"What are you going to do?" Anya asks softly.
The question hangs in the air. Because there are choices here. Options that maybe I should consider given the circumstances.
But even as I think it, I know the answer.
"Survive," I say firmly. My hand moves to my still-flat stomach. "Whatever it takes, we're going to survive this."
"Does that mean—"
"It means I'm keeping it." The decision feels right the moment I say it out loud.
"You'll be bringing a child into a war."
"I know." The fear is real, visceral.
"Then you have to tell him."
"I know." The thought terrifies me almost as much as Roman's hunters. "But not yet. Not until we're safer. The last thing he needs is to be worried about this."
"Kira, you'll be showing in a few months. You can't hide this forever."
"Soon," I promise. "I'll tell him soon. Just let me figure out how first."
"For what it's worth, I think you'll be a good mother."
"You do?"
"You've been mothering me for years. You're fierce and protective and willing to do anything for the people you love. That's exactly what a child needs."
Tears prick my eyes.Damn hormones. "I'm terrified."
"That's probably a good sign." She helps me stand. "Come on. You need to eat something. For the baby."
I follow Anya out of the bathroom just as Maksim walks in. I see the concern. And maybe a little anger.
"You okay?" he asks.
“Yes. It was just a quick five-minute walk. I was careful.”
His gaze lingers, like he knows I'm not telling him everything. But he doesn't push.
Not yet, anyway.
Chapter Thirty
Maksim
The intelligence gathering takes three days.
But by the end of it, I have a picture of what we're facing.
And it's worse than I thought.
I hate having to trust others. The men are all strangers to me, but Semyon has vouched for them. I considered brining in some of Kira’s people, but I couldn’t be sure they would be loyal to her or me. If I was able to pull them from her as easily as I did, I didn’t like the odds they wouldn’t move to Roman’s side.
That meant we were working with a very small crew. I knew the odds weren’t in our favor. But we were fighting for survival. That gave us a little more motivation.
"He's consolidating power," Semyon explains as we sit in a parked car overlooking one of Roman's warehouses. "Using our escape as an excuse to crack down on anyone who might have helped us. Three families have been hit already."
