Page 73 of Lethal Alliance

“Darya.” Roman’s voice is tense again. “There’s something I should tell you.”

“I know Nikolai is dead.” I cut him off. “It’s fine, Roman. I’m fine. I’m... glad, I guess.”

There’s a short pause. “Okay.” His voice is low, warming, and I want him here, beside me. “I’ll call as soon as I can, Darya.” But he doesn’t hang up immediately. I cling to the receiver, holding on to the connection. Finally, he says roughly, “I love you.”

The raw honesty takes my breath away.

His words aren’t said when we’re alone, in bed, with him wrapped around me.

This is Roman in his office, surrounded by his men.

He needs me as much as I need him.

“I love you, too.” My voice isn’t quite steady. I close my eyes, picturing him on the other end. We hang on in silence for a moment, then he ends the call.

I look up from the phone to find Abby with a forkful of watermelon halfway to her mouth, staring at me. “Wow,” she says. “First a baby, and now the L word over the phone, in broad daylight? You better watch out, Petrovsky. Shit’s gettingwaaaayyyyreal, girlfriend.”

22

ROMAN

Iturn to face the team in the secure room at the lab, my expression daring any man there to comment on my conversation with Darya.

They don’t.

Smart.

I hated leaving her this morning, before we’d even had a chance to talk, let alone anything else. And I need theanything elselike air right now.

But she’s exhausted, bone weary from the way she’s been sleeping, and I can’t afford to lose a minute, even if that means leaving her naked body sprawled across my bed like a goddamn fantasy.

I pull my mind back to the room with an effort. I’m sitting in the secure room with Mak, Dimitry, Pavel, and Mickey.

Mickey was sitting outside the penthouse door when I opened it this morning, already at work on his laptop. No chance he was letting me drive away from the house without him, just like I never had a hope of coming into this meeting without him sitting in.

“Darya doesn’t know anything about the house in the Everglades,” I tell them.

Mickey scowls. “Who gives a fuck about the house in the Everglades? My sisters aren’t there. They’re in the compound.” He turns his laptop around accusingly. I wish I could rip it out of his hands. I’m pretty sure he spent all night in bed staring at the camera feeds, just so he could watch over his sisters. His eyes are bloodshot, his face pale and drawn. I feel like every day that passes adds a year to the boy he was only months ago.

“An operation is only as good as the intelligence behind it.” Mak addresses Mickey directly. Despite his courtesy, there’s a quiet reprimand in his voice that makes Mickey color slightly. Mak has only been in the room for a matter of minutes, but already it seems he might be the only person beside Pavel, Dimitry, and me to whom Mickey might actually listen.

It isn’t just Mak’s tall, rangy frame and clear military skill that lends him such an instant air of authority, but the calm, measured way he analyzes every piece of information and the speed with which he is able to assimilate it.

“The fact that we can’t locate that house is a concern,” he says now, “but I do have an idea.” He turns to Pavel. “See what you and Mickey can find on a Miami business called Fedorov Industries.”

Pavel, getting the hint, stands up and nods to Mickey, who of course looks at me.

“I’ll tell you everything we talk about, I promise.” I don’t know how many times he’s made me say it, the little prick.

Mickey gives me a hard glare to make sure I get the message, then leaves.

Mak raises a sardonic eyebrow. “You sure the two of you aren’t related?”

Dimitry almost chokes on his coffee.

“Fuck off.” I lean on the table. “What is Fedorov Industries?”

“It’s not so much what,” Mak says, “but rather who. I told you on the phone that there are things about Orlov you should know.”

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