Til Death Do Us Part (Kornilov Bratva Duet #2) - Nicole Fox Page 0,9
face to keep Theo from knowing anything is wrong, but when I look up and see Theo in the arms of a man I don’t recognize, my entire body goes cold.
The smile slips from my mouth and shatters on the floor. I jump to my feet, my body rigid and coiled, ready to strike.
“Who the fuck are you?” There is a knife in the drawer closest to me, but my gun is upstairs. Why didn’t I bring my gun down with me?
I assess Theo. He isn’t noticeably injured, and either he is relaxed or he is too stunned to be upset. He is stiff and staring at me, his hand resting on the strange man’s shoulder.
He isn’t hurt and that’s a good sign … I hope.
“Fedor sends his regards,” the man says. His voice is deep and low and robotic. It sounds like he has been programmed to speak, but that doesn’t stop his words from slicing through me like a blade. Fedor. I feel like I’ve been split open, exposed to my core. “You aren’t as safe as you think.”
My hands are shaking, and I ball them into fists.
This is my nightmare. This exact moment is what I’ve feared for weeks.
I don’t take my eyes off Theo. If he understands the meaning of the man’s words, he doesn’t show it. His face is an emotionless mask, which is more concerning. If he was crying, I would understand that. I don’t understand this.
The thought crosses my mind that Fedor is hurting Theo even when he isn’t hurting him. I can’t protect him from this emotional trauma. From the fear and the distrust this will sow in him.
“Please.” The word scratches out of me. It’s all I can manage to say. Please don’t hurt him. Please put him down. Please leave.
The man’s face twitches in annoyance, almost like he wants to roll his eyes, and he bends and sets Theo on the ground.
I want to run to him and scoop him up, but I’m afraid of what will happen if I make any sudden movements. It feels like we are standing in the center of an iced-over pond and the ice could crack beneath me at any second.
The man glares down at Theo, his eyes hungry and violent, and then he turns and leaves. I don’t stop him to ask where the nanny went. God only knows what happened to her. At best, she was paid off. At worst…well, it’s best not to ask.
The second the door clicks closed behind him, I drop to my knees and hold out my arms. Theo looks at me for a moment, too stunned to move, and then his lower lip starts to wobble. By the time he walks into the circle of my arms, he is crying, though I’m not even sure if he understands why.
I know why I’m crying, though.
“He paid them off.”
Viktor is pacing around the living room, running his hands through his hair and tugging on the strands.
“Fucking money,” he growls. “That’s what it took for my men to turn on me. He offered them some cash, and they folded and walked away.”
I called Viktor the moment Theo had calmed down enough. He instructed me to lock the door—I already had—and stay inside until he could get here. He showed up four minutes later. I didn’t ask how many traffic laws he broke in order to make that happen.
He fists his hands at his side and then drags them through his hair again.
“We’re okay,” I remind him. I’m scared. So scared I’m not sure I’ll be able to fall asleep tonight, but I’m fine. Theo is sleeping upstairs. He is fine. “We are fine.”
“He could have killed you both,” Viktor says, spinning on his heel and facing me. His eyes are bloodshot, and I wonder how long it has been since he slept. “Fedor offered my guys some money, and they left you open and unprotected, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.”
“Why didn’t he?” Viktor looks confused, so I clarify. “Why didn’t he kill us? Or take us with him? Isn’t that the point—he wants Theo. Why would he let us go?”
“He feels invincible.” Viktor starts to pace again and lets out a sharp laugh. “He is trying to prove a point. He wants me to know that he has access to you whenever he wants, that he is in control. Fedor is too theatric to just take what he wants. He has to be a showman