35. Chapter 35
The pre-dawn air is thick with tension as I peer through night vision goggles, surveying the shadowy perimeter of the airfield. My heart pounds with adrenaline and determination. This is it—the moment we”ve planned for. Failure is not an option.
I glance over at Kane, his jaw set with focus, his eyes scanning for any sign of movement. Beyond him is Cole, her face obscured by tactical gear, exuding coiled power like a panther waiting to strike.
My team is ready.
Lives depend on our success.
And not just any lives.
I spot headlights cutting through the darkness—the SUV carrying Yara.
My chest tightens, imagining her fear. I have to reach her first. It”s been three long days, and this is our one shot to get her out safely before she”s whisked overseas to goodness knows where.
Kane tenses, anticipating my signal.
The SUV rolls to a stop, surrounded by armed silhouettes.
I steady my breathing, pushing down the rage I feel for the monsters who have chosen to terrify a child and steal her from her loving mother. Not yet. Wait for it...
”Now!” I hiss.
Kane explodes into motion, sprinting towards the SUV. Gunfire erupts, shattering the night”s calm.
Adrenaline floods my veins as I charge forward, focused only on my goal. Bullets whizz past, but none will stop me. I have a job to do.
I reach the SUV and wrench open the door. Yara stares at me wide-eyed, shaking with fear and relief.
”I”ve got you, you”re safe,” I say gently.
Her small hand grips mine like a lifeline as I scoop her into my arms.
Kane lies down covering fire as we sprint for safety, the promise of a new sunrise guiding our escape.
I cradle Yara close as we race towards the tree line, the sounds of gunfire and shouts fading behind us.
Her small body trembles against mine, her breath coming in panicked gasps.
”Shhh, just keep your eyes on me,” I murmur. ”We”re almost there.”
I can see the clearing up ahead where our extraction team waits.
Kane and Cole flank us on either side, their weapons raised, ready to eliminate any threat.
We break through the tree cover and I nearly collapse in relief at the sight of the idling chopper. The pilot spots us and begins spinning up the rotors.
I hurry Yara into the helicopter”s cabin, shielding her body with mine until we”re safely inside.
Kane and Cole pile in after us and we lift off just as our pursuers emerge from the trees, firing futilely at the rising aircraft.
Yara buries her face in my shoulder, finally releasing the tears she”s bravely held back until now.
I stroke her hair, my heart swelling with gratitude and purpose.
”Let it out, little one. You”re safe. You”ll be back with your mama soon.”
She”s endured a nightmare, but we”ve snatched her back from the brink. I vow then that no matter what comes next, I will keep her—and Alina —far from harm”s reach. This is only the beginning.
Alina
I pace the safehouse floor, weariness and worry etched in every line of my body. I”ve been waiting for hours since Morello left on his dangerous mission to intercept Yara”s transport. Endless scenarios of everything that could go wrong plague my thoughts.
Finally, I hear the distant drone of helicopter blades. I rush outside just as the black speck grows larger, its shape becoming distinct as it approaches.
Relief floods my veins at the sight, followed quickly by a wave of apprehension. Just because someone is approaching doesn”t mean it”s Yara.
And even if she is in there, she could be injured, or… I can”t bear to think the worst…
The chopper touches down and the doors slide open.
Part of me wants to cover my eyes and have someone provide a recap when it”s all over, but my motherly instincts overwhelm me.
Instead, I put my selfish fears aside and run toward the aircraft.
Morello emerges first, Yara bundled protectively in his muscular arms.
My breath catches at the sight of her, disheveled but unharmed.
I surge forward as Morello sets Yara down, sweeping her into a fierce embrace.
”You”re safe, you”re here. My sweet Yara,” I murmur, tears spilling down my cheeks.
Yara clings to me, her thin body wracked with sobs. Thank god her wound was superficial, patched up by Gerald”s men and then checked on by the FBI medic in the rescue chopper.
After long moments, I lift my head to meet Morello”s gaze.
My gratitude wars with lingering mistrust, causing my mouth to tremble as my eyes fill with tears.
It”s hard to find the right words in this situation. ”You saved her,” I say simply.
Morello nods, his expression serious. ”I made you a promise.”
His actions prove his words were true, yet doubt still nags at me.
I can”t afford to let my guard down, no matter what grand gestures he made. He was just doing his job, after all, and even though it felt incredibly personal to me, perhaps for him it was just another day at the office.
Yara tugs at my hand, pulling me from my thoughts.
There will be time later to unravel Morello”s motives. For now, I push aside my questions and focus on the precious girl before me. She”s tired, but doesn”t seem to have any physical injuries. Although I”m sure this whole ordeal has left just another layer of psychological scarring that will take many years to unravel.
Back at the safehouse, we retreat to Yara”s room and I lay with her, holding her in my arms.
Before long, she snores softly, the weight of the day”s events lifting from her as she lays securely ensconced in the comforting cocoon of a dream about more pleasant things.
Later, while Yara sleeps, I join Morello in the safehouse kitchen. He motions for me not to make a noise, and I listen intently as he debriefs the operation, clinical and precise in his details.
He trusts me enough to listen, and overhearing the conversation allows me to fill in some of the gaps. Gerald is an even worse man than I thought, with a complete disregard for human life.
And Morello clearly went out on a limb to save Yara the way he did.
When he finishes, I shake my head in wonder. ”I don”t know how to repay you for what you”ve done.”
Morello”s eyes glint with purpose. ”It”s not over yet. But I swear to you, I”ll do everything in my power to keep you both from harm.”
His words spark the tiniest flicker of hope in my heart. But only time will tell if he”s worthy of my full trust.
I”m well and truly done with rushing things when it comes to men.
For now, I take comfort in Yara”s safety and the promise of tomorrow.
I study Morello”s face, searching for any hint of deception. But his eyes hold only sincerity and determination.
”We”re not out of the woods yet,” he says gravely. ”Both Luchenko and Gerald”s reaches are long. Neither of them will give up so easily.”
He gazes at me, his eyes kind.
”But I think you know that.”
I suppress a shudder at the mention of the two men”s names.
Even half a world away, the shadow of Luchenko”s menace hangs over us.
And Gerald, of course, is much, much closer.
”What happens now?” I ask quietly.
Morello”s jaw tightens. ”Now we stay vigilant. My team will continue monitoring for threats. I”ll keep you updated on any developments.”
He hesitates, then reaches out to squeeze my hand. ”But you have my word, I won”t let anything happen to you or Yara. No matter what comes next, I”ll protect you both.”
His rough palm against mine kindles a warmth deep inside. But fear keeps me from embracing the feeling.
”I wish I could believe that,” I whisper.
Morello tilts my chin up to meet his gaze. ”Have faith in me, Alina. I know it won”t be easy, but I mean what I say.”
Looking into his eyes, I feel the first cracks form in the walls around my heart. I want to trust this man, consequences be damned. But the shadows of the past lurk close, and, after all, it was only recently I placed trust in a man that led to this very situation.
With a shaky breath, I manage a small nod. I know he wants more, but it”s all I can offer for now.
Perhaps, in time, that will change, and I”ll have more of myself to give.
Morello
I feel like a hypocrite. Moments after promising Alina that I”ll keep her and her daughter safe, I”m forced to renege on my promise and put them both back directly in harm”s way.
I feel ill at the thought of breaking the news. But the alternative, in Alina”s eyes, would be much worse.
”We tried to get a warrant to storm his place, but the higher-ups aren”t signing off on it. We”re going to have to do things differently.”
”So you”re going to go against your superiors? Won”t that get you in trouble?”
”I mean, theoretically. I could face disciplinary action for an intentional protocol breach. But I”m not going to just let you sit there in danger for however long, and I know you are terrified of being deported back to Luchenko. All of that aside, my main priority is taking the action necessary to eliminate Gerald as a threat from your and Yara”s lives, and that means taking decisive action. So here we are.”
”So what do you have in mind?”
”We need to poke the bear. To raise the stakes.”
”That sounds dangerous.”
”Well, yes. It is. But unfortunately, it”s the only way I think we”re going to get him at his most vulnerable. With the limited resources available to me, to us, we can”t storm the mansion as we ordinarily would. He has a large team, a solid infrastructure with more weapons than he could ever need. That would be too dangerous.”
”So the plan is..?”
”We”re going to use you as bait. Unfortunately, we may need to include Yara as well. But one thing is for sure—Gerald, in all his twisted ways—seems to have some type of sick obsession with you. In the timeframe we have available, having you lure him out into the open where we can actually get at him seems like the only option.”
Her face twists into a frown, her eyes a window into her mind that mulls over the risks involved.
I feel sick for even asking her, but I know there”s no other option.
”What if he… becomes violent? What if he tries to hurt Yara?”
”I”ll have some men who I trust with me. We”re under-resourced but I won”t be completely without backup. We”ll have arrangements in place to ensure the appropriate action can be taken if anything gets out of hand.”
Her eyes grow large. ”You mean—”
I put up a hand to silence her. ”The less you know, the better. I”ve told you too much already.”
She takes a deep breath. ”Well, this sounds like our only option. And I”m sick of being out of choices. So I”m going to choose to do this. I”m trusting what you”re saying—that doesn”t mean I trust you—and it does seem to be the only way to escape Gerald without going back home, which I”m not prepared to do.”
”Are you sure?” I ask, quirking a brow. ”You”re going to have to be braver and stronger than you”ve ever been, to get through this. And I think you can do it, but you need to believe it as well.”
Alina”s gaze meets mine and she nods, determination burning fiercely in her emerald eyes.
She throws her shoulders back as if steeling herself for war. ”I”m ready to go. Anything for my daughter.”