Page 72 of Sexting the Silverfox

“Where’s Lily?” I ask. “Are she and Rita safe?”

“Yes, an Army buddy of mine has eyes on them. They’re in Nebraska, safe and far enough away until I give them the green light to come back.”

“And what about your business, your projects? You had so much on your plate already.”

Jason gives me a warm smile before he devours his food. “Baby, everything is okay. I’ve got executive boards overseeing these things. None of it matters to me unless you are out of the danger zone for good.”

“Which brings me to my next question. How will I get out of the danger zone for good? My father is relentless, Jason. He’ll come after me, your death threats notwithstanding.”

The mere thought of going back to New York with my father fills me with the kind of dread I’d hoped to never feel again. Yet there’s a constant nagging feeling in the back of my mind, a sensation that refuses to go away, that it will somehow get worse.

I know my father well. I know my brothers are powerless before him. Jason may have the juice to take him on, but I’m not sure how such a war will unfold and how many people will die in the process. The Bratva is not to be taken lightly, particularly when it comes to family affairs.

“I’ve made every phone call that I could think of to every contact that might be useful: the DoD, the DoJ, the Army, the Navy, former servicemembers, and a few folks I know in intelligence. I’ve pointed every single light onto New York to make sure your father keeps busy for as long as possible,” he says, but even I can sense the doubt in his voice.

“Will it be enough?”

“I’m not sure. I hope so. But I can’t promise a swift conclusion. Maybe we’ll wear him out. Add that leg injury and his bruised ego into the mix, and, hopefully, that will be plenty to keep him at bay for long enough.”

“We can’t hide here forever,” I exhale sharply.

But Jason has no intention of letting me succumb to my own despair again. He reaches across the counter and gently caresses my cheek. “Audrey, no one will come between us. I am done letting other people tell us what to do with our lives, with our love. Do you hear me?”

“Loud and clear.”

“I know this isn’t the ideal scenario, but we do need to lay low until they conclude their investigation. Someone needs to be held accountable for Arkady’s death. I covered my tracks and got rid of the weapon and the bullets, too. I was careful, and I’ve got enough backup in the Chicago PD to never deal with this issue going forward. Let’s give it a few days and see how the pieces land on the game board,” he says. “The cops might go so hard after your dad that he will simply have no resources left to hunt you down again. Let’s not forget that he and your brothers dropped quite a few Abramovic bodies before Arkady took you. They have to deal with that, too.”

I’m not the wishful-thinking type, but I am tempted to believe that the legal repercussions of my father’s and my brothers’ actions will be enough to get me out of their crosshairs. Maybe this was it for them. Maybe the law will catch up, I don’t know. The prospect of knowing my family is in prison isn’t the prettiest scenario, but it beats having my ass dragged back to New York. It beats being forced into a marriage I don’t want.

Besides, I’ve got a baby on the way, a future with Jason and Lily. I’m beyond determined to keep them in my life, to experience true love and happiness by their side. I deserve a real family, a good family. They are it for me.

As the days go by, the media coverage of the Abramovic Bratva dwindles more and more. My brothers have also gone radio silent, though I’m not sure that’s such a good thing. The last time we spoke, they were still in the hospital, and our father was awake and seething. The investigation is underway, and according to Jason’s cop buddies, they’re definitely looking at the Fedorovs for Arkady’s death.

There aren’t many witnesses willing to come forward, though, mainly because there’s an internal struggle unfolding within the Abramovic family. Arkady’s demise left a vacuum of power, and all of his cousins and money-loving lieutenants have been killing each other so they can get that top seat for themselves.

One thing is certain, however. No one in the Abramovic Bratva is interested in Arkady’s plans for New York. His death has caused such an imbalance across Chicago alone that they simply do not have the manpower nor the bandwidth to continue his insane project. That puts me in the clear, as far as they’re concerned.

Sitting in the living room one afternoon, I browse through the news channels on the wall-mounted TV, hoping to learn more about any new developments in the investigation. The police haven’t issued a statement to the press, just a memo stating that they had mounted a joint task force. The FBI, the ATF, the DEA, and the local PD. It’s all hands on deck, apparently.

Jason comes in and joins me on the sofa, having just finished another round of phone calls. I give him a curious look while simultaneously making myself comfortable in his arms. This man soothes me with his very presence, but the genuine care he shows for my and the baby’s well-being only makes me love him more. Gently, he rests a hand on my belly. “How’s the little guy doing?” he asks.

“What if it’s a little girl?”

“Good grief. Then it’ll be me against three women. Make that four if you count Rita. I’m screwed,” he sighs in a hilariously dramatic fashion. I like this playful side of him. “I’ll be happy either way. If it’s another girl, I will need to prepare for their teenage years. Going to have a lot of boys to scare off.”

“I think you’ll do just fine there,” I giggle. “How is Lily?”

Jason takes a deep breath and kisses my temple. “She’s good. I just spoke to her, in fact. She wants to come back to Chicago, obviously. She misses us, but Rita keeps her busy with her schoolwork and activities.”

“Lily’s way too young to understand.”

“Even if she were older, I wouldn’t tell her everything. It’s too much for her. She’s innocent. She doesn’t need to know the extreme ugliness of this world. Not yet anyway.”

“You can’t protect her forever,” I say, though I wish I’d been as sheltered as Lily ultimately is. She has no idea of how cruel and unforgiving people can be. Family included.

“I know. But I can still try,” Jason chuckles.

A knock on the door has us both standing up so fast that I get dizzy for a second. Jason immediately goes into his protective mode. “Don’t move,” he whispers. “If I say run, you bolt through the back door, you hear me?”

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