Page 240 of Assassin

“I’m sorry,” she said. “I have to do this for family, and for myself. I have to risk the fact that I might not be strong enough to face him and win.”

She kissed him.

Alyona’s mouth moved slowly over his as she held onto him. When she broke the kiss, he had a tear running down his cheek.

“I need a promise,” he said.

She listened.

“If he tries to hurt you, then, you forget that he’s the monster, and you become the monster. I need you to survive for me, Aly. If anything happens to you, I’m following. You’re mine, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Just survive for me.”

She’d try.

Since he went there, so would she.

“And I want a promise.”

He knew this one would hurt.

“What?”

“I already asked you to put me down if he gets me, but if he kills me, don’t follow me. Live. Fight for me, and fight for love. I wish I could have met you under different circumstances, but that won’t change this.”

He stopped her.

“No. I won’t love again. It’s you or nothing, so I suggest you make it back to me. I suggest that when you’re facing him, you dig deep and you fight to live. Fight for me, Aly.”

He kissed her again, and took that moment to hold onto her because it could be the last.

“I love you, and when you make it back, we’re getting married.”

She smiled softly.

“Deal.”

When she pushed off of the bed, she knew what she needed to do.

Heading into the kitchen area of the bunker, she found everyone sitting there working out a plan. They were trying to figure out how to get Alexsandr.

Merry was having no luck pinpointing him in the Ninth Ward.

“We need to catch him before he leaves,” Elizabeth said. “We might have to go old school and use Dakota and his tracking skills. We just need to draw him out. He’s laying low. Spooking him might not have been my best plan.”

Dakota nodded.

“I can do that. I just need to pick up his trail. I can start at the airstrip.”

Elizabeth was honest.

“We locked down the American businessman’s jet, and he’s not happy. He’s about to be less happy when I accuse him of aiding and abetting a terrorist.”

“And if he’s already under?” Greyson asked, sipping his coffee.

Aly moved closer and knew it was time she took control of her life and made a stand. She wanted to get back to Jax.

She wanted to get back to Boston.

“I can draw him out,” she said, catching everyone off guard.

---