I stare at him, disbelief curling in my chest. “You can protect me and talk to me,” I say quietly. “What is going on, Lev?”
For a moment, he doesn’t answer. His gaze drifts past me, to the end of the empty corridor, as though he’s searching for the right words—or the strength to say them. When his eyes return to mine, they’re shadowed, grave.
“The Greeks haven’t let go of the debt, Sasha,” he says finally, his voice low and edged with steel. “And they’ve made it clear—they want you.”
The words hit like a slap.
I blink, once. Twice. My throat dries up. “What?”
He doesn’t repeat himself. He doesn’t have to. The look in his eyes tells me everything—this isn’t an empty threat. This is real.
My heart starts to race, pounding so hard I can feel it in my ears. All I can think is—why? Why now? Why after everything?
But when I finally manage to speak, my voice barely comes out as a whisper. “What do you mean they want me?”
Chapter 16 – Lev
It’s a valid question, but for now, I don’t have an answer, so I don’t respond. I take her hand and lead her back to our suite, every thought focused on keeping her safe. When we reach the door, I stop and look down at her.
“Rest,” I say firmly. “I’ll be back.”
Her brows furrow, and she bites her lip. “I can’t rest. Where are you going?”
“I have to handle some things,” I reply, my voice flat but controlled. I brush a strand of hair behind her ear before turning and leaving her inside.
The suite door clicks shut behind me, and I don’t look back.
I march straight to my study. Mikhail is already there, hands shoved into his pockets, looking at me with a measured calm that almost annoys me. How can he look so calm? How can anyone look so calm? I’m raging inside!
“Full security sweep,” I bark. “Perimeter guards, surveillance upgrades, encrypted communications. Everything.”
He raises an eyebrow. “Everything?”
“Yes, everything,” I growl. “I want every inch of this estate monitored. I want to know where every single person is at all times. I don’t care if it costs a fortune. I’m not letting anything happen to her.”
Mikhail nods and taps rapidly at his laptop, already sending commands to my security network. He summons the other lieutenants. Instructions are clear, precise, and relentless. Every angle covered. Every entrance watched.
As they disperse, I pace the study, my mind half on strategy, half on Sasha. The thought of her in danger gnaws at me. I refuse to let her be a target—not now, not ever.
I can’t rest. I won’t rest. Not until I know she’s safe.
Mikhail’s fingers continue flying over the keyboard, the glow of the screen reflecting on his face. The quiet hum of the surveillance feed fills the study until he suddenly stops, his head snapping up.
“Oh, I remembered something from earlier,” he says urgently.
I still, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “What?”
“One of the Greek guests—probably Viktor’s man. Our cameras caught a tail on him after he left the estate. Could be nothing, could be a warning.” He leans back in his chair, eyes narrowing. “They’re watching, Lev. We can’t be sure how close they are, but this isn’t coincidence.”
I don’t need him to finish. I already know. The Greeks have eyes on Sasha. They’re circling, waiting, patient.
The thought sends a flash of heat through my chest, that familiar mix of fury and possessiveness. They’re testing me, seeing how far they can push before I bite back.
I step closer to the desk, my voice dropping to a lethal calm. “I don’t care how patient they are. Find out everything about that tail. Names, faces, routes. I want their entire chain of command.”
Mikhail nods once, already typing again. I move to the window, staring out into the night, the reflection of my own face hard and cold in the glass.
When I saw Viktor at the reception, to say I was shocked would be an understatement. He came with some other Greek men, and my first instinct was to throw them all out my door. My blood boiled, my fingers itched for violence. But Mikhail and Roman told me to relax.
