Page 62 of Owned By Shadows

“The kind that reminds him I know his weaknesses too. I want information on his primary residence in London—security rotations, recent deliveries, staff changes, but more importantly, I want the locations of his three favourite mistresses.”

“You wouldn’t?—”

“I won’t harm them,Lev.” My voice is measured, controlled, and has a thread of excitement playing Sergi at his own game. And winning. “But my father needs to understand that his psychological games work both ways. He threatens what I love? I can do the same. Or at the very least, threaten what he needs to relieve stress. He doesn’t trust easily, so these women are key.”

“Rowan and Hunt won’t like this,” Roman says quietly, nibbling his lower lip. “Iris too. Using innocent women as leverage.”

“Then they don’t need to know the details. All that matters is getting Iris to safety.” I turn to face the house. “Besides, we both know my father doesn’t truly love anyone. But his pride? His reputation? Those are vulnerabilities we can exploit.”

Roman nods slowly, pulling out his phone. “I’ll make the call.”

CHAPTER THIRTY

“GOOD GUY” BY ZAYN

IRIS

The safe house is in controlled chaos, everyone packing essentials with practiced efficiency that blows my mind. They look like they’re getting ready for war, and it twists something in my gut as I sit on the bed, watching. Roman helps Andrei carefully pack all my medications, counting doses and organising them in a specialised case.

I sigh when I look down at my swollen ankles, feeling how puffy my face is from the preeclampsia. It’s shit, as if we don’t have enough to worry about. But more than that, I know they all still find me attractive, yet when I look in the mirror, I don’t recognise the girl staring back at me. Pregnancy is changing my body so much, and I feel lost, like I’m also losing a part of myself along the way.

“The boat will be ready in thirty minutes,” Rowan announces, entering the bedroom with a satellite phone in hand.“Our window for departure is narrow. We need to be offshore before midday at the very latest.”

My heart rate picks up at his words, the blood pressure monitor showing a slight increase, no doubt given the stressful situation. Andrei pauses in his packing, glances at the machine, and then makes a note on his tablet which is sitting next to me on the bed.

“Just try to remain as calm as possible, okay, Iris?” he says gently, and I know he’s just trying to look after me, but I want to scream at him. I am fucking trying.

“Hey, Princess,” Roman whispers softly, and I blink, not having noticed that he’s right in front of me. “Everything will be okay, baby.” He leans forward, fusing his lips to mine in a gentle kiss that is no less passionate than ones he’s given me in the heat of love-making. Roman is still my sunshine, and I can feel my clenched hands loosening, my muscles unwinding as he coaxes my tongue with his. “That’s better,” he murmurs against my lips, giving them another brief peck before resuming his packing task.

“You don’t play fair,” I huff, and he chuckles, but I feel better, less tense and wound up.

Hunter’s standing in the doorway, his gunshot wound is still bandaged from the last supply run, but hidden underneath his T-shirt. He’s been quiet since dawn, observing the preparations with a tightness around his eyes that suggests more than physical pain. I’m not the only one worried, and I want to go to him, to comfort him like Roman just did for me, but Ro growled at me when I tried to get up from the bed. Overprotective bastard.

“Where’s Nik? Bubby?” he asks, voice deceptively calm given the tension that practically pours off his tight muscles.

“Securing the perimeter with Dima, making sure we haven’t missed any more of Sergi’s little spy devices,” Roman answerswithout looking up from the medication case. “Bubby is packing shit from the main living area, but I think we’re almost all done.”

Hunter’s jaw tightens. “Roman, could you give me a moment with Iris?”

Roman glances up, hesitant as he takes Hunter in. “We don’t have many moments to spare.”

“Just one.” Hunter’s tone leaves no room for argument, and my pulse spikes slightly at the way he speaks to Ro.

After a pause, Roman closes the medication case, gives Andrei a nod and they both step out, Rowan following after a hard look at his leader, leaving Hunter alone with me. As soon as the door closes, Hunter moves to my side, dropping carefully to one knee to meet my eyes. His body practically thrums with tension, and a frown makes my brows drop as I wonder what got him into this state and why he didn’t want to share it with the others.

“What’s happened, Daddy? What did you overhear?” I ask him softly, reaching to touch his shoulder, feeling how rock hard it is.

“Enough.” Hunter takes my hand, studying my face as he rubs the pad of his thumb over my knuckles. “Do you know what Nik’s planning? His ‘message’ to Sergi?”

I shake my head slightly, but my gut twists again. This must be something bad for Hunt to be so worked up. “He just said he was going to remind Sergi that he has vulnerabilities too.”

“He’s targeting Sergi’s mistresses,” Hunter tells me flatly, and my breath hitches. “Using them as leverage. Roman just told me. He’s uncomfortable with it, but going along with Nik’s play.”

“Targeting them how?” Surely it can’t be that bad. Nik would never harm innocents, would he?

“Information for now. Locations, routines, but it’s an explicit threat.” His fingers tighten around mine, his eyes shining with an emerald fire. “It’s a line I didn’t think we’d cross. Involvingcivilians.” His jaw works. “It’s a line I’m not sure I can cross, Peaches.” His eyes bore into mine, pleading with me to understand his dilemma.

My free hand goes to my swollen belly, as if my touch alone can protect our unborn child from the hell its father is determined to raise on us. “He’s trying to protect us, Hunt. To protect him.”

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