“They had family. The team they worked with. They are all like brothers. But yes, the men who go into jobs like this are generally loners. Most of them have no one,” I explain.
She nods, sighing heavily.
“I don’t want to live my life like that—alone. I want a massive family. I never even knew or understood what family was until I spent time with yours. I want the girls to have that,” she says.
“They will have everything, Kayla. They already have a family who loves and adores them.”
As the adrenaline wears off, and she relaxes in my arms, Kayla falls asleep, exhausted.
It breaks my heart thatthisis the reason I get to see her being vulnerable again. I want her to trust me and need me. I want her to open up to me like she did now. But not for reasons like this.
I have been calm and tender with her. But inside my body, there is a rage so dark I can’t calm the flames that are lapping against my thoughts.
Anton Radev.
I knew exactly who she described the moment she spoke about him.
I have seen those blue eyes and that confident, arrogant smile.
Anton Radev. One of my enemies.
The Bratva king of Vancouver.
We have been at war for as long as I have had power here.
However, Anton tends to stay on his side of the map while I stay on mine. We don’t cross paths.
It would take something big to upset him enough to bring him into my city looking for trouble like this. For him to approach my wife and threaten her, and to kill two of my guards.
Something big.
Like me, joining forces and doing business with the West Coast Pakhans!
He feels threatened by my expansion of power. It can only be that. He wouldn’t waste his time on something less.
The anger inside me becomes too much to deal with, and I have to slip away from Kayla before I accidentally wake her up.
Gently, I tuck the blankets around her and place soft pillows at her back to keep her comfortable.
Then I head downstairs to think.
And I pace.
I pace and mutter and fight the urge to throw things. I want to tear that man apart.
He had his hands on my wife. He threatened her, terrified her. He was so close to her that the images in my mind are breaking me.
He could have done anything. And I wasn’t there to stop him.
The threat is clear.
He could not have been clearer if he tried. He’s letting me know he can reach the people I love, and he will, if I don’t back out of the deal with the Pakhans.
Dialing Isaak, I hold the phone to my ear and walk out onto the patio.
“The team has everything cleared up, and they brought the guards' car to the warehouse. I'm sorting it all out.”
“It was Anton Radev,” I snarl.
