Page 168 of Silenced

That has me grimacing. “At least the Krestniy Otets hasn’t tried to marry her off since.”

Luka hoots. “Probably thinks Dmitri would pop up again to kill the fiancé. You weren’t around back then. The top three were mega-embarrassed.

“There the Krestniy Otets was, about to marry off his child bride daughter to one of Kuznetsov’s men, and the Sovietnik’s spawn kills him.”

My lips twitch. “Threw a hairdryer into his bathwater, didn’t he?”

Luka nods, but he’s chuckling. “Something like that. It was hilarious.”

I smile a little but state, “If Maxim, Misha, and I make it out of this, you’re welcome to come to New York.”

“That where you’re going to be heading?”

“Maybe. Might be Florida. Depends on the aftermath. Like you said, killing Turgenev won’t make things easier on me.”

“You’ve been waiting for that kill for nearly two decades. I think your patience should be rewarded.”

I have to smirk. “Not sure the Krestniy Otets will agree.”

“Nah, but he’s an asshole so who cares?” He cuts me a look. “You thinking about ‘disenfranchising’ too?”

“Might not have an alternative. I made my choice in the orphanage.”

That has him nodding. “Got a baby on the way. I’d prefer the US, but I’ll wait until things are settled, then I’ll come over. If you don’t mind?”

“Family first,” I say softly.

It takes another hour to reach the outer limits of Sakharovo from the airfield. When we make it to the hospital that Luka had input into the GPS, I see the sheer number of vehicles in the parking lot and, bewildered, shake my head.

“You made more of an impact than you remember, Niko.”

Clearly.

Not only is the lot packed full but some cars are double-parked.

Luka peers at them then mutters, “I wouldn’t be the only one willing to move, Niko. Been fucking shit around here lately.”

“I’ll bear that in mind,” I rasp as I pull up outside the hospital.

“You go. I’ll idle until you get back. Misha told me about twenty minutes before you landed that the doctors have him ready to travel.”

The news has me grunting as I jump out of the car and find Lev waiting to take over from Luka. He slams into me, dragging me into a hug and murmuring, “Pakhan, good to see you. Maxim’s this way.”

It’s messed up to walk toward Maxim’s ward and to see exactly how many men are standing guard over my brother.

There are kids from the orphanage before it burned, then there are the ones who I collected over the years from the streets. Maxim and Misha brought them to me, but I’m the one who fed and sheltered them. Who made sacrifices to keep them safe.

I don’t think about those times because they’re fucking depressing and to be honest, I’ve thought about them more in the past couple days than I have in ten years, but it’s clear that these guysdoremember the past. Otherwise, why would they be here?

As men grab me by the hand and shake mine, a few drawing me into hugs, I have to admit that I don’t even remember the names of some of them. It makes me feel like a jackass but burying those memories was the only way to stay sane.

I’m pretty sure Cassiopeia would say I’m the opposite of sane, so what I did, I did out of self-preservation and even that wasn’t foolproof.

When I’m deposited outside Maxim’s ward, I stroll in and find him unconscious. Misha’s there though, sitting in a chair, anxiety making him fidget, knee bobbing up and down as he flicks his focus between Maxim and the door.

When he sees me, he surges to his feet. “Thank fuck,” he growls before he hooks me by the neck and draws me into a hug. “It’s good to see you, Niko.”

My brows lift but I suppose, in the circumstances, the manpower we’ve got will get them out alive. That’s bound to make anyone happy.

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