Page 65 of Her Courage

She shook her head. "I was just scared."

"And your fear saved us." I pressed my forehead to hers. "Never apologize for caring about our safety, kroshka. It's what makes you perfect for us."

Fresh tears welled in her eyes, but Kaleb spoke before they could fall.

"Marshall has already gotten the DA to file new charges," he said, his voice tight with barely controlled rage. "Attempted poisoning. Conspiracy. This should be enough to keep her locked up until trial."

"And after?" Lottie whispered.

I met Kaleb's eyes over her head. We both knew the answer.

Patrice had declared war.

And we would do whatever necessary to end it.

"After," I said carefully, "we make sure she can never hurt anyone again."

Lottie nodded against my chest, her tears finally slowing. Colby moved closer, his hand settling on her back as the four of us held each other.

Outside, sirens wailed in the distance. Evidence would be processed. Charges would be filed. The machinery of justice would grind forward.

But here, in this moment, all that mattered was us.

Safe. Together. Unbroken.

And that was everything.

Chapter Thirty-Two

LOTTIE

Iclung to Colby's chest, my fingers digging into the soft fabric of his sweater as he rocked me back and forth. The motion should have been soothing—usually was—but nothing could quiet the racing thoughts careening through my mind.

What if the drinks had been poisoned with something fast-acting? What if Andrei hadn't noticed those men? What if⁠—

"Breathe, little one," Colby murmured against my hair. "You're spiraling."

I tried. Really tried. But each inhale felt too shallow, too tight.

Across the room, Kaleb paced. Back and forth, back and forth, wearing a path in the expensive rug. His phone was pressed to his ear, his free hand gesturing sharply as he spoke.

Andrei stood by the window, arms crossed over his broad chest. His jaw was so tight I feared he might crack a tooth. He'd been on and off his phone for the past hour, speaking mostly in rapid Russian that I couldn't follow.

The few words I caught—Viktor, Mikhail, protection, threat—made my stomach churn.

"Sierra will be here in twenty," Kaleb announced, finally ending his call. "Monica's coming too."

I lifted my head from Colby's chest. "Your sisters?"

Kaleb nodded, running a hand over his smooth head. The gesture was pure stress. "I need to tell them everything. In person. They deserve to know exactly what kind of damage Patrice has inflicted."

My heart squeezed. I'd only heard about his sisters in passing—Sierra, the younger twin who doted on her toddler daughter. Monica, the quieter one who'd been closer to Patrice until recently, when their mother's true nature became impossible to ignore.

"That's good," I said softly, earning Kaleb's attention. "They should know. So they can protect themselves."

"Exactly what I told him," Andrei muttered from his position by the window. He still hadn't moved, his gaze tracking something outside I couldn't see.

The rumble of a car engine made us all tense. Andrei's hand went to his waist—where I knew he kept a concealed weapon when circumstances warranted. My breath caught.