48. Mikhail

It's late, but the mansion is lit up like a lighthouse at the end of the drive. "They're waiting up for you," Raoul warns.

We haven't said a word to each other the entire drive. Anatoly never would have let me sit and brood like this, but Raoul knows when to stay quiet.

"You shouldn't have told them I was being released tonight."

"If you think that was an option, then you have no idea what you're about to walk into." He shifts the car into park and kills the engine. "Viviana has barely slept. Every call Anatoly or I have taken, she's been pressed to the other side of the phone, listening in. She's worried about you."

"You should have told her I can take care of myself," I growl.

Raoul sighs, so I know he told her precisely that. Multiple times, I'm sure. None of it would have made a difference for Viviana.

I love you, too. She screamed it just as the FBI agent slammed the car door closed. She couldn't see me through the dark window tint, but I could see her. She crumbled against the doorframe like she'd never see me again. She was terrified… for me.

It's a new feeling.

"I've endured worse interrogations than that," I add.

The agents interrogating me knew I wasn't going to crack the moment they walked into the room. It was like a game of chicken, seeing who could wait the other out. Since I'm free, I guess that means I won.

Won the battle, at least. The devil only knows if the war will continue.

"I know that, but I didn't think mentioning all the times you've been tortured would make her feel any better."

"No, probably not." I drag a hand down my face. "We should have had a warning this was coming. What the fuck happened, Raoul?"

"I've been trying to figure that out. No one in my usual network knew a thing. Whoever cooked this up, it was kept way under wraps."

"Or your informants are lying to you."

Raoul hesitates before relenting. "Or they're lying to me. Yeah. It could be someone on the inside feeding information to the feds."

Bright light slices across the driveway and we both look over as the front door opens. Viviana is in the doorway, Anatoly standing just over her shoulder. They're both squinting into the darkness towards the car.

"Anatoly lied about taking Viviana to the clinic, but he's loyal," Raoul says quietly. "He had nothing to do with this."

"I know." I knew it when I charged into the kitchen two days ago and accused Viviana of having an affair. I didn't really believe either of them would do that to me. "I'm just fucking tired. I want to be able to trust the people around me."

Raoul doesn't go near that confession and I don't blame him. We aren't in the habit of sharing our feelings. But it's late and I have half a mind to scoop Viviana and Dante up and drive straight back to that cabin in the woods. I wouldn't mind burying my head in the dirt for a while. Maybe forever.

Fuck the Bratva.

Fuck this war.

Fuck everything that isn't the three—soon to be four—of us.

Suddenly, Dante shoves between Viviana and Anatoly. He has one hand on the doorframe, swinging out into the dark looking for me.

I can't hide from what's coming. I don't want to.

Viviana and Dante spent years on the run and I won't do that to them again.

Dante bounds down the porch the second my car door opens. "Where were you for so long?" He jumps, trusting me to catch him. I do, balancing him in the crook of my arm. My wrist is still sore from the cuffs, but my sleeves are long and Dante can't see the bruising. "Mama said you'd come back, but it took forever and ever and ever and?—"

"I just had to take care of some things, but I'm back now."

He narrows his eyes. "Forever?"

I can't promise him forever.

I want to tell him that I'll always be here for him, but I'm not sure that's a promise I can keep. Not when the Greeks and Italians are teaming up to take me down. Not when they might have help from someone I consider an ally.

There are a million things I don't know, but one thing I know for sure: Dante doesn't need me to be honest with him right now.

"Forever," I tell him solemnly, tickling his side. "I'll always be around."

He hugs my neck and, all at once, I understand why Viviana didn't tell me about the baby. It was easier to keep the secret until she was sure. It was easier to lie than to live with disappointing me again.

The problem is, I'm the one who should be protecting her.

Dante runs off to talk to Raoul, peppering him with questions about where we were and if there were bad guys.

"The only bad guy there was me," Raoul chimes in.

Dante laughs and Raoul looks more than a little annoyed that Dante thought it was a joke.

Suddenly, the scent of vanilla and honey wraps around me. After two days of burnt coffee and dust, Viviana smells like heaven.

"I didn't tell him where you were," Viviana whispers. She starts to reach for me, but tucks her arms around herself instead like she isn't sure whether she's allowed to touch me or not. "I didn't want to scare him."

I grab her wrist, unpeel her arm from her waist, and tuck it around me. She sinks against my chest with a dreamy sigh. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." I grab her chin and tilt her face up to mine. There are purple shadows pressed under her eyes, which are red-rimmed like she's been crying. "And I'm happy about the baby."

"You are?" Her eyes are glassy again.

"We were trying for a baby," I remind her. "We both wanted this. Of course I'm happy."

No matter how fucked the timing is.

She just hugs me tighter, her cheek pressed over my heart.

Anatoly is watching nervously from the door. I catch his eye. "We need to talk—you, me, and Raoul. My office in ten."

He nods and disappears into the house.

Viviana pulls back. "You just got home. Can't this wait until?—"

"It can't wait." We've already lost so much time. We're lucky there wasn't an attack while I was in custody.

Dante runs over and wraps his arms around my legs again. "Can you put me to bed, Daddy?"

I ruffle his hair and gently nudge him towards his mother. "Not tonight."

Something I can't read flickers across Viviana's face, but she tucks it away and slaps on a smile. "Just you and me tonight, bud. What should we read?"

I walk into the house before they can decide and it feels like I'm stepping through a portal. Like my life is divided cleanly into two halves.

I wish that was the case. As it is, the two halves are on a collision course. And there's no telling what kind of carnage will be left behind.

"If there was anything to know about who tipped off the feds, we'd have it by now." Anatoly has given up his usual spot on the sofa in exchange for anxiously pacing across the room. "No one knows a fucking thing."

"Or they're lying to us." It's the same theory I offered to Raoul outside, but it hits Anatoly a bit differently.

He stiffens, stopping his pacing long enough to face my desk. "I know I fucked up by not telling you about taking Viviana to the clinic. If you want to hash it out now, we can. But I think we both know we have more important shit to handle."

I shrug. "What we're trying to figure out now is who we can trust. Can I trust you?"

"With your life," Anatoly vows without hesitation.

"Then there's nothing else to hash out."

I circle a hand in the air and it's like hitting "resume" on a movie. Anatoly starts his pacing again and Raoul leans against the edge of my desk. "Maybe Christos or Agostino infiltrated the FBI."

"Even if they did, their word wouldn't be enough to get me arrested. The FBI knows better than to take the word of one crime boss against another. They don't have enough evidence for a conviction, but my lawyer said they had credible testimony from an informant."

Anatoly frowns. "What kind of informant?"

"Someone the FBI would trust to know what I was up to," I explain. "Someone on the inside."

Anatoly curses under his breath, but Raoul doesn't move. His brow is furrowed. "We already don't have the manpower to match a Greek-Italian alliance. If they also have someone feeding them information from the inside, we're fucked."

"I know," I growl. "Why the fuck do you think we were trying to take out Christos or Agostino before all of this shit went down?"

"It'll be impossible now," Anatoly grumbles. "They've made a move and they'll have their guard up, ready for a response from you."

"As they should be. This can't go unanswered. We have to be on the offensive."

"We don't have the manpower," Raoul repeats through gritted teeth.

"Then fucking get it!" I snarl.

The room goes quiet, but I don't give a damn. This has gone on for too long. There have been excuses and reasons why we couldn't end this war, but none of that matters now.

"Get the manpower," I repeat. "I'm not going to sit on my ass and wait for another attack to roll in. We need to make a move before they land a fatal blow."

It's been a long time since the day we all found Anzhelina and Alyona dead, but I know Anatoly and Raoul are right back there with me.

Only this time, it's Viviana and Dante they're seeing on the floor.

"We'll fight back," Anatoly agrees softly.

Raoul nods. "Whatever it takes."