Page 68 of Defiant Devotion

“And then we can help kill the Ilyins,” I replied.

“Every one of them we can find,” he growled.

Together, we left the scene of such grisly death. Someone else could find them and handle it. They were no longer a Baranov concern. They were no longer my concern.

Lev and I got back into the car, and as he drove off, heading toward O’Malley’s office, I prepared to face a tougher fight this time. O’Malley would be covered by security, but he wouldn’t be able to hide any longer. It wasn’t just me chasing after him, but Lev, too. The governor-elect had the wrath of too many people hedged against him to survive for long.

“You good?” Lev asked when he must have noticed I was quiet.

“Of course. You?”

He nodded.

“It’s just different not doing this alone,” I admitted.

“I bet not.” Then, uncharacteristically, he smiled. “But I’m damned glad you’re on board with us.”

I was. Not just for the Baranov name, but for Sonya’s safety. For her peace.

And for the future our baby deserved.

“Me too. So step on it,” I urged.

I couldn’t wait for the rest of my life to start after this kill.

27

SONYA

Even though Eva, Irina, and Kelly kept me company all day, I couldn’t ignore that the love of my life was out on a mission to kill the fiancé I never wanted.

Life couldn’t get more twisted than that.

“Sonya?” Irina asked when Eva and Kelly went to get some more snacks for us from the kitchen. With how crappy it looked outside, rainy and gloomy, we made the big living room our spot. Numerous skylights should’ve made the space more open and airy. The many lights we had on worked to liven up the room, though.

“Hmm?” I glanced at the former Petrov. She’d killed her father a couple of days ago, and just like a Mafia princess was expected to be, she was over it. I supposed a lifetime of loathing her parent made her accept her actions faster and with relief.

“You okay?”

I nodded. “Just thinking about Ben.”

She almost smiled, wryly. “Worrying, you mean?” She nodded, as if answering her own question. “I am too, about Vik.”

Her fiancé was heading after the Ilyins with Rurik and several other Baranov soldiers.

“Kind of silly, huh?” I idly rubbed my stomach, finding the motion so comforting even though I didn’t have much of a noticeable bump. Irina didn’t either, and she was right about the stage that I was in pregnancy, give or take a few days or so.

“What’s silly?”

I flicked my finger between us. “Worrying about them. We grew up with this. We learned that this is how life goes. That there is always a chance for danger and violence.”

“Yes, but it’sthem. It hits so much closer to the heart when it’sourmen out there risking their lives.”

“It is. But they’ve also grown up with this, too. They’re no naïve amateurs. They’re professionals.” Ben was an elite professional, a skilled and experienced hitman. “But,” I said, sighing, “it is harder.”

“Because they matter so much more,” she replied. “Because we can’t imagine our lives without them.”

I refuse.I’d only just started my life, the one I should’ve had all along. I’d be damned if Ben died on me before we actually started.

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