Not a member of the family. Both Sadie and our child would need to be formally accepted as newcomers under the Dubinin protection.
Business first.
But after?
I would make it clear this woman wasn’t just an ally or informant.
She wasmine.
28
SADIE
If there were ever a time for me to feel like a traitor, it would’ve been today.
Hours passed in Luka Dubinin’s study, then a bigger meeting room, and finally, in the lounge. I didn’t hold back once with any misgivings that I was selling my soul, falling for the enemy, or committing any sins.
Sharing these files and talking about my Obsidian Eye case with the Dubinin men felt right. I had been prepared to tell Emil about it the night I was captured. I had almost perished. I had been taken, no doubt, so I couldn’t reveal any of this confidential information with him or his family, but I prevailed.
I survived, and he had come to rescue me.
Like this, it seemed to be fated, kismet, that I could work with the Dubinins on the newest threat to society.
As an agent, I had worked to fight crime to keep the world safe. As Emil’s lover, as this tentative ally to the family, I saw clearly how Luka prioritized keeping his dynasty safe, his interests safe.Maybe it wasn’t as altruistic of an approach as what I had, but near the end of the meeting, when I was sipping water more than lecturing because my throat was so dry, I realized it didn’t matter.
All that mattered was making the world—any and all parts of it—safer.
I saw now how my former agency wouldn’t be the best option to achieve that goal. They were too corrupt, likely backing multiple members of this new group that wanted to form.
Only with the Dubinins could I feel safe. Like there was hope to get rid of the worst of the worst out there.
I sat back and listened as the men spoke, collaborating. They had intel of their own, but mostly, they wanted to see how they could match what I revealed with what they suspected. The bottom line was that they also wanted to prevent the Obsidian Eye group from becoming a real thing. It was just a matter of how to achieve that.
More details would be necessary, but for my first meeting with them, I felt like things had gone down well. Regardless, I couldn’t shake this suspicion that Luka was eager to speak with Emil without me there. Even Ivan and Alexsei. The three of them made up Luka’s most-trusted inner circle, and I knew I wasn’t part of it.
I wasn’t even sure if Luka would extend permanent welcomes for me and my child.
Many things had to be considered, but I hated the possibility that I would be excluded from all the plans. I didn’t want to be left out after contributing so much. It wasn’t a matter of exacting tit for tat. It was more to do with the fact that I’d spent so muchtime and energy on this case and stopping the Obsidian Eye alliance that I wanted the closure of finishing this case.
Being talked over at the agency pissed me off. I didn’t want to experience that here, either. I was the outsider. I had yet to receive Luka’s official welcome and approval, but for all I’d shared, I didn’t want to be shut out.
The discussion was all about business, and being the only woman in the room didn’t strike me as odd. I was an operative. I’d done this all my career, albeit on the other side of the law.
When Raisa and Gabriella entered the room, though, it changed the tune. Talk about plans and enemies faded. The men welcomed the two women in, offering seats for them and a couple of young boys. It was different having this shift from work to family, but I couldn’t convince myself that I belonged in either. They might exclude me from specific planning phases just the same as they wouldn’t want me in a family gathering.
I didn’t feel like a guest, nor was I an employee on hand.
I wasn’t sure how to dispel this funkiness.
Emil was still at my side, like he had been all day, but something about this setting had shifted this unease into social anxiety within me. Earlier, Gabriella made me feel welcome, but now, she was talking with Ivan and Raisa while Emil talked to Alexsei.
I sighed, sitting back in my seat and wishing I wasn’t the oddball of the close-knit group.
“Have you met Andre?”
I flinched a little at the young boy who’d plopped onto the couch next to me.
“Andre?” I smiled at the baby the boy held. “Nope. I sure haven’t.”
