Page 95 of Shackled

But what lies ahead still thrills me.

“Are you alright?” Lev asks, his hand on my lower back. “Do you need crackers or lemonade or something?”

I smile at him. “How did you know those things can help?”

He shrugs. “I have a sister, a mother, and the internet.” I smile at him, but he forgot one thing—an interest in my wellbeing. I know that now.

“I’m good. There’s just so much that’s happened, and I have mixed feelings about going home to Colombia.”

He nods. “Makes sense.”

Leaning in, he gives me a quick peck on the cheek, but it’s all I need. I draw in a breath and square my shoulders, ready to go. We finish packing in record time.

Lev wraps his arms around me from behind, resting his chin on my shoulder. “Are you ready for this?”

“Yeah, but I need to know. Where is Renata?”

“She’s with Ollie,” he says, opening the car door for me and gesturing for me to get inside.

“With Ollie,” I repeat, but he doesn’t offer any more details.

“She’s fine,” he says. “Promise.”

She’s my best friend in the hands of men who were rival mafia this time last month. But he’s right—I must trust him.

“Can I talk to her?”

“Soon.”

I slide into the seat. It’s a cool day in autumn, but the seat is warm. “Did you heat the car up?”

“Seat warmer.” I didn’t know until now how much I needed this in my life.

I lean back and nod, drawing strength from his presence. “Let’s do this.”

He fields calls on his phone while I watch the world wake up around us. It’s a new day, a new beginning. And with Lev by my side, I feel almost invincible.

I wordlessly place my hand on my belly. The thought of having a baby with him… it isn’t as bad as I thought.

We make it to the plane in record time. He isn’t fooling around—no helicopters or commercial flights. It’s a private plane he secured just this morning.

We board the plane, and as it takes off, I gaze out the window at the shrinking landscape below.

Lev takes my hand, squeezing it gently. “To our future,” he says, his voice filled with determination.

“To our future,” I echo, smiling at him.

As the plane soars into the sky, I close my eyes and steel myself for what lies ahead.

I need to prepare. I need to know everything. My eyes still closed; I ask about the aftermath of last night.

“Was anyone injured?”

“Viktor shot Carlos several times and left him for dead. He then called in to update us; when he returned to collect him, his body was gone; he was found crawling through the woods a while later, it’s unclear if he’ll survive. Javier is confirmed dead. The clean-up crew took care of him.”

“Where are they taking Carlos?”

I open one eye in time to note a shadow crossing his features. With our shift in allegiance, it’s time for him to tell me confidential information. It will take time to build a comfortable place of trust. But we’re learning. Step by step, little by little.

---