"I’ve got him. He’s being held. In a secure location."
"Adrian—"
"He hurt you, Sera. He kidnapped you. He cut you." His voice is ice. I lift my hand, surprised to find it bandaged. I’d forgotten all about my ear in the midst of everything. "He doesn't get to walk away from that."
"He helped me at the end." The words come out fast. Desperate. "He was going to let me go. To get me to a hospital. If you hadn't blown the door?—"
"If I hadn't blown the door, he might have changed his mind. Again." Adrian's jaw is tight. "He's unstable. Dangerous. He can't be trusted."
"He's my brother." Reminding Gabe of our childhood didn’t just affect him, it reminded me of my duty to him. He’s family. Despite everything.
"He stopped being your brother when he drugged you and took you from our home."
"Please." I look up at him. "Don't kill him."
"Sera—"
"Please, Adrian. I know what he did. I know he deserves it. But I can't—" My voice breaks. "He's the only family I have left. Besides you. Besides Angelo. I don’t think I could live with myself. "
Adrian is quiet for a long moment. Studying me.
"He told me where to find you," he finally says. "When I had my gun on him. He could have stayed silent. Let me waste time. But he told me you were hurt. That you needed help." His voice is carefully neutral. "That's the only reason he's still alive."
Relief floods through me. "Thank you."
"Don't thank me yet." He crouches beside me again. "I'm not letting him go. But I'm not killing him either. I'm turning him over to the feds."
My breath catches. "The feds?"
"He's been informing on the Morozovs. Stealing fromthem. Working with mercenaries. The federal government wants him almost as much as Alexei does. He fucked them. Used them. They aren’t happy, and he’s got nothing more to trade." His eyes meet mine. "He'll go to prison. Probably for a long time. But he'll be alive. And away from you. Away from our son."
It's not perfect.
But it's better than dead.
"Okay," I whisper. "Okay."
"And Sera?" His voice drops. "If he ever comes near you again. If he ever threatens you or Angelo or anyone in this family—I won't hesitate. Understand?"
"I understand."
He kisses my forehead again. Then stands, pushing my wheelchair closer to Angelo's incubator.
"What about Leo?" I ask. "Is he?—"
"He's fine. Recovering. The surgery went well." Adrian's voice softens slightly. "He's been asking about you. About the baby."
"I want to see him."
He sighs. I know he doesn’t like that I’m asking about another man, but he’s going to have to get over it. Leo was gravely injured protecting me, and it’s not something I’ll soon forget.
"You will. When you're stronger."
I nod. Still watching Angelo breathe.
"I'm sorry," I say quietly. "For trying to save Leo. For putting myself at risk. I should have run. I should have?—"
"Stop." Adrian's hand touches my shoulder. "You saved his life. You're a protector, Sera. That's who you are. I love that about you." He pauses. "But from now on? Your priority is Angelo. And yourself. Let me handle the rest."
