No one would ever try to take my babies from me again.
If they did, I no longer had any such compunction about killing the bastards.
It would be their funeral.
His grin was pure fury and love rolled into one, as he stated slowly, “I’ll let you.”
I nodded. I hadn’t even needed to say anything. He knew.
I told them everything as we drove. Daniil had seen the worst, so it all just started tumbling out while I stared out the open window. Artur told me they had followed the cars I was taken from the church in, via any camera loop he could hack into after Grigori stormed into the church too late. Roman, Ember, and Artur all said their thanks for my quick thinking with the table.
I didn’t really care. My emotions were back on amok dial, and I wasn’t feeling much of anything as I continued telling them what had happened. Daniil growled softly hearing that they had only barely missed me that first day. Apparently, they had taken out the entire team who had gassed the church, keeping one hostage, but he hadn’t known who the leaders were. I didn’t ask how they interrogated him, or how his life had ended. Again, I really didn’t care.
When I was done telling them about the car ride in the trunk, being stripped bare and kept down in a ‘bomb shelter’ for months, and how I had escaped, Daniil leaned over to reach into his pocket. He pulled out…the bloody bolt I had used. He murmured quietly, twirling it in his fingers, “This was genius.”
I stared at it. “Where did you find it?” I remembered having it in my hands, and then it was gone—not where I had put it.
“On the kitchen table.”
“Oh,” I mumbled. “I guess I switched it out for the gun that was there.”
Daniil nodded, putting the bolt away in his pocket—probably for a souvenir—after eyeing it for a solid minute. “The gun was a better pick for where you were headed.”
I nodded. I knew this.
Ember stated, “You aren’t bothered about killing that man.” It was a statement of fact.
I shrugged even though Daniil’s gaze snapped to her. I stated bluntly, “And when we find that man and woman, I won’t have any issue killing them.” I paused, telling them what I hadn’t yet. “They want Daniil’s babies. The reason why they took me was to keep me until the babies were born. They were going to kill me afterward, and then take our children.”
Everyone in the car went silent.
I muttered, “So, no. I’m not bothered by that. No one is touching my fucking kids.”
Daniil was trembling under me, and he hissed into the silence, “I know who they are.”
Everyone’s gaze snapped to him, including mine.
I scoured his face, and asked instantly, “How?”
He was still quivering, and he held me tighter. “The song you sang. It was all she used to listen to. I saw the CD player outside where you were held, and checked the disk. It was, indeed, that song. I only asked them to look for fingerprints to verify there was no one else involved, even though I doubt anyone was ignorant enough to leave any behind.” His eyes darted all over my face, and slowly, he smiled. “We’re going to have a party, I think. One to celebrate your homecoming.” His smile grew. “And we’re going to invite them. They won’t be able to refuse.”
I watched him carefully. “Was she an old lover?” Wouldn’t that be special?
He shook his head. “Oh, no. But she was someone very near to me.”
Gradually, I nodded. “All right. Let’s have a party.” I yawned and didn’t care what anyone thought, letting my head rest against his shoulder as I stared out a window and watched the New York scenery slowly change as we got closer to home.
Twenty minutes away from my own bed and shower, I heard a very faint buzzing sound. I closed my eyes to the beautiful landscape of wild and uninhabited back roads, listening closer. My hearing’s excellent, but it was very faint. I couldn’t quite make it out.
All Daniil’s children were talking softly, a mundane topic about a drunk and disorderly night long ago, and I lifted my head and held up my covered hands. “Everyone quiet.”
They shut up. And I could hear it better. I nodded, knowing I was right. “Helicopter.”
Instantly, each person looked out a separate window.
“Nothing,” Grigori murmured.
“Nothing,” Artur stated.
