Choking. Aspiration. Terrible way to go.” He shrugged. “I guess that’s the risk you take drinking those prison kitchen smoothies. Who knows what could get into them?”
