by KL Donn
Noticing Madelyn standing in the doorway, I nod for her to come in. “Get Adam. I want facts, and I want them now.”
Emmy’s weeping is heartbreaking. Conceding that I brought this on her is frustrating. She never would have been in harm’s way if not for me claiming her. And yet, I can’t regret that one crucial detail.
“I’ve got you now, moy. No harm will come to you ever again,” I whisper in her ear.
It’s not much longer before she’s settled enough that she can speak without breaking into hysterics again. “How’s Niko?”
Gazing down into her sad eyes, I say, “Worried about you.” They have a special bond, and I knew as soon as worry for the baby had passed, she’d be asking about him.
“He’s alive?” Her shocked eyes widen. It’s then I remember she watched him go down, and understanding dawns as to why she’s so traumatized.
“Da. And as ornery as ever.” I smile at her, hoping to bring a smile to her beautiful face.
“Good.” She’s thoughtful for a moment. “And everyone else?” Her compassionate heart is worried about the casualties of a war long past its time.
“There were some who paid the ultimate price,” I admit. None were innocent. Some worked for me for years. Some were part of the Haggens.
Laying her head back down on my shoulder, I hold her close, sensing her need to mourn for the lost souls she didn’t even know. Good or bad. Innocent or wicked. She feels their deaths like a slap to the face.
“Knock, knock,” Adam says quietly as he and Mads enter the room, Nika and her men following close behind. “I have good news.” Adam grins, and Emmy sits up with my help. “The bloodwork came back normal, and the ultrasound was clear. Looks as though the little one is just fine. I suggest a couple days of rest, nonetheless. Nothing too stressful, just to be on the safe side.”
“Thank you, Adam.” Emmy breathes a massive sigh of relief. So do I. I hadn’t wanted to think about it too hard because if she lost the baby, I would have slaughtered everyone.
“Mads–”
“I’ve got it, Viktor, don’t either of you worry about a thing,” she interrupts with a pleased smirk on her face before walking out of the room.
Relaxing into the bed, I hold Emmy as close to me as possible without hurting her. Today was fucked up. The worst day of my life. The mere thought of losing my wife sent me into a rage that rivaled my previous rampage in Russia when my family was murdered.
“Viktor?” Emmy’s sleepy voice penetrates my thoughts.
“Yes, moya lyubov’?”
“Thank you for coming for us.” I hate how exhausted she sounds.
“I will always come for you, Emmaline.” I kiss her head lightly before whispering, “Sleep now, moy. We’ll be home soon.”
It isn’t much longer before she’s passed out, and I’m slipping out of bed. Running into Mads in the hallway, I frown as I see her sitting on a chair with a laptop on her legs.
“Madelyn, what are you doing here?” Closing the computer, I take it from her hands as she stares up at me.
“You still have a business to run, Viktor. I didn’t want to be completely useless by just standing around, and heading back to the estate with Emmy still hospitalized didn’t feel right. I wanted to be close by in case anyone needed something.”
“You’re a good woman, Mads. Kodiak will be a lucky man when he pulls his head out of his ass.” She blushes, hating when I broach the subject about her feelings. I don’t do it to embarrass her but more to offer her comfort. Kodiak is an idiot for not scooping this woman up sooner.
She shrugs and looks away. “It is what it is.” Clearing her throat, she’s all business again. “Is there something you need?”
“I have to go meet Dimitri and Daniel. Would you mind staying here with Emmaline? Danika will be by shortly, as well.” I’m already pulling my phone out, asking for Nika to get here immediately.
“Of course. But could I have that back? I was in the middle of an important email for the manager position at Grandeur.” She points to the device in my hand.
Handing it to her, I wait until she enters the room and closes the door quietly. Gazing around the floor Emmy is on, I see too many dangerous points of entry and decide my girl needs protection. And I know just the man for the job.
In the meantime, I leave a list of names with the nurses of the people allowed entrance to my wife’s room.
Time to deal with the traitors now.
Exiting my car, I stand outside the restaurant that I left Carver with the Haggens at and wonder what kind of mess I’ll be walking into. Straightening my vest and rolling up the sleeves of my dress shirt, I stride with purpose towards the door.
My greatest weapon has always been my analytical mind. I prefer to deal with facts and information more than blood. However, I know how to kill a man with my bare hands fourteen different ways. I have no need for weapons here.
I can already hear the wails of pain emanating from inside. Somebody pissed the boys off. Opening the door, I take in the scene around me. The man who Emmy pointed out as the one who hit her is a mess of blood and skin in the back of the room. I inwardly snicker, aware that he deserves everything he’s suffering for touching my woman.
There are a few people tied up to chairs. Some bloody, some knocked out. Others are sitting quietly, waiting, watching, analyzing the chance of survival.
“Haggen.” I greet the old man as he cradles a glass of amber liquid.
“Viktor. This is quite a warrior you employ. Very deadly with his knife.” He nods to Carver, sitting on a chair in the corner. Relaxed, looking bored, I meet his stare, and he acknowledges me.
“Carver is not my warrior. He belongs to King Adair.” Recognition enters the old man’s eyes. “Hey, Carver.” I raise my voice, so the man in question hears me. “I need you to guard Emmy at the hospital. Nobody in. Mads will have a list of names for you.”
The killer nods his head and walks out, unconcerned about the blood spatter on his body. “Scary man that one,” Leon says.
I couldn’t agree more, but I won’t voice it.
“You’re lucky I didn’t ask him to kill you as easily and gleefully as he did your man over there, Leon.” I signal to the mutilated body, and the old man pales a little before masking his reaction.
“This isn’t why I came to America. I wanted to end the war. I wanted my family to live in peace. Yours, too. I don’t even know what started it.” He shakes his head, and I sit back and take a serious look at this weathered man.
He appears exhausted. Truthful in his words. Trust isn’t something I come by easily, nor do I hand out freely.
“And Oscar? Did he act on his own?”
“Yes.” Dimitri snorts his disbelief. “He does not agree with my desire to broker peace before I leave this earth,” Leon continues
“Because of Elias?” The man was as cold-hearted of a person as I’ve ever known. Death was too easy for him.
“Elias was a sick man. What happened to him, what you did, was save my family from a lifetime of pain at the mercy of his disgusting desires. If you hadn’t killed him, I would have.” Shocked at his confession, I sit in the chair across from him and lean back.
“Alright, old man, explain taking my wife today. Why did that happen?”
He sighs. “I took your invitation for what it was, an olive branch. Snatching Emmaline was never in the plan. In fact, it was only done so you would not retaliate for what Oscar did at the ceremony. I just wanted the chance to speak to you without bullets flying past our faces.”
Considering his words, I lean forward and place my arms on the table. “Say I believe you, Haggen. Say we shake hands and call an end to this generational bloodbath. What happens when you die, and Oscar decides he wants to come after me again?”
Closing his eyes, I watch Leon as he gulps back the rest of his drink before placing the glass on the table. “Oscar has been a shame to the family for years. He has given me two healthy grandsons, strong boys,
but not much else but aggravation. It may be for the best if he meets his fate in prison.”
Someone whistles behind me, echoing my shock, as I process this man’s articulation that he’s going to have his last living child killed behind bars.
“That’s cold, Leon. Even for you.” He shrugs. “I will agree to this peace offering. But make no mistake, if anyone ever comes for my family again, I will wipe your entire bloodline out. Men, women, children. There will be no limits to my destruction.” I stand when he nods.
I wouldn’t harm a woman or child, but I need him to believe I will, for the sake of my family’s safety. “I don’t want to see you again unless it’s by invitation.”
“We leave for Germany in the morning. Have a good life, Vashchenko.” I dip my chin as Dimitri and Daniel follow me out of the building.
“You think he’s going to keep his word?” Daniel asks.
I look at the younger man. “If Oscar turns up dead, then yes. If not, I’ll come for their heads.”
15
Emmy
I slept from the time Viktor joined me in bed until this morning, and I’m still feeling exhausted. And nauseous. Always nauseous. Too tired to move, I remain in bed and wait until someone comes in. Chances are, I’m going to need help getting to the bathroom.
I can feel the sun’s warmth shining in from the window and turn to bask in its healing rays. The sounds of a busy hospital surround me, and I briefly wonder where Viktor is. I know he left after I fell asleep and then came back at some point. But I don’t remember him going out again.
The soft whoosh of the door opening has my eyes popping to alertness and panic spreading through my limbs as I sit up too quickly.
Halting in his tracks is my husband as he notices I’m awake. A smile spreads across his handsome face until I feel my skin pale. My stomach starts to churn, and I know I can no longer hold anything down.
“I got you,” he says, quickly rushing over, scooping me up in his arms, and holding my hair back over the toilet as I empty my stomach.
The silence is broken by my retching, and I’m too embarrassed to glance up at Viktor to gauge his reaction. Since returning to Jersey, he’s seen me pale and unwell, but I hadn’t allowed him to witness me actually getting sick. Not until I had an opportunity to bring up the baby, but now, he knows, so there’s no point in trying to hide it from him.
“Here.” He hands me a glass with warm water to rinse my mouth before helping me to my feet. Sitting me on the counter, he waits to speak until I gaze up into his soft eyes. “Is it always so violent?” I nod. “I’ll talk to Adam, see what he can prescribe to help you.”
Relief sags my shoulders at his ease of understanding. I was so worried he wouldn’t see me as the same desirable woman. “Viktor.” He raises an eyebrow when I stop. “Are you upset?”
“About?” His bafflement is welcome.
“The baby. So quickly. I know you had wanted to wait a while.” I avert my eyes.
Placing a finger under my chin, he lifts my head. “Emmaline.” My name on his lips so softly melts my insides. “If I hadn’t wanted children, I never would have taken any chances. Now or later, it does not matter. We created a life. I cannot regret that for anything.”
I blow out a steady breath and lean forward to lay my forehead against his chest. “Can we go home now?” Turning my cheek, I listen to his unfaltering heartbeat as he chuckles. The sound is warm and welcoming.
“Da, moya lyubov’, we can go home now. Paperwork is filled out. Madelyn has been busy all morning getting the house ready for you and putting the staff in their place. I think she might have fired Sacha, too.” He sounds perplexed at the thought. Like Madelyn firing anyone is an impossibility. But I know her, she’s so strong. She just needed a nudge to gain some courage.
“And Niko?” Most men would be annoyed by my concern for another man. Not Viktor. He’s amused by our relationship. It’s certainly an odd one given how apathetic Niko was towards me when we first met, but now, there aren’t many people I trust more than him. Aside from my husband, of course.
“We’ll stop and see him on our way out. Be warned, though, he’s faking everything because of a pretty nurse who won’t give him the time of day.” Viktor chuckles as he carries me to the bed.
Reaching under the frame, he pulls out a bag and places it next to where he sat me. Opening it, I see fresh clothes. Viktor helps me dress in dark leggings, a tank top, the thick wool socks I like, and a pair of slides before he pulls out the sweater I keep stealing from him.
“You brought it.” My smile sparkles at him because every time I would put it on at home, he would frown. Not understanding why I loved this particular garment so much and not one of the ones he bought for me that actually fit. This one looks like a dress when I wear it.
“I may not comprehend your attachment to it, but I only wish to see you smile.”
“It’s because it smells like home,” I explain.
“Oh.” He looks more confused.
“You, Viktor, you’re my home.”
His eyes light up as he zips the front for me. Pulling me into his arms, he leans forward and brushes a light kiss across my lips. “I love you forever, moya lyubov’.”
“I love you, too, Viktor Vashchenko.”
Viktor
Home.
I’m her home.
There is nothing in this world that has sounded better to me. If someone had asked me ten years ago if I thought this would be my life, I’d have laughed in their faces. A wife and a child to claim as my own has left me a changed man.
Better for Emmy. Worse for my adversaries.
There is nothing in this world I won’t do for either of them. That includes crushing anyone who thinks they can get away with hurting them.
Marshall Taylor is on my hit list.
I haven’t decided what to do with him yet, but I know he needs to be dealt with. I have every confidence that he was partly to blame for Oscar Haggen’s ambush.
“If you keep frowning, you’re going to have lines,” Emmy says from beside me as we pull into the driveway of our home. Kodiak snorts up front as Madelyn comes rushing down the front steps, a broad smile on her face. “And if you keep ignoring my husband’s assistant, Kodiak, somebody else is going to discover her.” My wife’s astute declaration shuts him up as he scans over the younger woman.
“I’m just thinking, moy. Just thinking,” I tell her as Mads opens her door.
“About Marshall.” It’s a statement. There’s no doubt I still have a mess to clean up, and she’s smart enough to discern why. “Whatever you do, I’ll support you, Viktor.”
I blink, astonished at her acceptance, as Mads helps her out of the vehicle before either Kodiak or I can move.
“Smart one, there,” my friend mutters.
Couldn’t agree more. “Carver has gone home?” I ask him. I sent everyone away once I finished with Leon Haggen. That way the man couldn’t say I failed to remain faithful to our agreement.
“Da. Danika and the boys, too.”
We exit the car and stare up at the house as I contemplate my next move. Emmaline and the baby’s safety are all that matters, and here, at home, is where I can guarantee it. But I don’t want her to feel like a prisoner in a castle.
“Who do we have on the inside that can keep an eye on Oscar?” I glance at Kodiak as we fall back into our native tongue.
He thinks for a moment. “I know a guy. His brother is in Rikers for life. They’ll keep an ear to the ground for us.” I nod. That’s all I need to know for now.
“Leon has left?” Kodiak nods. I breathe a sigh of relief, but I won’t let my guard down yet.
“What do you want me to do with Marshall?” His words stop my momentum up the steps.
Turning, I stare at Kodiak, contemplating what I want to do, what he likely wants to do, but not what Emmy would want us to do. As accepting as she is of how we may handle things, I don’t know that she could forgive her husband murdering h
er father.
“Call Ben. They went home last night. I’m fairly certain he still has friends in the bureau who will likely have something to charge him with. But tell Ben, I want Marshall behind bars for life. Also, see if he’s got any more information on Kelsey, too.”
“Da.” Kodiak walks away with his phone already pressed to his ear.
When I sent for Emmy, never did I imagine her family would be such a mess nor that our coming together would result in such a battle. I’m all the happier for it, nonetheless. She smiles, and my entire world lights up. I wouldn’t trade anything that’s happened lately for a smoother result. Except her injuries.
Emmaline Vashchenko has provided me that something I never knew I was missing.
Life.
Epilogue
Emmy
Eight months later.
All the pain. The suffering. Crying and screaming. All of it was worth it for every second of pleasure and love that now pulses through my veins.
In my arms is the most precious little girl a mother could ask for. Dark curly hair on her head, bright blue eyes that peek up at me, and an adorable button nose. Viktor and I created absolute perfection with our little bundle.
“Do you have a name?” Madelyn asks excitedly from where she sits by my hip. I know she’s dying to hold her goddaughter, but I can’t bring myself to let her go.
“Not yet. Viktor is still angry.” I laugh, looking up at my husband. He’s having a hard time digesting that we have a girl. I wanted to be surprised about the baby’s gender, and he was positive it was a boy.
When our precious bundle came screaming into the world, he threatened to kill Adam. Thankfully, Adam only brushed the threats off, handed him our daughter, and congratulated us.