Page 59 of The Enemy Protector
“Get her home,” I tell Nelson. “Get the other two. All three of you. Thirty seconds, Nelson. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Where the hell is her bodyguard?”
Nelson shrugs. “Never saw him.”
“Stay on her.”
“Yes, sir.”
Kirill and I leave out the back door.
“Well?” he asks.
“She’ll agree.”
“You sound certain.”
“I am. I want eyes on her in that house every second until we formalize this arrangement.”
“And if she refuses?”
“She won’t.”
You owe me,I tell the ghost that lives in my head.This is way more complicated than you made it sound.
Kirill glances at me. “You good?”
“Fine.”
We get in the SUV, and he pulls away from the curb. I scan the street looking for the threat. I can’t see it. And that scares the hell out of me.
Somewhere out there, the Ghost is watching Sofia. Planning. Waiting for his moment.
He won’t get it.
I’ll make sure of that.
She can hate me all the way to the altar. Hate is survivable. Dead isn’t.
I made a promise. I will honor that promise no matter what it costs me.
15
Sofia
I don’t sleep. How can I? Every time I close my eyes, I see the muzzle flash. Hear the screams. Feel the concrete scraping my cheek.
I see that woman’s face. The one who died. She was someone’s daughter. Someone’s friend. She died because she was standing near me.
By the time the sun rises, I’ve made my decision.
I pick up my phone and stare at Sergei’s number. My thumb hovers over the call button. This is it. Once I make this call, there’s no going back. I’m admitting I can’t handle this alone. I’m admitting I need him.
I’m giving myself to him.
I could run. I don’t need to run the bratva. I have money. Yuri can have it all.
