Page 88 of Viktor

His words warmed her.

“I need to talk to you about some things, and I don’t wantmalyshkaoverhearing it. Think you can come with me for a few minutes? Conner’s right outside the door. No one is getting in without his say-so.”

She tensed. Her body rebelled against leaving Delia, but the seriousness in Viktor’s voice warned her whatever he wanted to tell her would be bad.

Viktor walked over and gently shook his brother awake. Mase blinked bleary eyes at him. “I need to talk to Sara alone. Can you stay awake until we get back?”

Mason nodded and rubbed his eyes. He looked over at the kid, and his face went soft. He really loved her. A week, and she had Mason wrapped around her little finger. She deserved to have all the love she could get, though. Her child had suffered so much.

“Come on, baby.” Viktor gently pried her fingers away from Delia and pulled her to her feet. “We won’t go far, just downstairs.”

She looked back at the doorway and watched Mason lean forward and pick up Delia’s hand. He smiled when she muttered and turned toward him. Her daughter loved him as much as she did her Uncle Ben. She was beginning to see why God finally brought these men into her life. It wasn’t only her who needed them. Delia did too.

Viktor towed her to the cafeteria that was just opening. They got coffee, and he made her eat. It was the last thing she wanted, but she had to admit her stomach wasn’t rolling around like it was on the verge of emptying itself anymore.

“I talked to the fire marshal earlier. The house is gone, as is the barn. The horses were lost.”

Tears sprang to her eyes at the mention of the horses. Her dad loved those animals. Just the thought of what they suffered…her mind skidded away from it. No, she wouldn’t let herself get caught in that.

“The house is completely gone?” Her parents were going to be devastated. It had been in her family for over a hundred years.

Viktor nodded. “He doused the place in so much gasoline, Marshal Page said it was a miracle they got everyone out before it blew.”

Her hands started to shake, and Viktor took them into his own. “Easy,moye sokrovishche. Conner was there. No one was seriously hurt.”

“Except for Gabe. How is he?”

Viktor blew out a breath. “I spoke to his surgeon about an hour ago. The bullet missed his heart, but it ricocheted and did a number on his spleen. One lung collapsed, and they dug the bullet out of his back. It had lodged against his spine. They won’t know the extent of that damage until he wakes up.”

“Good Lord. What was he doing in the barn?”

“Best guess, he saw something on the video feed and went to check it out. Roger waited until he came in and shot him.”

“Do you think the barn was on fire, and that’s what he went to check out?”

“No. He would have woken up Mase and your dad if that was the case.”

“I feel so bad about all this.”

“Don’t you dare. This is all on Roger. I’m just glad Conner, Gabe, and Mase were here, or it could be far worse than what it was.” He scrubbed at his face with both hands. He looked tired.

“You need to sleep.”

“I’ll sleep when we fucking catch his ass. Has he called you?”

“Called me? Why would he call me?”

“Because you’re his end game, baby. He’s going to come after you, and that’s when we’ll catch him. He’s not thinking clearly right now. He’s going to make a mistake.”

“Theonlymistake I made was not killing this bitch years ago.”

Sara’s head snapped around at the sound of Roger’s voice. He stood a few feet away from them, a gun in his hand. Her brain froze.

Viktor didn’t react. He slowly turned his head and studied the environment. The cafeteria doors that had been wide open were now closed. He’d bet they were locked. How had he not heard the bastard? Because he was trying to keep his woman calm while he delivered devastating news to her.

“’Bout time you showed up.” Viktor stood and turned to face Roger, an older version of his brother Ben. He was unshaven, his eyes bloodshot. The scent of whiskey and gasoline filled the air.

“You. I knew something was off with you when you came by the shop,” he snarled. “Is my mama right? You been fucking my wife?”

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