Page 64 of Savage Surrender

I suspected she was being conversational to preoccupy me from the scarier things on my mind. “I’m not going to let you get my hopes up where Max is concerned.”

“Don’t. It’s never smart to get your hopes up too high.”

I liked her no-nonsense attitude. But I’d remain guarded until my brother was safe and sound. “And if Viktor and I can ever be together, it won’t be as a Petrov marrying into the Baranov Family. I’m a package deal with Maxim.”

“Tell me about him. Lev mentioned that he’s deaf. One of our housemaids has a granddaughter living there. She’s also deaf.”

“Maxim has never met another deaf child.” I signed it to her. “I read up and taught myself ASL to teach him.”

“Impressive,” she said and signed. “Laura, the girl at the house, is teaching several of us ASL too.”

She loosened me up, talking about Maxim. I shared more about him, detailing our love of books and how he wanted to be an artistandan engineer when he grew up.

After I told her more about Maxim, she asked about Kelly, and I hated that I had to admit I didn’t have much to tell her. “I tried to engage her in small talk, but she was aloof.”

“That sounds like her. She really started to pull away from me when Lev and I got more serious. Rurik still checks on her.” She paused. “You know the one I’m talking about, right?”

I nodded. “Rurik is still there, just kind of keeping an eye out on things.”

She arched a brow. “Just like you were?”

“Nice try. I’m not telling anyone about what I was supposed to spy on. Not until Maxim is here.”

She held her hands up in a truce. “Fair enough.”

Fair? I was shocked she’d say that. I was holding out on information until I got my way. That was the basis of negotiations. But from her perspective, I was asking them to give in before I did. It was a savage tactic that I hoped wouldn’t backfire.

“I know my uncle will appreciate anything you can tell him.”

I slumped forward, resting my chin in my hands. “It’s not exactly anything huge. Even I was limited to what I could know. Because I’m just the ‘worthless daughter’.”

She rolled her eyes, commiserating. “Still, you have insider eyes on what Igor is up to. It will help us.”

“I’m sure you can already assume a lot.”

“That he’s trying to take over. That he’s not above using the Ilyins. Or us. Or…” She shrugged.

“I would be proud to help bring him down. I’ve dreamed of getting out from under my father since I was a child. After Maxim was born and my mother passed away from his childbirth, he started using me. To listen in on conversations.To drop trackers. To implant listening devices and recorders. All kinds of spying, all to have him make good on his promise to ‘let’ Maxim live.”

“What an asshole.” Eva scowled. “My father is just a drunk. A fool. Oleg is my uncle, but he’s always been more of a father to me than Boris. I’m grateful to have hadonefather in my life.”

“Like I said, lucky you.”

“Maybeyourluck is turning around now.”

I hoped so. I truly hoped that Viktor could fight for me, for us, and we could all have a better life than before.

29

VIKTOR

Lev reported in to me throughout the night, but nothing he said counted as good news.

“He’s not there.”

I sat on the edge of my bed and buried my face in my hands. “He’s not at the apartment near the docks?”

“No,” Lev answered on the video call, furrowing his brow. Tall buildings loomed in his background, but he wasn’t hands-on with this ops. Because of his recent capture and injuries, and the rise of his power as Oleg seemed to appoint him as his right-hand man, he had to play it safe and not allow himself to be in as vulnerable of a position in the field right now. He was near the apartment building where Maxim Petrov was supposed to have been moved to according to Irina.

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