If I leave, my baby nephew will be all alone and unprotected in this place.

I can’t even tell Katia and Ruslan to take care of it because that will lead back to me.

A man crouches and picks Gareth up. “There you are, troublemaker. I told you not to call strangers auntie.”

A breath heaves out of me at seeing Asher. He gives me an impersonal smile as if it’s the first time he’s seeing me and nails the role so well. “Sorry about that.”

“Don’t worry about it.” I make sure Aleksander sees my fake smile.

Seeming to lose interest, he turns and joins his boss.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper to Asher, who nods in understanding before he takes a protesting Gareth inside.

My chest aches at the inability to hold my nephew or kiss him. It’s better this way, for his sake.

Once again, I type in the group chat.

Rai: Gareth and Asher are in this restaurant, and Reina must be here, too. Follow them from afar and make sure they get home safe and no one suspects anything. Do not under any circumstances make direct contact unless they’re in danger.

Ruslan: Yes, boss.

Katia: On it.

I half-jog to Kirill’s car just before Aleksander closes the door. I push past him and sit beside Damien.

“What the fuck are you doing?” Kirill watches me as if I grew a second head.

“Take me back with you.”

“You have your own car.”

“It’s broken down. Ruslan is trying to fix it.”

“Do I look like a taxi to you?”

“Well, you could be one.”

“Leave, Rai.” Damien sips from his vodka. “Kirill and I have a meeting.”

I’m well aware, but if they think they can get rid of me this easily, they’re mistaken.

“Then do it after you drop me off.”

Kirill shrugs a shoulder. “Or I can just throw you out.”

“You just wasted a minute. We would’ve arrived faster if we’d taken off already, besides…Abe told me something after you left.”

“Who cares what that delusional old man says?” Damien mocks.

Kirill does because he motions at his driver to go. Aleksander gives me a peculiar glance from the passenger seat, then immediately conceals it. Please tell me he doesn’t suspect anything about Asher and Gareth.

As soon as the car rolls out of the parking lot, followed by another vehicle that’s full of Kirill and Damien’s guards, I try to get comfy. As comfy as it gets with two large men dwarfing the back seat.

“What did Abe say?” Kirill asks.

“It’s about Damien,” I say, slowly gauging his reaction, but he appears completely uninterested. “Don’t you want to know?”

“I do want to know why you said I’ll think about it. You want to marry me off, Rai?”

“If it benefits the brotherhood, why not settle down?”

“Settle down? What are you, my mother?”

“First of all, eww. Second of all, just go with it.”

“Just like you went with your own marriage? It’s so boring if we’re all so sacrificial like you, Rayenka.”

“Does that mean you won’t do it?”

“I don’t see why I should.”

“You can’t disrespect Abe that way, Damien. He’s one of the strongest allies we can have.”

Kirill readjusts his glasses. “And he will become our worst enemy if this bull kills his daughter in one of his violent episodes.”

“You hurt women?” I snap at Damien.

He continues sipping from his vodka before he lowers his mouth to my ear. “When they get close, yes. Why? You want to test it?”

I push him away, glaring. “You will control that side of you and treat Abe’s daughter well, and if I find out you hurt any woman, you’ll have me to answer to.”

He grins. “Will it be kinky?”

I’m about to gouge his eyes out when the car swerves and comes to a screeching halt. The force is so strong that I bump against the back of Aleksander’s seat.

“What is it?” Kirill barks at his driver in Russian.

“Don’t know, sir. There’s something on the road—”

His words cut off when a shot lodges straight in his chest. Aleksander gets his gun out, cursing, but it’s too late.

Gunshots erupt from all directions.

We’re under attack.

17

Kyle

This isn’t exactly where I want to be.

It’s not where I should be either. Who gives a fuck about the Russians’ business? Certainly not me.

The only things I would rather be doing right now is either shooting the fucker Rolan in the face or eating my wife out. There’s no in between.

The first part is out, for now. I asked Flame to stay on standby—an option he wasn’t so thrilled about since the lack of action bores him.

That makes two of us. Flame and I are the types who won’t accept a mission if we don’t deem it exciting enough. The adrenaline wave is our bitch and we ride it every chance we get. Now, the only one I want to ride me is Rai.

I like how adorable she looks when she thinks she has the upper hand before I flip her on to her back and tease her while—

“Focus.” Adrian speaks low enough so only I can hear. “Or try to appear as if you’re focusing.”

We’re sitting in one of the Bratva’s empty clubs downtown with the Lucianos’ underboss, Nicolo. He brought a dozen guards with him, and they are currently watching the sparse staff buzzing around.

Since it’s not opening time yet, the workers are in the prepping phase. Nicolo is known for his distrustful nature, and he’s the reason why Lazlo was reluctant about an alliance, but even he can’t ignore the danger to his boss’s life—who also happens to be his eldest brother. So in a way, his hand was forced by me.

Adrian should thank me. If it weren’t for my very convenient interference, he wouldn’t have Nicolo exactly where he wants him. I can be such a good sport when need be.

Nicolo sucks a drag of his cigarette and blows the smoke upward. When he speaks, he does so with a sophisticated Italian accent. “Rolan has been teaming up with Albanians.”

“Is that so?” Adrian twirls the ice in his whiskey as he exchanges a glance with me.