Page 110 of Hunter

I lower my head and kiss her belly, pressing my lips to the small bump holding our child. A feeling of protectiveness swells within me, and for the first time in weeks, the weight on my chest lightens. I don’t know how we’ll survive what’s to come, but I’ll be damned if I let anything happen to them. They are everything, and I will do whatever it takes to make sure they’re safe.

FORTY-FIVE

MAXIM

“Stop.” I scream, slamming my open palm on my desk, the force reverberating through the room. Everyone stops and turns to face me. “We will not plan anything if you all keep screaming over each other. We need to get past our differences.” My voice is strained, the tension of the moment crawling under my skin. I glance at Sophia for support. Ten minutes into this chaotic planning session, Luca had already called it, and now Sophia, with a massive headache, had retreated to the corner. Or at least that’s what I thought. I’m starting to wonder if she just wanted to escape the chaos.

She gives me a sympathetic smile before standing and sitting on my lap, offering some much-needed comfort. “Maxim is right. We need to move past all the negativity if we’re going to figure out who these people are and what they’re planning.” She looks at Andrei. “Jenny was controlled, just as Elena was. Place your anger on the rightful person. She had no control over anything either.”

“That’s bullshit. You’re making excuses for her!” Andrei screams, his voice raw with frustration.

“Lower your fucking voice when speaking to Sophia,” I growl, a surge of protectiveness rising within me.

Sophia pats my leg gently, a calming gesture. “It’s okay. He’s angry. He has the right to be angry.” She sighs, her shoulders slumping with the weight of everything. “But I’m not defending her actions, especially involving Elena. That was her idea.”

Jennifer speaks up, her voice quiet but firm. “To my defense?—”

Andrei’s head snaps toward her, his eyes blazing with anger. “You’re not allowed a defense.”

“I know you’re angry, and I’m sorry for what I did to you and Elena,” Jennifer says, her voice thick with remorse. “But helping the syndicate was the only way I saw of getting out of a hard situation. And involving Elena was my way of trying to help her too. You know how hard she had it, living under her father’s roof.”

From the back of the room, Elena speaks up, her voice soft but cutting. “Jenny was trying to help me at first.” To my surprise, Jennifer and Elena have been friends for years, a strange but understandable pairing. Jennifer is strong, outspoken, confident. Elena, on the other hand, is quiet and reserved, her life shaped by the torment her father inflicted. “I tried to end it. I told her I couldn’t keep doing this. I was in love and pregnant. I couldn’t keep helping her. At first, I thought she understood, but I was wrong. She threatened the baby.”

“I’m sorry for doing that to you, Elena,” Jennifer says, her voice trembling with regret. “I know it might not mean much right now, but I would never hurt you or the baby. I was desperate. They were breathing down my neck, and I didn’t know what else to do.”

Elena’s eyes soften, but the bitterness remains. “Deep down, I know that, but it doesn’t change what you did. It doesn’t change the damage it caused.” Elena stands, her gaze flicking to Andrei, waiting for him to follow. But he doesn’t move, noteven a glance in her direction. Elena sighs, clearly used to this dynamic, and leaves the room.

Andrei’s eyes meet mine, and I silently ask if he’s okay. He shakes his head, and I can feel the weight of his frustration.

Sophia stands from my lap, sits next to Andrei, and says something to him in a low voice. His lips curl into a lopsided smile, and he presses a gentle kiss to her forehead. At least they’re not at each other’s throats anymore.

Luca leans back in his chair, stretching his arms as if to break the lingering tension in the air. “Now that the pleasantries are out of the way, what’s our next step?” His tone is dry, but I can tell he’s ready to move on.

I cut straight to the point, frustration mounting. “What do you know about the syndicate?” I’ve been dying to ask him this, but between all the shouting and Luca’s constant commentary, it was impossible to get a word in.

Sophia chimes in before Luca can answer. “The best place to start is to learn more about them. We can’t attack ghosts.” She’s right. We need information.

“I tried looking through my father’s old files on his computer,” I say, frustration creeping into my voice as I recall the failed attempt. “Nothing popped up. If he had ties to them, he hid it well.” I pause. “This falls on you, Luca. Sophia’s dad said your father was part of the syndicate. You’ll have better luck finding information than me.”

Luca leans forward, his expression serious. “I’m heading back to New York tomorrow. I’ll start my search then.”

I nod, silently acknowledging the weight of the task ahead. The room falls silent as Luca exits, the tension thick in the air. We have our next move, but I can’t shake the feeling that the deeper we dig, the more dangerous this is going to become.

“I’m going to head out too,” Andrei says, standing.

“No, you and I need to talk,” I responded, stopping him in his tracks. He looks at me, confusion written all over his face, and hesitates before sitting back down. I can see the tension in his shoulders as he waits, his body language telling me he’s not sure what I want to say.

Jennifer speaks up, her voice soft but filled with a quiet desperation. “I want out.” The words hit me like a punch in the gut. “I’ve already caused too much damage. Can you get one of your men to become my bodyguard? I just want to live the rest of my life with my kids without constantly looking over my shoulder.”

I feel a heavy knot form in my stomach. She’s in deeper than she knows, and I know what I have to do. My mind races, and then suddenly, an idea comes to me. I grab my phone, texting my cousin Mikhail in Russia. His response is almost instant.

Send her my way. They will be protected.

I look back at Jennifer, my mind already set. “I have a better idea. You’re going to Russia.”

Both Sophia and Andrei say, “Russia?” at the same time, their confusion evident on their faces.

I let out a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. “I may not know who they are, but I know the type of people they are. Even if I put a bodyguard on you all the time, it wouldn’t guarantee your safety. If they had no issues sending someone to kill me, they won’t hesitate to do the same to you—especially since you betrayed them. By now, they must know I didn’t take you against your will. You’re not going to be safe here, but in Russia, you’ll be living in an impenetrable fortress.”

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