Page 64 of Defiant Devotion

Lev growled. “You snuck into my wedding?”

“Yeah. You’d been reaching out to me about a hit, and I wanted a better feel for who you are before I considered taking it. I like to be thorough and deliberate with my research and I only take jobs I truly stand by. When Boris died that night, I was on edge.” I faced Oleg. “Because Igor had previously tried to hire me to kill you. When I showed no interest in the job or his offer, it sounds like he went to someone else.”

Rurik nodded. “That sounds right. The men who shot at him at the warehouse were sloppy.”

“Then when Boris died,” I said, “I wondered if someone else was acting on hits aimed at your family. I wanted to know who my competition might be. So, I went to spy on Igor and Geoff meeting up, and that’s when they talked about ending you. That’s where I heard Sonya’s name, and I got curious whether they could be talking about my stranger upstate.”

They listened as I went on, sharing how I’d eventually followed O’Malley to that strip club and how Sonya had run there from next door. Telling them that we’d fucked again wasn’t necessary. But I slowly brought them all up to speed until the events of today.

I gave them a chance to absorb it all. Eventually, after a few moments of silence, Vik spoke up. “You killed a whole crew of Ilyins to save her?”

“I wasn’t counting how many.” I shrugged again. “It didn’t matter how many. All that matters is that they’re dead.”

Rurik nodded. “Yeah, I like him.” He walked up to me and shook my hand. “Welcome to the family.”

“This is official?” Lev asked Oleg. “He’s in? Just like that?”

The Boss huffed. “I doubt you’ll get him to stay away from Sonya if he’s already gone so far to prove his commitment to protecting her.” With something that looked like a smile, he eyed me. “Welcome, Ben. I appreciate your diligence in keeping my niece safe.”

“That’s it? I’m… initiated?” It seemed so simple.

“Yes,” Oleg said. “And now it’s time to remove all the threats hanging over us.”

Count me in.Mentally, I was already on it.

I couldn’t wait to end the men who posed pending trouble for my woman and our baby.

25

SONYA

Eva led me up to the second floor, and I assumed she was taking me toward my former room. After the stress of coming closer to home, seeing Oleg almost killed, then the worry of having my baby checked out after spotting blood, I’d been put through the wringer.

I would love to lie down and rest. A nap would be heavenly. But I didn’t want to put off catching up with my sister.

“Your room isn’t the same anymore,” she warned. “A small fire happened about seven years ago, and a few rooms on this side of the house were damaged.”

I shrugged, unbothered. My room would be something familiar, but I didn’t need it to ground me. Things were replaceable. Material items couldn’t matter that much after what I’d gone through. In captivity, I learned what really mattered—having the people I loved, my family.

As we entered the room now decorated as a guest suite, I took in the differences. Memories lingered in the back of my mind and I could see what it used to look like, but I wasn’t suffering asense of loss at my room not being the same as what I recalled. Reconciling thethenandnowwasn’t painful.

And why would it be? I didn’t want to go back in time. I had no desire to linger in the past. I wasn’t the same young teenager I was when I’d been taken, and the items and décor that comforted me then wouldn’t hold the same value now. I valued my life, my baby, my future, and Eva seemed pleased that I wasn’t upset.

“Want me to give you a minute?” she asked gently.

“No,” Irina said bluntly as she and Kelly came in as well. “There is way too much to catch up on.”

I had a hunch I’d like this woman. “Maybe let me shower? Then we can talk some more.”

Kelly called up food, and while I showered and cleaned up, they set up a little early dinner in the dining area of the suite.

Showering felt good, but while I was under the spray of warm water, I wondered how Ben was faring with the others. I didn’t doubt him. He’d stand his own, but I knew he could very well be counting down the seconds until he’d be at my side again, just the same as I was looking forward to relaxing with him here.

Once I was dressed and relaxed, I joined Eva, Irina, and Kelly. For hours, we caught up through tears and laughter, with hard explanations and many questions. We still had a lot more to catch up on. Eleven years was a long time. Mostly, it was me and Eva speaking, but it wasn’t intrusive for Irina and Kelly to be there.

Being home was overwhelming, but in a good way. I was so content to be within these four walls again, and I embraced howfull my heart felt. Irina and Kelly were welcome additions to the family I’d missed, and I was grateful they’d be there to comfort me too.

Well after the sun had set, Kelly noticed me yawning more frequently. “Maybe we can resume this tomorrow.”

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