“So you’re—”
“Striking first.” His hand presses against my stomach. “He wants you dead. Wants our child dead. Wants to make me watch before he kills me, too.” His breath hisses. Lethal. “That’s not happening.”
“Anton—”
“No one threatens my family. Not Igor. Not the Bratva. Not anyone.” His eyes lock on mine. “My father spent his whole life preaching loyalty to the brotherhood. Loyalty above everything. Family second. Blood second. The Bratva first.” He pauses. “He was wrong.”
My breath catches.
“It’s always been about family,” Anton says quietly. “Real family. The ones you choose to protect. The ones you’d burn the world down for.”
His hand presses firmer. “You. This baby. That’s my family now. Mine to protect.”
“But… but it’s a trap.”
“Maybe.”
“And you’re walking into it.”
“Yes.” His thumb brushes my cheekbone. “Because once Igor’s gone, there’s no one left who wants you dead. No loose ends. No threats.” His eyes lock on mine. “You’re safe. The baby’s safe. We can live without looking over our shoulders.”
My throat tightens. “What if something goes wrong?”
“It won’t.”
“But—”
“Lev, Dima, and Boris will stay here with you. Twenty-four-hour security. No one gets near this building without going through them.” His hand moves to my stomach again. “You’re protected. I made sure of it.”
Tears burn behind my eyes. “I don’t want you to go.”
“I know.” His forehead touches mine. “But this is the last thing. After this, it’s done. Igor’s the only one left who can hurt you. Once he’s gone—”
“We’re free.”
“We’re free.”
I close my eyes. Try to breathe through the fear.
“How long have you been planning this?” I whisper.
“Since the day I woke up in that clinic.” His voice is rough. “Since I heard you were pregnant. Since I realized I had something worth protecting.”
The words break something in me.
I swallow hard. “When do you leave?”
“Tonight.”
Tonight.
“That’s—” My voice cracks. “That’s not enough time.”
“I know.”
“Two weeks is—”
“Too long.” His lips brush mine. “But it’s what it takes.”
