She stands up and growls, “Give me a gun.”

I glance at Robbie, then hand her a shotgun. She walks out into the hallway and starts firing it into one guy's head.

“Fucker,” she spits. “I wish to leave.”

“This way, your highness,” Robbie chuckles and leads her down the hallway.

We’re out, and the men are fixing to burn the house. I leave Robbie at my car, ruffling his curly hair. “Stay out of shit, little shit.”

“Visit soon. The whiskey’s always good,” he calls.

I drive Anastasia home. We don’t speak, she doesn’t know who I am and has no reason to trust me, but she has kept the gun, which has two bullets left.

I pull up to Ivan’s house, and the guards, seeing Anastasia, open the gate quickly. Ivan comes hurrying out.

Some Italian guy runs to Anastasia and embraces her. I assume he’s her boyfriend, and then Ivan hugs her. “Go inside. We’ll discuss better security for you.”

Ivan turns to me and narrows his eyes. “Thank you, I appreciate that you got her back. But it’s been made known to me you’re a Quinn, and I cannot approve of your relationship with Natalia.”

I chuckle as I rev my car. “I wasn’t looking for your permission, Volkov.”

I turn around, and surprisingly, no one tries to stop me.

I make sure I’m not followed and drive home to my wife, Natalia.

Chapter 13 - Natalia

I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy hormones or if this is what it’s like to fall in love, but my worry about Daniel knows no limits. I pace the house, keeping the phone close to me. I also keep my phone on.

Evgenii keeps phoning me, and I keep declining. He doesn’t do it one after another, there are pauses between, but it’s irritating. I want to call Daniel, but I don’t want to distract him from what he’s doing. I don’t want to be the reason he gets shot or killed.

That kiss. That kiss was everything I wanted to tell him without the words I didn’t have. Since he’s left, I can still taste him on my lips, and I don’t want to let go of that taste.

My phone dings with a message. I glance at it. It’s Evgenii. What he says, though, before I look away, catches my attention. I look back at my phone and open the message.

He has returned Ana.

Answer your fucking phone.

E.

I wait, and he calls. I take a deep breath and answer, “Don’t start…”

“No. No, you listen to me, Natalia. You have taken this bullshit too far. You are acting like some fool child that has no experience in life, let alone the underworld. What do you think you are doing?”

My free hand clenches in anger. “I am entitled to love who I love.”

“And who do you love, Nat? Because you’re putting your position with the family in jeopardy over someone you’re fucking for fun.” I can hear his frustration, but he’s also trying to keep his voice down. Shirley must be home with the baby.

That gives me a good idea. “Shirley,” I say. “You love Shirley more than anything the family can give you. Why can’t I have love? Why can’t I fall for Daniel? You should be more understanding and less judgmental.”

I can hear the fury in Evgenii’s voice, but he doesn’t answer straight away. I think he’s walking to a more private location so he can lose his shit.

“Evgenii…”

“Don’t you fucking talk to me about love, Natalia. You are a trained mafia killer who has murdered so many people that your book is dripping in red. You couldn’t put it back in the black if you were reincarnated as a saint. You don’t fucking know what love is. Now get your fucking ass home.” He’s talking in a low dangerous voice.

My breathing gets a bit shaky, and I argue, “Just because I take lives doesn’t mean I can’t have one or know what love is. I’m carrying his baby, Evgenii. He is the father of my child, and I won’t leave him. You cannot take this happiness away from me. We can reevaluate my position once the baby is born. Why is everyone else in our family, in our world, allowed a family except Daniel and me?”