Chapter 46
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
SLOANE
Sitting in Kirill’s car on the way to my sister’s house to get Milo, I can’t stop my leg from bouncing.
I’m about to become the wife of a man in the Russian Mafia. That isn’t something you take lightly. And somehow, that isn’t even the scariest part.
I’m about to face my sister with my future husband, who wants to kill her. And those two in the same room together is a recipe for disaster.
My husband. I seriously didn’t see this coming.
What is happening to my life? It’s like everything’s been turned upside down overnight. But I’m going to get Milo back, whatever it takes, and that’s all that matters to me.
Kirill’s hand settles over my jittery knee, his palm pressing down to still the frantic motion.
“Don’t worry. She won’t say no to me.” A faint, dangerous smirk touches his mouth. “Trust me.”
That’s exactly what I’m afraid of.
His thumb brushes back and forth. “Everything will be okay.”
I glance at him. His attention is on the road, but his hand doesn’t move off me.
“I won’t let anything happen to you or Milo.” The certainty in his voice gives me some sort of comfort.
“You don’t understand.” I let out a sigh, staring out the windshield. “I’ve wanted him back since the day she kicked me out, and I never thought this moment would come.”
He focuses on me as the light turns red. “You never have to worry about that again. A child should always be with the mother who loves him. What she did to you was cruel and unforgivable.”
My hands twist in my lap. “I was a mess for a long time. With the drinking…with everything. I made mistakes. I got involved with people I never should have been around. But I never drank when I was pregnant with him. Not once.” My throat thickens as I force the words out.
“And I’m not that person anymore. I’m not.
But she doesn’t see that. She never will. ”
The homes outside the window blur as we drive past.
“You don’t need her approval. Some people aren’t satisfied until they drag everyone else down with them.”
There’s something in his tone that makes me glance over again. Something darker. Something personal. And I wonder if he’s thinking about his father.
Neither of us says anything after that. The silence stretches between us as the car turns down a familiar street, and the second my house comes into view, my stomach flips violently. Kirill pulls the SUV to the curb and shuts off the engine.
This is it.
I stare at the front door of the small house, unable to move even though I’ve been waiting for this very moment.
Kirill gets out first and walks around the front of the car. A moment later, my door opens, and he’s standing there waiting for me, one hand resting on the frame as he studies my face.
“Come on.”
But I can’t. My fingers grip the edge of the seat, and my chest is too tight to breathe properly. Kirill lowers himself until he’s kneeling in front of me and gently takes both of my hands in his. That simple touch alone makes me feel cherished.
“I’m here.” His thumbs brush across my knuckles. “You’re safe. I promise.”
And that’s enough. Those words…they’re enough. Because I believe them.
He may be dangerous to half the world. But I know he would never hurt me. He’s already proven that.
With my hand still in his, I finally step out of the car. The walk to the house feels endless, and by the time we reach the porch, my nerves are back in full force.
Kirill knocks, and a few seconds later, the door opens halfway, my sister filling the frame. Her expression hardens the moment she sees me.
“What do you want?” she snaps. Then her eyes shift past me to Kirill. “And who the hell is this?”
He doesn’t answer. He doesn’t even slow down. His hand squeezes around mine, and before she can even react, he steps forward, brushing right past her like she’s nothing more than an obstacle.
The door swings shut behind us while I’m still staring at Camille. I can’t help it. The look on her face is pure shock, like she can’t believe someone just marched into her house before she had time to protest.
“Excuse me!” She spins around. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
Kirill doesn’t release my hand. “The owner of this house. Not that I’m here to explain myself to you.”
“What?” she scoffs.
“I’m not here to answer your questions. What I need is simple. Go pack Milo’s things and get him.”
Her eyes flick between us, and then her lip curls.
“Really?” She lets out a piercing laugh. “You just shack up with any loser who wants to fuck you? Typical. You spread your legs for whoever you want, but Milo’s not going anywhere.”
The words rip through me before I even process them.
But Kirill does. He releases me and steps forward with a menacing prowl, the change in his posture both immediate and dangerous.
“What did you just say to her?”
Camille lifts her chin. “You heard me.”
The next movement is so quick, I barely register it.
He reaches beneath his jacket and pulls out his gun. The room freezes.
“You’re only alive right now because of the love I have for your sister.” He edges closer until Camille has to tilt her head back to meet his stare. “But I swear to you, one more wrong word and I will put a bullet right here.”
He taps the barrel between her eyes.
“Now go pack Milo’s things. Because he is coming home with us.”
Camille’s mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Probably smart.
“This isn’t a negotiation,” Kirill continues. “Believe me, you don’t want it to be, or you will find yourself not only homeless, but dead.”
It looks like she wants to argue. I can see it in the way her lips open and close. But the gun still in his grip stops her. She pivots and disappears down the hallway instead.
My legs go weak. This is actually happening. I’ll have my baby back.
Kirill’s fingers slice through mine like nothing just happened, while I wait eagerly to see Milo. Minutes later, Camille returns with Milo’s small backpack and a duffel bag, Milo running down the stairs behind her the second he sees me.
“Mommy!”
The sound hits me straight in the chest. I drop to my knees just in time to catch him as he throws himself into my embrace, his arms locking around my neck like he’s afraid I might disappear again.
“I missed you,” he says into my shoulder.
My throat tightens.
“I missed you too, baby,” I whisper, pressing my face into his hair and breathing him in like he’s oxygen.
He winds back to look at me, his small hands cupping my cheeks. “Am I gonna live with you now?”
The question cracks straight through me.
I nod quickly, emotions clinging to my throat. “Yes. Yes, you are.”
His eyes widen. “Forever?”
“Forever. I promise.” I brush his hair back from his forehead. “We’re never going to be apart again, okay? Mommy’s not leaving you ever again.”
He studies my face like he’s making sure I mean it. Then he hugs me again, even tighter this time.
“Good,” he says.
I laugh through the tears threatening to spill and kiss the top of his head.
Kirill watches us, the corner of his mouth twitching as he takes the bag from Camille’s hand.
A few minutes later, we’re back at the car, strapping Milo into the backseat. But before Kirill gets in, he pauses and turns toward Camille one last time, where she’s still standing frozen in the doorway.
“You are not to come anywhere near my wife or our son, you understand me?” His voice drops lower, colder. “I have killed a woman for less.”
Every bit of color drains from her face.
He doesn’t say anything after that, just gets into the car. And as we pull away, with Milo safely in the backseat beside me, I know I have everything I need now.
Everything and more.