She’s the mother of my child.
He didn’t know that yet. That part of her admission hadn’t been recorded. I kept that secret to myself because that would change it all. He wouldn’t kick out or order his own blood to be killed, even a bastard with an enemy. He’d expect me to keep the child with the plan that we’d raise him or her as an Orlov.
And I can’t do that either.
I just couldn’t. I couldn’t bear to take my child from her any more than I could fathom anyone hurting her or punishing her.
“Think about it,” he advised at last. “Sleep on it.”
I heaved out a deep breath and nodded. “I intend to.” If for no other reason than to give myself a chance and some time to get over the shock and let it be processed. So I could be level-headed again.
Taking his advice to heart, I left to go home and drink myself to sleep. My mind was racing too fast to calm down for rest. I was keyed up and upset, my pulse too rapid for any sleepiness.
Before I could sit in my bar, leaving all the lights out so I could bask in the darkness and let the vodka do its magic, Oleg cleared his throat, announcing his arrival.
“What?” I cringed, recalling I owed him an apology. “You were right?—”
He held up a hand, not here to gloat or give me an I told you so.
“That doesn’t matter.”
The fuck it doesn’t. You stayed smart. I didn’t. I couldn’t.
“I’m only here to ask when I should handle her.”
I furrowed my brow. “Handle her?”
“She’ll be taken out, right?”
I shook my head. No one was killing the mother of my child!
“She’s… staying with us?”
Again, I struggled to decipher whether he was asking if she’d be allowed to live, among us, or if he was questioning where she would be held.
“Yes.”
“You want her to live here?” He scoffed.
“For now,” I bit out, pouring a drink.
“But…”
I paused, glaring at him.
“From a security standpoint, wouldn’t it be wiser to eliminate her? With all the secrets she has?”
I set the bottle down with more force than I meant to. “And what fucking secrets are those?” I growled.
He watched me, not showing any reaction like the stone-faced guard and backup he was.
“Tell me what secrets she knows?” I dared him to give me one fucking example. “She didn’t find anything in that office.” I raised my glass, pointing a finger at him. “You know that. So what danger does she pose? I never told her anything about business. She never wanted to know, never asked.”
“Roberto Giovanni ordered her to poison you,” he reminded me incredulously.
“And did she?”
He pressed his lips in a firm line. “Shesaysshe won’t.”
