Page 15 of The Enemy Protector
I get in the SUV.
On the drive back, I think about the nod Anton gave me and the fact that he understood too much. Does he know? He can’t know why I’m watching her. Why I’ve been watching her for more than half her life. Why doesn’t he view me as an enemy?
I think back to the night I carried her battered body to my car. Holding her and promising her she’d never be hurt again. Kirill had been there. He’s never questioned that night. He doesn’t ask why. He accepts it. One day he’ll ask.
And one day, I’ll either tell him…or kill him.
5
Sofia
I have never met Yuri Baranov.
His father, my father’s brother, died before I was born. Some internal dispute no one has ever fully explained. An uncle I never knew and now a cousin I’ve never met. I’ve heard Yuri’s name, but until today, that’s all it’s ever been. A name.
I didn’t know he was in New York. Last I heard, leaving Russia wasn’t an option for him. Interpol wanted Yuri Baranov.
But I doubt Yuri Baranov has been Yuri Baranov on paper for years.
I know all about fake identities.
He was raised in Moscow. My father has mentioned him maybe a handful of times in my entire life. No pictures. No phone calls. No holiday cards. Nothing that would make him feel like family.
Until this moment, he barely existed to me.
He’s standing in the foyer with a smile that looks practiced instead of warm. Security would never have let him through the gate if he were a threat. Which means my father let him in.
I’m not sure I would have.
Since the attack, I’ve learned to trust my instincts. The therapist who spoke to me in the hospital told me I wasn’t to blame. When I admitted I’d felt something was off and went with him anyway, she said that was common. Women are taught to override the voice that tells them something is wrong.
My father never let me speak to a therapist again after that night, so I did the next best thing.
I researched the hell out of intuition.
And my intuition spikes. I quickly take in the details. He’s medium height, wearing a nice suit. Dark hair. Our family’s blue eyes. A small resemblance to my father in his younger years. He looks polished. Ordinary. Harmless, if you’re stupid enough to trust appearances.
But my body doesn’t buy it.
"Sofia." He says my name with easy familiarity, like it’s his right. He crosses the foyer and takes both my hands without hesitation, leaning in to kiss either side of my cheeks.
My eyes sweep the room before I can stop them. Door behind me. Anton at my nine o'clock. Two guards at the gate.
I try not to recoil. Everyone in my world knows they are not allowed to touch me. Except Anton. He is the only man ever allowed to put an arm around me or take my hand.
Anton is there now, watching me, waiting for a sign.
Yuri is family. Touch is normal. But it feels horrible and it makes my skin crawl.
"I would have recognized you anywhere,” Yuri says as he steps back. He’s still holding my hands. I pull them free as calmly as I can, despite the pounding in my chest.
“You look like your mother."
I’ve been told I look like my mother many times. I don’t see it, but I don’t try to look for a resemblance to her either. It’s too painful.
"Yuri. It’s so nice to meet you.”
That’s true only if lying counts. I don’t know if it’s nice to meet him. I don’t know why he’s here. I can guess why, but until I know for sure, I’m keeping my guard up and acting naive.
