My phone rang, pulling me from the peaceful quiet as I let her rest a little longer. Seeing that it was my father calling, I got up and headed into the lounge.
After I closed the bedroom door behind me, I once more appreciated that this property wasn’t as desolate as I thought it might be. Sadie deserved better, but this was a huge step up from the bare bones of a safe house I’d held her at before.
“Hello, Father,” I answered as I sat down on the brown couch. It was ugly, but it was cleaner than I thought it was at first.
“Son, I’d like to run this riddle past you and see what you make of it.”
I tensed, nervous that with him back home now, he’d be aware of Sadie trespassing at that house. “Okay.”
“Some of the men reported that the Riveras and Vipers are spreading rumors about this new Dubinin heir they would like to get their hands on.”
I grimaced.
“Now, of course, they’d be interested in the fact that Gabriella’s pregnant again. But we’ve hidden her pregnancy in public so far.”
“Uh-huh.” I cleared my throat.
“But then one of the spies made it sound like they weren’t talking about my next child to welcome into this world.”
I rubbed my jaw. “So, Raisa and Ivan are expecting again?” It was a weak guess. And a lie.
“No.”
I blew out a deep breath, hating that I’d need to tell him all of this before Sadie and I spoke about how we’d approach this.
“It seems to me that our enemies are under the impression thatyouwill have an heir soon.” He grunted. “Now how could that be?” he asked in a mocking yet severe tone that suggested I reconsider lying or hedging.
“It could be that I am?—”
“Hiding,” he finished for me. “From the house’s footage, you let that cat out?—”
“Oh,fuck. Mellow.”
“He’s here.”
I blew out a deep breath.Whoops.I hadn’t even thought about that cat when I saw Sadie. I didn’t want to think about that being a hint of what kind of a parent I’d be. If I couldn’t look after a kitten, how would it be with a baby?
I rolled my eyes. I’d burn down the world to keep my child safe. I was being silly.
“You left with a guest—who didn’t actually enter the house with any guards witnessing it—and now you’re hiding.” He sighed. “Emil, I trust you. I will always trust you. I try not to dominate how you live your life and how you do your job. But you'd better start answering me now.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see. It was my fault that Sadie and I hadn’t talked about what to do. We’d been fucking or discussing her pregnancy, nothing more.
Plus, my late-night reveal of how twisted I am after killing so many people.
“You need to start explaining to me, right the fuck now, why word is spreading among the Italians and Cartel that a certain FBI agent is hiding with you.”
Goddammit! How can anyone know?I had to move Sadie to a safer location immediately if anyone knew we were here.
“About how this agent is carrying your child,” he continued, not raising his voice but adding more wrath. “And how she has classified intel about our family. About this new club of leaders who plan to shift power globally with the black market and more.”
I furrowed my brow, hating how so many others could be aware of all these details about Sadie. No wonder she’d come to find me. She had targets on her back no matter which way she looked.
“What about how her agency fired her and might have set her up to have her killed?” I asked.
“Emil!” He cursed under his breath. “What are you thinking?”
I wasn’t. Where Sadie was concerned, I could only be pulled along in an intense pull to want her. To matter to her. To keep her.
