“You’re not alone, dear,” he reassures me.
“I know. You guys support me.” I try not to roll my eyes at the cliché.
“No, I mean we do, but no. I mean you’re literally not alone. You’ve been tailed this entire walk.” He points behind us.
“What?” I whip my head around and, sure enough, see a man I vaguely recognize further back on the trail.
“I see the way my son looks at you during family dinners. He loves you fiercely. He may have let you go, but he’s not goingto stop protecting you. I can assure you; he’s known your every move and has had men tailing you the entire time. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bash was helping too.”
I’m stunned silent. His words make sense, but I never even considered it.
“He’s not going to risk you, Katerina. You may have plans to kill your father but know that you’re not doing it alone.” He squeezes my shoulder. “If you were, I’d never arm you for it. I’d get you someplace safe. Because we love you. You are our family. And we won’t let you get hurt. No matter how noble the sacrifice.”
His words shock me. I didn’t realize he knew what I was planning. I didn’t think any of them did.
“He’s trafficking women,” I whisper.
He tenses, then lets out a curse. I’ve never heard him so much as utter a foul word, so it takes me by surprise.
“He’s never been a good man. He always puts profit over morals. There’s no redemption for him. But that doesn’t mean it’s your burden to bear.”
My steps falter, taken aback. I never considered that he knew Viktor. It’s hard to match this cheery man with a crime family leader.
“I have to do this. For my mother,” I plead with him to understand.
“Then give them a signal of when you’re going. Make sure your backup is prepared. Don’t go in recklessly.” His words are firm. He’s not ordering me around as a power trip, he’s trying to protect me.
This goes against everything I planned. The whole reason I left was so no one else would get hurt. If I kill Viktor on my own, then Petya and Dominic never break the rules. Their disloyalty will never see the light.
But if what Damien says is true, then I can’t stop them. But I can at least make it easier for them.
“I’ll let them know.” He nods in approval, and for some reason, it fills me with certainty. “Be careful with this.” He hands me the blade.
“I won’t lose it,” I promise him.
“I don’t care about the knife; I care about my daughter. I want her coming home safely.” He stops walking and turns to me.
I give him a hug, holding on tightly. The feeling of a father’s love is something foreign to me. Something I never thought I’d have. I cherish it.
“Thank you,” I mumble into his jacket.
He pats my back soothingly. After a moment, he releases me and steps back.
“Go on, dear. Do what you need to do. And remember, you’re not alone anymore. You never will be.”
Chapter 50
Dominic
The empty seat next to me in my office mocks me. The place where my wife should be seated, safe and protected. Instead, she prowls around town, sleeping in a damn, disgusting motel.
It took me all morning the first day she was gone to realize why she left. Part of it is due to my accusations, but I believe most is out of protection for her brother and me. She believes that if she kills Viktor on her own, she protects us from taking the fall.
We won’t let that happen.
Pyotr is up to date on her moves. We’ve adjusted our plan slightly. Pyotr and his men have been staying near Viktor’s mansion, so he can swoop in when Katerina arrives and be there to protect her. Once she goes in, the Syndicate will invade and finish the job.
It’d be a good plan if it didn’t put my wife in danger. I know she can look after herself, that she’s strong and capable, but it doesn’t stop the sick feeling I get every time I picture her alone in that mansion.
