"Fuck." Olek stood, already pulling on his clothes. "I need to call Mikhail."
"No!" I grabbed his arm. "He said if I bring anyone, he'll know. He'll kill her, Olek. He'll actually do it."
"So you're just going to walk into an ambush alone?"
"What choice do I have?" Tears spilled down my cheeks. "Shanice has been there for me for years. She's taken care of Zara. She gave up her life to help us. I can't let him kill her."
"And I can't let him kill you." Olek cupped my face. "You're carrying my child, Katrina. You think I'm going to let you walk into a trap?"
"He knows things. If you come with me, it’ll be a problem."
"Then I won't come with you. Not obviously." He was already thinking, planning. "But I'll be there. Close enough to help. Far enough that he won't see."
"No."
"This isn't negotiable." His eyes were hard. "You're mine now. That means I protect you. Both of you." His hand went to my stomach. "All three of you. Four, counting Shanice."
I wanted to argue and tell him it was too dangerous.
But I was terrified. And the idea of facing Marcus alone when he wasn’t trustworthy was a struggle.
"Okay," I whispered. "But you can't let him see you. If he sees you, he'll kill Shanice just to hurt me."
"He won't see me." Olek kissed me hard. "Get dressed. We need to plan this carefully."
"What about Zara? The guests?"
"Elena can watch Zara. The guests won't miss us for a few hours." He was already texting Mikhail. "Tell me everything about Marcus. His habits. His weaknesses. How he thinks."
So I did. I told him about Marcus's temper. His paranoia. The way he always had a backup plan. The way he'd tracked me across two states. The fact that he’s a cop and has cop friends that help with his delusional plans.
I said. "He’s smarter than people think. And he's patient. He'll have planned this perfectly."
"Then we'll plan better." Olek's jaw was set. "He's not taking you from me. Not when I just got you."
"What if something goes wrong?"
"Nothing's going to go wrong." He pulled me close. "I've been doing this since I was twenty-three, Katrina. I know how to handle men like him."
"He's dangerous."
"So am I." He kissed my forehead. "That’s why you’ve got to trust me."
I looked up at him. This man was promising to save me even though it might cost him.
"I trust you," I said.
"Good." He released me and started moving. "Now get dressed. We have six hours to prepare."
"Olek?"
He turned back.
"I love you," I said.
His expression softened. "I love you too. Which is why I'm going to make sure that bastard never touches you again."
He left to get Mikhail, and I sat there on the bed, one hand on my stomach where our baby was growing. I was in disbelief that Marcus was out. And I'd have to face the man who'd terrorized me for years. The man who'd broken my ribs and scarred myback and made me afraid of my own shadow. But this time, I wasn't alone. I had Olek.
