Page 63 of Defiant Devotion

Oleg nodded. “That was my first guess. And I looked far and wide for a clue that would indicate that. But I found no trace of them. Nothing.”

“I was held on a property far north, upstate,” Sonya said.

“And they covered their tracks well, for many years,” Oleg admitted. “At that time of the marriages, though, Benson started to get involved. He’d made it clear that he wanted to back a Mafia family and lean on one for protection, but he tried to play them all, keeping them guessing who was his favorite. If Geoff had Sonya marry Eric Benson, they’d use that marriage as a way to ensure they could reduce our power and have the Ilyins rise in power and wealth.”

Corruption ran rife with these families.

“That won’t happen,” Sonya vowed. “I won’t marry him. I will not be used as a pawn.” As she lowered her gaze, she let out a troubled breath. “I lost too many years of my life in captivity as it is.”

“I won’t let that happen. I’ll kill Eric.”

“And O’Malley,” Lev reminded me.

Obviously.I nodded, though, refraining from tossing a retort back at him.

“We won’t lose you again,” Eva swore, looking at Sonya with deep care and compassion burning in her gaze.

“You were already hired for O’Malley, weren’t you?” Oleg looked from me to Lev, as if he expected confirmation of that. “Or we were in the process of finding you for that job?”

“Yes. I was on task for O’Malley, but once I realized who Sonya was and that we?—”

“You know what?” Eva stood, encouraging Sonya to rise with her. “Why don’t we let the men have their time to speak? Ben can explain more. You and I, though” —she guided Sonya toward the door— “have more to talk about,Sister.”

Sonya glanced at me, smiling. “All right.” As she passed by Lev, she narrowed her eyes at him. “Be nice,Brother.”

He rolled his eyes.

Irina and Kelly exited the room as well, and Maxim trailed out after Irina, signing something.

Left in the room with the upper men of the Baranov family, I braced myself for getting down to business.

Before anyone else could speak, Oleg studied me sternly. “What are your intentions with Sonya?”

“Right out of the gate with that question, huh?”

He scowled, expecting an answer.

I plan to be with her. To love her. To love on her. To raise a child with her. To protect her and make sure she never has to feel like she’s in the dark or powerless or trapped.

“I plan to be with her—however she’ll let me into her life.”

“And you will swear your loyalty to the Baranov name as well?” he asked.

I shoved my hands in my pockets. “Maybe I already did a while back. I’ve never taken on a hit to kill or capture any member of your family.”

“Why not?” Vik asked.

“Because you seemed like the only decent ones around. I was sick of the Petrovs and Ilyins. I was waiting for them to cancel each other out.”

“Why would you care one way or another, as an independent?” Rurik asked.

I shrugged. “Because I’m tired of being solo. I’d been thinking about slowing down and finding a group to belong to for a while.”

“So you saw Sonya and decided to get a head start on a making a family?” Lev huffed, still doubtful of me and my intentions. “Something doesn’t add up here. How the hell did you even meet her if she was captive all this time?”

I’d been expecting this discussion. “I took a hit to kill an Ilyin, someone within their organization. It was a hit placed by a Cartel. From tracking that Ilyin down, I ended up near the property Sonya must have been held at. She showed up at a bar one night, sneaking out and escaping because she wanted to lose her virginity. She said she knew she couldn’t get away. Every time she tried to, someone in the small town alerted the Ilyins and she was recaptured, but she snuck out to hook up with someone—anyone. And…” I shrugged. They didn’t need me to spell out the obvious. “I was intrigued by a beautiful stranger and we became acquainted that night.” That was putting itmildly. I then explained how she’d run away and I thought I’d never see her again. How I couldn’t stop thinking about her.

“We agreed to no details. Just strangers hooking up. But after I came to the wedding and?—”

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