I stole a glance at Lainey. Our strong connection was being tested, but I would keep my promise. No one would ever hurt her the way Selena and her mother had been hurt. With lies. Hatred. Greed.
“What happened, Dad? What really happened to Katerina?” I asked.
“What does it matter? She betrayed my father!” Gregor insisted. When he took a step closer, so did every single one of our soldiers.
“I would be careful if I were you.”
“Katerina came to me in hopes that I could convince Yuri to stop the marriage, which I tried. Yuri discovered our plans. We were thrown into prison for our involvement and interference and it’s my belief Katerina believed we’d turned our backs on her. On the day of the wedding, she was found hung inside her dressing room. She’d been left alone for only a few moments.”There was such a heaviness in my father’s voice, a secret kept for so long.
“The Petrovs blame you as they should and that’s why the war has continued. But you found a way to align yourselves with them again through my daughter. Their blood. Our blood. How very clever of you. A plan that took years in the making.” I took two long strides, pointing my weapon at Yuri’s head. “When you realized I was in love again, you used that love as a weakness to get what you wanted. Let me guess. You were going to sell Lainey off to the Petrovs. A peace offering. Right?”
Weapons were immediately pointed in my direction, my family in turn ready to fire if necessary.
“You are of my blood, Sasha. It’s good to see you haven’t been softened by your father or your uncle,” Yuri spit out.
The tension was palpable. One false move and there would be a massacre.
“Sasha. Don’t. Please, don’t.” Lainey’s voice was one of reason, yet the anger I felt was too intense. I couldn’t do this in front of Lainey. My world was different. My family’s world was different. We were no longer like the brutal men that had ravaged my uncle and his sons. “Sasha. You’re not that man.” When she repeated her plea, I locked eyes with her. In them I saw love and utter support.
Dear God, I adored the woman.
I lowered my weapon, shoring my shoulders. “The beautiful woman who has freed me from the chains of losing my wife is right. I’m not like you at all, Yuri. Not at all. Neither is my brother nor sister nor my cousins.” I backed away, curious as to what he’d do.
The moment his son Gregor raised a weapon toward me, Mikhail shot him. Weapons were raised on every side, but now Yuri and his men were outnumbered.
“You will not get away with this,” Yuri insisted, coughing as soon as he spoke.
I crouched down in front of him, studying his face. “You betrayed your own family, Yuri. You will face penance for your actions.”
“There will be no more bloodshed today. Take their weapons,” Mikhail ordered.
As our soldiers proceeded to follow Mikhail’s order, I could feel Selena all around me. For a split second, I was even able to see her face peering at me with a smile. We’d come full circle with pain and rage that had nearly consumed me. Now it was time for healing.
And for starting my life over.
With the woman I adored and the feistiest little girl a father could have.
I glanced at my father and he sensed I was watching, tipping his head and nodding. I wasn’t certain why they’d felt the need to keep Katerina and the circumstances surrounding her death a secret other than they’d wanted to protect our entire family from learning our legacy was stained. By grief. By bloodshed and violence.
And by the need for power.
What I did know was that they’d been trying to do the right thing.
A lesson to be learned. Secrets weren’t good for any family.
Especially my little family.
When I turned toward Lainey, she rushed into my arms, throwing hers around my shoulders. “I knew you’d come. I knew it.”
“Oh, baby. What did they do to you?” I pulled her back, cupping her face gently and rubbing my thumb across her cheek.
She nuzzled into my hand, her eyelids half closing. “I’m fine. You look a little rough around the edges.” The light touch ofher hand brought a wave of emotion that I would ensure never faded. “Besides, you don’t need to worry about me. You came for me. For us. You didn’t allow anything to stop you.”
“I made you a promise I intended on keeping.”
“Mmm…” she purred. “That makes you my hero.”
“I don’t know about that.”
