Page 11 of Witness Protection

He dragged her with him to the bar so he could set his drink down, but then he thought better and swallowed it in one shot. Fuck, he’d been ready to bite the bullet after the massacre at the mansion. He was still breathing because of his responsibility to Sophia. “I don’t want to hear to talk like this again, do you understand me, Sophia?” He held both her shoulders, giving her a little jostle. “I’m not risking my life here for nothing.”

“No one’s asking you to stay. Why don’t you leave?”

“Stop testing me,” he said. “We have a few more days cooped up in this suite. It could be worse.”

She exhaled and slipped away.

He wished he could fix her, fix everything. She was a mess, and he had little to offer in comfort. She took one of the oversized cushions from the sofa and dropped it in front of the windows, then sat cross-legged on it. “You must think I’m weak,” she said, not looking at him. “Maybe I am. I don’t know. It would be nice to be you, Hawk. Strong, fearless, invincible.”

“Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know. All Dad’s men were terrified of you.”

“Not you.”

Protecting the Morenov Empire had always been his passion. He loved Vasily and would do anything he asked. The crime boss personally trained him, ensuring he could kill without remorse, and take a beating without breaking.

He paced back and forth.

“Hawk?”

“Yeah, baby?”

“Want to know my biggest fear?”

He jutted his chin, motioning for her to continue.

“Being alone. Stupid, isn’t it? I mean, considering I’ve spent most of my life alone.” She turned and looked up at him this time. “Are you afraid of anything, Hawk?”

He thought about it briefly. “Just one thing.” Her curiosity piqued, her eyes widening as she awaited his response. He’d been raised to be fearless, cutthroat, and ready to die for the family. Not much gave him pause. Weaknesses were dangerous for men in his business, giving others something to exploit.

“Please tell me,” she said.

“Losing you.”

****

Cayden took a bite of his hero sandwich as he scrolled through the video surveillance images on his phone. It was time to pay Vladimir Sokolov a visit. Vasily’s man was holding down the fort, still loyal to the piece of shit. Cayden had been biding his time, but it was the night to even the score. Morenov’s Russian princess had witnessed him kill her father. He couldn’t leave her alive. Since she was the old man’s only child, he’d consider it a service wiping out the bastard’s bloodline.

They were hiding the girl in an overpriced hotel for the past five days.

Penthouse suite.

Nobody could hide from Cayden. He’d get information from Vladimir, set his plan into motion, and then kill the witness. It had been over a month since Vasily ordered the hit on Frank Almeida and his family. Although Cayden was having a fucked-up time getting over his grief, he was certain it would be easier to move on once the loose ends were tied up nicely.

“You’re coming over for dinner tonight, Cayden. No arguments,” said Frank.

“And what does Mrs. Almeida have to say about that?”

Frank looked at him as if he’d grown a second head. “She loves you like her own son. Be over at six.”

Family was an enigma to him. He always felt like an outsider, not knowing how to behave. For some reason, the bakery owner took Cayden under his wing.

“I’ve never been invited to dinner. Am I supposed to bring something?”

The old man smiled. “Just yourself.”

He tried to keep busy with new contracts but couldn’t get his head in the game. Memories of that girl in the closet kept haunting him. Her dark eyes were filled with shock and disbelief. He wasn’t one to go out of his way to kill innocent bystanders, but she was complicated.

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