Chapter 18 #2
Ekaterina purses her lips and rocks Ivy gently. “Mikhail, I wanted to let you know that I witnessed one of your soldiers spending time with that Anderson boy down at the graveyard when I put flowers on your father’s grave.”
The whole room tenses. “Are you serious?” Mikhail asks. I have no idea what they’re talking about, but apparently, she just dropped a bomb.
“Oh, yes,” she says, gently running her fingers through Ivy’s hair. “Maybe it’s time we have a bit of a discussion about family values and what we mean by loyalty, hmm?”
My eyes widen when Aleksandr sits up taller. “Viktor, are you free tomorrow night?”
“Of course,” Viktor says. There’s something about the way he chomps the cookie that reminds me of a tiger.
“You and Nikko have a planned hunting trip then, don’t you?”
“We do.”
He cuts his eyes to me. “Harper, I think it’s time you joined them.”
Nikko grins, but Viktor looks bemused. “You want your wife to go with us?” He leans forward. “You are talking about the — hunting trip — down by the beach house, aren’t you?”
Who goes hunting by a — ohhh.
Well, shit.
Aleksandr smiles. “I am. Nikko, we need to tell them what we discovered today.”
“I’d rather show them,” he says. “May I?”
My skin prickles with awareness and I suddenly feel a little nauseous. What are they going to show? Do I want to know?
Why does the daughter of a mobster still get queasy when it comes to things like this?
Right now, as far as I can tell, they’re talking about “hunting,” which I assume has some sort of assassination vibe, “financial planning” due to someone’s poor financial choices, which I can only assume means beating somebody the fuck up, a “discussion” about family values and loyalty, which naturally means someone’s in deep shit, and an offer from the family hitman to “smooth things over.”
In other words, this family discussion isn’t for the faint of heart.
“Can you see, Mikhail?” Nikko asks as he pulls up a second screen on a laptop.
Mikhail sits up on the screen, his eyes alert. “Clearly.”
“Excellent.”
Nikko hits a few buttons and an image that looks vaguely familiar pops onto the screen. When Aleksandr’s grip tightens on mine, I realize I know why it’s familiar. It’s footage from earlier today, outside.
Oh my God.
I stop breathing when I realize that’s…me. Holding a gun.
Those targets weren’t… that far away, were they?
Everyone watches in silence as I hit the first target, then the second. Audio booms from overhead speakers.
I suddenly remember what else we did out there. “Aleks,” I whisper in a strangled voice. “Shooting wasn’t the only—”
“Don’t worry,” he whispers back. “I know exactly where every camera on this estate lies. You’re safe.” His eyes darken. “Do you think I’d fuck my wife where people could see?”
I shiver. God, he’s so damn protective and I love it so much. I swallow. “No.”
He kisses my cheek and says softly, “No one sees what’s mine, Harper. No one touches what’s mine. You’re my wife, for me and me alone.”
I swallow and nod as the footage continues.
I hit every damn target. It’s like having an out-of-body experience. I don’t even recognize the woman on the screen. She looks— capable. Confident.
Badass.
Finally, it’s as if someone hits a thaw button on the room and everyone springs into action.
Viktor curses reverently. Ekaterina’s eyes dance. Polina stares, her jaw unhinged.
Nikko grins. “I’ve never seen anything like it in my fucking life.” He shakes his head. “We’re having a contest. You all can place bets.”
“My money’s on Harper,” Lev mutters. He looks at me with newfound respect. “Who taught you?”
I lick my lips. “Um, no one.” I shrug. “It’s just… it kind of came naturally.”
Disbelieving murmurs go up, though no one’s bold enough to challenge me in front of Aleks.
Kolya, however, chuckles. “I knew one man in the military with such precision. When the military caught wind of his prowess and skill, he became one of their most beloved weapons.” His eyes cut to Aleks.
“Advice, Aleksandr. Please consider keeping your wife’s exceptional talents between us alone, and no one else. No one.”
Aleksandr’s eyes harden. “Absolutely.”
“This is stunning, Harper,” Mikhail says with obvious admiration. “Would you object to aiding our family if we have need of your skill?”
I’m seriously kind of touched he asked me instead of just assuming. I clear my throat. “This is my family now,” I say. “Of course.” But do I really know the full extent of what I’m agreeing to?
“Oh my God,” Polina breathes. “Can you teach me?”
I shake my head. “I’m sorry, I don’t have a single clue how to teach someone.”
“Which is exactly why you know her skill is natural,” Kolya confirms.
I like this guy.
“There’s something I’d like you to keep in mind, Harper.” I look up to the screen to see Mikhail’s serious gaze on me. “Please.”
I nod, swallowing, a bit overwhelmed by the sudden intensity of everyone’s focus on me. “Yes?”
“There’s a big difference in knowing how to shoot and knowing how to kill,” he says.
The quiet in the room underscores the gravity of what he’s telling me.
“We could be under attack right this minute and you’d likely be able to shoot to kill and be successful.
” He leans forward. “It’s something entirely different knowing it was your bullet that took someone’s life. ”
My stomach turns. Aleks squeezes my hand. I nod wordlessly.
“Get acquainted with your weapons,” Mikhail says. “We’ll keep your skills between us. And Harper?”
I nod.
“Welcome to the family.”
“Thank you.” I clear my throat. “I have something to say.”
Mikhail nods. Aleks watches me, his blue eyes on fire.
“There are…situations… that might need something other than a deadly kill, am I right? Like… warning shots or maybe you need someone to disable a weapon, or, or… a camera or something. I could…disarm explosives or something. Incapacitate without causing a fatality.”
Aleks nods emphatically. “Absolutely.”
“Noted,” Mikhail says. Behind him, a baby cries and Aria stirs in bed.
“Aleks, she’s more skilled than any of us, but there’s a world of information you can still teach her. Are you ready?”
Aleks nods. “I am.”
“Excellent,” Mikhail says. “And just in time.” He sits up straighter. “I just got notification that there’s a mysterious drone flying over your house and three unmarked vehicles driving around the perimeter of your estate.” He looks at me. “Harper, ready to showcase those non-lethal skills?”