Page 65 of The Enemy Protector
“My housekeeper will pick up what you need.”
I grin. “I like black. And no lace. But definitely satin.”
I see his jaw flex.Good.So I can get to him too.
“Five days, Sofia.”
He walks into the foyer, and then he’s gone.
I don’t know if I won anything.
But for one second there, it felt like I got under his skin.
I’ll take that. It may be the last win I get for a while.
16
Sergei
“You’re acting like this is your last supper,” Kirill says.
I take another bite of the linguine. I don’t bother answering him.
“I have to say, I never thought she’d agree to it.”
“Being murdered is a good motivator.”
Krill smirks. “You’ve been watching this woman for years. You’ve had men following her, protecting her, reporting every detail of her life back to you. And now you’re marrying her. You. Married. Never thought I’d see the day.”
“It’s strategic.”
“It’s more than that, and we both know it.”
I don’t respond. I can’t. Because he’s right and I’m not ready to admit it out loud.
“What happens when Yuri finds out?” Kirill asks, shifting topics.
“He’ll be furious.”
“Will he back off?”
I shake my head. “He’ll still try to stake his claim. Marriage or not, he thinks that empire belongs to him.”
“That violates the treaty. The five families agreed—formal marriages create alliances that can’t be challenged without consequences.”
“Yuri doesn’t strike me as the type to care about treaties.” I swirl the scotch in my glass. “He’s desperate. Desperate men do stupid things.”
“So, we prepare for war.”
“We prepare for war,” I agree. “But we do it smart. I want every asset protected. Every vulnerability shored up. When he makes his move—and he will—I want to be three steps ahead.”
Kirill nods. “I’ll brief the crew tonight.”
“Good.” I pause. “What about the organ trafficking?”
His expression darkens. “It’s definitely been happening for a while. Years, from what I can piece together. But it’s tight-lipped. Nobody wants to talk. The few contacts I have who might know something are either refusing to answer or they’ve disappeared.”
“How is an operation that size running in my city without me knowing about it?”
