Page 107 of Toxic Salvation
“And the boys?”
“Between Charity, Pavel, and Osip, the boys will be well looked after.”
“They’re good, but they’re still not us.”
I smile. “I guess we’ll just have to survive then, won’t we?”
The discussion isn’t over. I can see it in his gaze—the war between his protective instincts and his respect for what I can do. Between his role aspakhanand his role as the man who loves me.
“Vesper—” he starts, but I press my finger to his lips.
“We don’t have to decide everything right now,” I tell him. “But promise me you’ll think about it. Really think about it.”
“Okay.” He catches my hand and kisses my palm. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good.” I settle back against his chest, listening to his heartbeat. “Because I’m not going anywhere, Kovan. Not without you.”
Outside, the Swiss Alps stretch endlessly, beautiful and untouchable. For now, we’re safe here. For now, we have this moment.
But once we’re back home… nobody knows what will happen.
37
KOVAN
Every time I blink, I see names.
Names of men I want to believe are loyal to me. Names of men who are yet to declare a side. Names of men I should be able to trust but I’m not sure I should.
It doesn’t seem to matter how many secrets I uncover or how many of my wayward soldiers I save from their own choices—the finish line doesn’t seem to be moving any closer. If anything, it’s moving further away, taunting me from a distance I can’t measure.
It’s already been fucking days since Vesper and I got back from Switzerland, and I’ve heard nothing from the other side. Ihor has maintained radio silence. Jeremy has been suspiciously quiet, too.
The calm before the storm, probably. I can’t help but fear that they’re planning something so elaborate that it requires weeks of preparation.
I have to make a move before that happens.
“Hey, brother,” Osip greets as he swooshes into my office, carrying a backpack that’s stuffed to the brim and lugging his laptop in his hands. “I’ve got new info for you.”
“Is it Ihor? Has he made a move yet?”
“Nah, Ihor’s turned into a ghost. Yana, too. But I did find something on Borya. Specifically, what Ihor might have on Borya.”
The name makes my jaw tighten. Borya Stepanov has been with the Bratva for eight years. Solid, reliable, never gave me a reason to doubt his loyalty. If Ihor has something on him…
“Forget it,” I say. “I don’t care to know.”
Osip freezes, one hand on his laptop. “What do you mean? You told me to keep digging for?—”
“I know what I told you. It doesn’t matter.” The frustration boils over and I jump up from my seat. “I’ve turned enough men away from Ihor, bought back enough loyalty. It’s time to stop digging into the small fries. We need to catch a big fish.”
“Are you talking about?—?”
“Denis,” I finish for him. “He’s been Ihor’s right hand for almost as long as Ihor was Dad’s.”
Osip’s face scrunches up. “The man is notoriously loyal. There’s no way you’re going to be able to convince him to defect to our side.”
Usually, it doesn’t bother me, but today, it rankles to know that I have to stage a coup just to gain control of my own Bratva. It was a rookie mistake to ever allow Ihor a seat at the table. My first move aspakhanshould have been to give the bastard the bootand take control of my men before he could poison them against me.
