Page 67 of Daddy's Reluctant Queen

It’s an idea, I’ll admit. Take them out before they are able to attack me. Still, there are others within the brotherhood who might question it at this point.

“I’ll think on it,” I tell him. “I’ll let you know before the day’s end.”

“That’s all I ask. Thank you.”

The sliding door opens and Sofia appears, her hair pulled back into a ponytail. She’s wearing a long shirt, black yoga pants, and sneakers as if she plans on going for a run. She freezes the moment she sees Ignat.

“Sorry,” she says. “I didn’t know you were taking a meeting.”

“It’s all right,” I say to her. “What did you want?”

She closes the door behind her and steps all the way out onto the patio. “Well, I wanted to know if I could take Luka for a walk around the block this morning. Let him play some ball?—”

“Absolutely not. We’re on lockdown.”

“We wouldn’t leave the neighborhood,” she says. She glances over at Ignat and adds, “You can have Ignat follow me to keep an eye on us.”

“No,” I say, looking at her sternly.

She crosses her arms defiantly. “So, that’s it? Just… no?”

My phone buzzes. I pull it out and say, “You heard me.”

She rolls her eyes angrily as I open my phone screen. Someone’s sent a text message. I open it…

It’s a photo of Sofia sitting on a park bench. She looks a lot like she does at this moment. Wearing a casual T-shirt that hangs loose on her body and tight yoga pants. Her hair is in a ponytail and she’s got a baseball cap on as she looks out past the camera, a faint smile on her face.

Slowly, I realize that she’s on one of her excursions with Luka in the park. Another photo pops up. It’s also of her on the bench, but the shot is wider, showing the jungle gym she’s sitting in front of.

Shit.

A third text message comes through.

“Your spoils of war. Our next target. Keep a better watch on your loved ones, Titus, or else what happened to her father might happen to you. — Cyrus”

A chill runs down my spine. This is a direct threat. It’s already beginning.

“Sofia, go inside.”

She stares at me. “Why?”

I ignore her and hand Ignat the phone. “They’re making threats. We need to make some moves.”

Ignat only needs a second to see the photos before his jaw sets and his eyes sharpen. “Yes, sir. What do you want done?”

“Hey, what’s going on?” Sofia asks.

I start to tell her again to leave, but the determination in her face is telling me that I’m headed for a fight if I try to make her.

And besides, this concerns her.

“Just got a threat. They’re going to try to come for you.”

“Or potentially, Luka,” said Ignat. “There is a photo of the playground. They might know about him.”

My stomach tightens with fear and rage. Ignat was right to suggest hitting them first. Now there’s no question that it needs to be done. But first, I need to keep my son safe.

I stand up. “All right. Ignat, take Luka away from here. Somewhere that only you know about. I want you to stay with him until I find the twins.”