The man's eyes widen when he sees he only grazed me. A smile plays on my lips as I rip the blade from his hand and drive it into his stomach.
Not higher, not lower, right in the middle.
His mouth forms an "O," and I can already see the blood vessels popping in his eyes.
"Who sent you? And I suggest you talk fast if you don't want to see your guts spilled on the pavement."
Before he can answer, Filip, who was on the ground, scrambles to his feet and points a gun at me.
I haul our friend up as a human shield and look directly at the man who's been supplying us with weapons for over two years.
"WHO SENT YOU?"
To his left, I see a car approaching and know it's Vasili. He's probably going to strangle me for coming alone when he's always telling me to bring backup.
Filip's eyes dart to the SUV driven by my right-hand man, and as he swallows hard, I see the realization dawn on him: there's no way he's getting out of here alive.
My arm starts to ache from holding up his comrade's body, but I don't let a single tremor show. This is about image, and I know why they tried this now.
"Nie dziel skóry na niedzwiedziu," he spits, and my body tenses.
Raising the gun to his own temple, he pulls the trigger. I watch his body crumple to the ground.
The Polish proverb echoes in my head. It was my mother’s saying: Don't count your chickens before they're hatched. Always warning not to plan for victory until you were sure you'd won.
And if I needed any more proof that we were at war, this was it.
Vasili scrambles out of the car, his gaze fixed on the three bodies at my feet.
"Why didn't you call for backup, Damien?"
"My dear mother sent them."
He knows what that means. For years, I've had to lie in wait, to bide my time.
"It's time for a family reunion," I say, unable to stop the sinister smile spreading across my face.
Chapter 15
Roxy
“Roxy, are you sure?” Luna’s voice snaps me back to the present though my gaze is still locked on the garden behind Roman’s house.
When I turn to face her, I see the confusion etched across her features. With Yuri still in the hospital, I haven’t had a chance to explain anything.
I look at my best friend, and she has a special kind of glow about her, the kind that comes from being loved by the right man. You only have to see the way Roman looks at her, as if she's the only oxygen he needs to breathe, to know he adores her.
A lump forms in my throat because I wish I could feel that kind of devotion. A small voice in the back of my mind, one I keep trying to stifle, whispers that there’s no greater devotion than marrying someone to protect them, but I shove the thought away. It’s too dangerous to give in to these feelings.
“Someone’s following me. Actually, two people, if you count Damien. But at least he’s not the one who killed my mother. I only agreed to this wedding so I can get my hands on that bastard and skin him alive,” I say all in one breath, and Lunafreezes. “Oh, and so it’s easier for Damien to keep me safe,” I add.
“What? Roxy, why the hell didn’t you tell me? What stalker? What does he have to do with your mother’s death?”
With a sigh, I sink into one of the armchairs in Roman’s office. I tell her everything I remember from that night, about the dahlia and Yuri. When I finish, Luna pulls me into a hug.
“You don’t have to marry anyone for protection. Roman can assign you a security team and hunt this guy. That is, if you're sure that's theonlyreason you agreed to the wedding,” she adds, a sly smile playing on her lips.
I scowl at her. “What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask, my hackles rising.
