“Into yours too, little brother,” Viktor shot back.
Andrei didn’t deny it. Instead, he caught my hand beneath the table and brought my knuckles to his lips in a quick, soft kiss. My heartbeat stuttered, warm and traitorous.
Mikhail watched the whole exchange with that calm, knowing stare that made me squirm. Then he leaned closer, his knee brushing mine under the table. “I believe what Viktor meant,” he said quietly, “is that you saved his life.”
“I saved all of your lives, except maybe Mikhail’s. He seems to be the only one who knows how to stay out of trouble,” I corrected.
“And we are very proud and very grateful,” Andrei murmured.
The heat climbed up my neck so fast I nearly hid in my wineglass. All three Dragunov brothers saw it, of course. They always saw everything.
Kara pointed her fork at me. “Apparently, Dragunov men are like stray dogs,” she told me. “Feed one, you get the whole pack.”
Roman snorted. “You’re one to talk. Look at yourself.”
Kara glanced down. Dmitri’s large hand was still resting there, possessive in that quiet, infuriating way only he managed. She turned her head slightly to Lev’s hand resting on her shoulder as he stood behind her chair. She huffed and rolled her eyes. “This is just temporary.”
Dmitri arched a brow. “Is it?”
Lev smirked. “It’s cute watching her try to deny it.”
Kara threw a grape at him. Lev caught it.
I leaned back in my chair and let the warmth settle into my chest. It was surreal, watching everyone relaxed instead of running for their lives. I watched Mikhail loosen the top buttonof his shirt. Viktor laughed without a weapon in his hand and Andrei stretched out like a satisfied wolf.
Mikhail turned toward me, voice low. “How do you feel?”
“Free,” I admitted. “Strange, but free.”
He nodded once, as if that answer mattered more than the destruction of a global shadow network.
“And now what?” I asked him.
His eyes softened. “Now we decide what we want without someone pointing a gun at our heads.”
Viktor leaned in over the table. “I know what I want.”
Andrei sighed. “Please don’t say something inappropriate in front of everyone.”
“Inappropriate?” Viktor said. “Me? Never.”
Kara made a strangled noise.
Even Dmitri smiled, and I couldn’t help but smile too.
Viktor pointed his wineglass at me. “I want our girl to stay right here with us. Where she belongs. Where none of the psychopaths from ARCHEON or Revenant can touch her ever again.”
Mikhail added, “She stays because she wants to.”
All three sets of Dragunov eyes were on me again. Warm. Hungry. Devoted in ways that made my pulse do stupid, erratic things.
I lifted my glass slowly. “I’m not going anywhere.”
That earned three very different reactions—Viktor’s cocky grin, Andrei’s smug knowing smile, and Mikhail’s quiet, satisfied exhale.
At the far end of the table, Kara leaned against Dmitri and raised her glass too. “To peace,” she said.
Roman raised his. “To new beginnings.”
