Page 252 of Assassin

“If I call him, he’ll know it’s me. My face changed, but my voice hasn’t.”

From where he stood, Heath didn’t like this. Alyona was his wife’s sister, and he’d promised Nikita that he’d keep her safe.

If he ever wanted to see Nikki’s knockers, he needed to deliver.

“And if he gets you, he will kill you because you went under. Is this really worth the risk?”

She looked over at him.

“For me, it is. I’m hiding from the monster like I’m scared he’ll hurt me. He can’t hurt me more than he did, but if I don’t risk it, everyone is in danger. I can’t let him hurt anyone’s children, or any other woman. He’s sick. I can pretend with the best of them. He won’t meet me out in the open. He fears how his parents were killed. He will meet with me in private.”

Maura was honest.

“Inside is harder. We can’t protect you inside.”

She shrugged.

“He isn’t going to kill me right away. He’ll want to knock me around a little bit. All night, I thought about this. If I don’t face what scares me, my nightmare will become everyone’s. I can’t do that to you guys. He can abuse me, but he can’t scare me anymore.”

Jax actually growled.

It was clear he didn’t like the idea of his woman being touched by anyone.

Greyson put his hand on his shoulder to reassure him.

“She can hold her own.”

Aly turned to face her man.

“My love, there’s nothing he can do to me that wasn’t already done. I just need two promises from everyone.”

They waited.

“If you give me those two things, I promise to help take him down. I’ll be bait.”

Jagger was curious.

“What do you want?”

She was honest.

“You never, ever, ever let him have Ajax. I love him, and he’s my heart. If Alexsandr were to find out I fell in love with someone…”

Jax kissed her knuckles.

“Like you, I can hold my own, my love.”

She shook her head.

“You’re the only thing he can use to break me. If he gets you, I won’t hold up. I’ll do anything to save you.”

She focused on everyone there.

“You protect Jax from him. No matter what—even if I call and ask him to be brought. You don’t do it.”

Elizabeth understood.

“We can agree to that.”

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