Page 23 of Toxic Salvation
“She’s here,” I confirm.
“Called it!” Osip crows, twisting to face Pavel. “You owe me a hundo.”
Pavel smacks the back of his head. “We don’t know why she’s here, idiot.”
“I don’t give a shit about the why. I bet you he’d get her back, and here she is. Pay up.”
“I didn’t get her back,” I interrupt, finally taking a sip of vodka. The burn makes me wince and I set it right back down. “We’re not together. She’s here because…” I pause, weigh my options, and then decide,Fuck it. “Because she’s pregnant.”
I’ve been sitting in this chair for over an hour, turning those words over in my mind. Apparently, all I needed was to say them out loud to make them real.
“Pregnant?” Pavel sounds like he’s choking. “Are you sure?”
“I saw the ultrasound. Three months along. It’s a boy.” I can’t believe I’m saying this aloud. “I’m going to have a son.”
Osip lets out a low whistle while Pavel claps his hands together. “Fuck, Ko. You’re going to be a father. Congratulations!” His smile fades when he sees my expression. “You’re not happy about this.”
“I don’t know what I am about this,” I admit. “It was never supposed to happen.”
“Since when is that kind of thing ever planned for men like us?” Osip shifts closer, suddenly serious. “Ah. I see. You’re worried about Ihor.”
The name alone makes my jaw clench. “If he finds out, he’ll come for them. Both of them. He’d see it as perfect revenge—a son for a son.”
“He’s not getting near Luka,” Pavel says, cracking his knuckles. “And he sure as hell isn’t touching your baby.”
“You’re right. Because we’re going to eliminate him before he gets the chance.”
“Eliminate him?” Osip perks up. “We’re finally doing it?”
Pavel looks considerably less enthusiastic. “Kovan, we’ve left him alone this long because the bastard’s too powerful. Half the Bratva still considers him the rightfulpakhan.”
“And what’s wrong with that picture?” I growl. “There shouldn’t be any question about who’s in charge. Keeping him alive was a mistake. Keeping him close was worse. Time to fix both problems.”
“Kill him now and you make him a martyr,” Pavel warns.
“So what?” Osip shrugs. “Dead martyrs can’t hurt anyone.”
“Some ghosts have a way of coming back to haunt you.”
“Since when are you afraid of ghosts, you little?—”
“Since when are you such a bloodthirsty?—”
“Enough.” I cut through their bickering before it escalates. “I need both of you focused. We have to be sharp if we’re going to beat this son of a bitch. He’s got experience, but that doesn’t mean he holds all the cards.”
“Just most of them,” Pavel mutters.
Osip glares at him, but Pavel doesn’t back down. “What? It’s true. I’m not saying you made the wrong choice cutting ties with the Keres, but it did double Ihor’s power base. Even if you strip him of his position here, he’s got the entire Keres organization backing him.”
“I’m aware.” I drain the rest of my vodka in one swallow. “Which is why this won’t be an all-out war. We work in the shadows first.”
Pavel sits up straighter, interested now. “Meaning?”
“We dismantle his support system. Isolate him from his allies. When we finally move against him, he’ll be weak and alone.”
“That could take months,” Osip points out.
“Sometimes, the long game is the only game worth playing. I don’t need this done fast—I need it done right.”
