Page 61 of Defiant Devotion

We all turned toward Maxim, who was deaf. It was a blunt reply that none of us would judge him for. It sounded like Igor had abused and neglected the boy, and he likely had every right to be glad the man was dead.

I smiled, looking forward to meeting and getting to know him more. Countless surprises might be waiting for me as I reacclimate to being home, but acquainting myself with a new half-brother would be a joy.

“Now the Ilyins need to be dealt with,” Ben said.

Oleg raised his brows. “And since when have you become a member of this family, Mr. Warner? Before the wedding, I was under the impression that you were nothing but an independent hitman we wanted to hire for a hit on O’Malley.”

“I was,” Ben replied.

“But he’s now the father of my child.” I didn’t stutter, proud to claim this connection. “And hewillbe in this family.”

Lev huffed a single laugh, amused. It looked like he’d need to get over whatever initial hangups he’d had about Ben. With howsneaky Ben could be, I bet there were a few instances where Lev struggled to let him close to the family.

Not anymore.Benwasmy family. I couldn’t state anything about our marrying, but he didn’t seem to want to leave my side ever again. Nor did I want to leave his. We were in this together.

“The Ilyins took her and her mother,” Ben added. “And I will seek revenge on the men who dared to hurt the mother of my child.”

“And what happened to…” Oleg lowered his face, seeming to lose his courage to continue.

“They killed her,” I stated, trying my best to keep the heavy emotions out of my tone. “They attempted to rape me, and when she fought them, they raped her and killed her instead.”

No one spoke, and as I watched the fury on my uncle’s face, I regretted being so direct like that. He shouldn’t be exposed to stress. He had to take it easy. He’d had a heart attack, and here I was giving him hard, gruesome news that would invoke rage.

“Those motherfuckers,” he growled. He ranted on, cursing more in Russian, and we all jumped into action, telling him to calm down.

“The Petrovs and Ilyins,” he growled once he sat again and seemed slightly calmer. “Both of them had always been trying to knock our family down. Back then and now.”

“And now they’re making it easier,” Ben said, speaking up. “The Ilyins schemed to take Sonya so she would grow up and marry Eric Benson.”

Oleg pounded his fist on the armrest of his chair. “I knew that fucking Benson had something to do with it. I searched forclues for years. Back then, he’d been obsessed over reducing my power, about culling the might of the Baranov name.”

Ben nodded, getting up to pace. “Geoff Ilyin admitted that they’d taken Sonya so they could arrange a marriage between a Baranov and a Benson. That way, when Eric was in office and had political power, he’d be able to use his leverage as having Sonya as his wife.”

“Of course. He’d rule against us,” Oleg guessed. “And he would be ‘family’.”

“Geoff intended to court his favor,” Ben added.

“And Igor must have realized they’d be squeezed out as a power,” Vik said. “Hence his desperation to kill Oleg.”

Lev crossed his arms, looking like a warrior. “Then all that remains is taking out the Ilyins.”

“You up for it?” Ben taunted.

Lev scowled at him.

“The Petrovs will fall apart,” Irina stated, seeming calmer the more we all talked.

“And once we go after the Ilyins,” Lev said, “no threats will remain.”

“The Baranovs will rule in peace,” Rurik said from the side where he stood with Kelly.

“No. Not in peace,” Kelly said. “Iwill never be at peace until O’Malley is killed.”

The men all looked at Ben.

He sighed. “I’m on it. I was a little sidetracked when I crossed paths with Sonya…”

“And Benson,” I added. “I won’t relax until I know my so-calledintendedis dead.”

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