35. Kristof

"How?" Nastja barks at me, keeping one hand behind her on Alena.

"I have no fucking clue."

The words escape me like a threat. At this point, they might as well be. In the days since Aleksander's demand that I return to the US, there was an odd radio silence from the Pakhan. Part of me wanted to accept it as he was finally leaving me alone, but deep down, I knew something was wrong.

His daughter was missing, he had a sit down with the Irish Captain, and he decided to stop taking my calls?

Only one theory sits heavily on my shoulders.

Seamus.

The meeting went ahead, I know that much, and while it's unclear whether a ceasefire agreement was reached, he's the only one outside of my circle who posed a risk. He must have screwed me over, let slip that we had been working together in some way or another. Seamus is a direct man, but news of our alliance would barely threaten him.

Me? It paints me as a traitor. To Aleksander's credit, it wouldn't be such a leap for him to assume I had something to do with Alena's disappearance.

He's right, of course.

"Seamus?" Nastja asks. "I knew we could never trust that bastard."

Just the sound of his name makes my jaw snap shut, and a surge of rage warps through my system. Everything is crumbling, but like hell am I going down without a fight.

"I don't know," I say tightly, and my hands clench. "I haven't heard from him since that call. All I know is Aleksander's plane touched down here a couple of hours ago. From this point forward, anyone outside of this Manor is considered against us."

"Don't suppose we can play dumb?" Nastja asks, glancing at Alena. "Sneak her out through the tunnels or something?"

"And go where?" I snap. "Where the fuck can we go, Nastja?"

She concedes with a drop of her shoulders, then rolls her eyes. "He hasn't left the States in years. What sort of power play is he trying to show here?"

"Fuck knows. Maybe he wants to show the Family here how strong he is. I haven't understood his motivations for years."

"Wait," Alena pipes up, and slowly, she stands. "Who is Seamus?"

There's too much to say and not enough time. I can't even fathom what Alena will think about the Irish.

"No one," I say, settling on keeping her in the dark for a little longer.

"He's clearly someone?—.

"I said he's no one!"

Alena flinches at my yell, and I bite my cheek, restraining myself. She's not the source or cause of my fury, and I can't take it out on her. I approach her and clasp her shoulders, detecting a tremble moving through her body.

"I'm sorry," I say as calmly as I can muster. "I don't have time. Your father is here, and he–he will come and take you back. It's the only reason he would come himself."

"No!" Alena's eyes widen, and she reaches up, clutching onto my forearms. "Please, you can't send me back."

"I would never?—"

"I don't want to go back, not to them, please. That life was suffocating and cold. I was so alone and trapped. I don't want to go back there, please. I don't care about my father or what he thinks. I don't care about anything else, please. Kristof, don't let him take me back. I love you, I want to stay by your side!"

I love you.

Three little words that make my heart stop in its tracks. My soul calms for a warm half of a second that stretches on like all of eternity.

Alena loves me.

She said it.

She said it like it was the most natural thing in the world, like it was something we said to each other on a regular basis.

Not in the throes of love or whispered in the darkness like a promise. She barks it out like a prayer, full of heat and passion and tinged with determination.

I want to treasure this moment forever, to savor how those words taste in the air between us. Bottle it up so I can cling to it whenever I need strength. In all my dreams, all my months obsessing over her, she remained this beautiful fantasy who would accept me. Care for me.

But love?

Love.

It's not a word I typically hear and one that I reserve to only those in my closest circles, but here Alena is, giving it to me with her heart, and it's the most precious thing she could ever say.

Suddenly, the unfamiliar sensation that flutters in my chest each time she's near makes sense. It's not anxiety or anticipation like I'd tried to reason. The reason my heart races and my chest tightens, that unfamiliar fluttering sensation that's plagued me for weeks, rattles around my insides like a trapped butterfly.

It's love.

I love her, too.

I just don't know how to say it.

And now, as her grip tightens on my arms and she seems somewhat unaware of what she even said, time rolls forward with my chance to say it back.

Only those words tangle together in my throat, choking me, and I can't work them past my lips. All I can do is stare into Alena's beautiful, wide eyes and say… nothing.

"What if I talk to him?" Alena asks, glancing between Nastja and me, still seemingly unaware of what she let slip. "Maybe I can show him that I'm alive and happy, tell him I'm never going back, and maybe he'll leave you alone?"

"No." I manage to force that word out, and my hands tighten on her shoulders. "Make no mistake, he will drag you back with little care for what you actually want."

"What are we going to do, then?" she asks, stepping into my arms.

"You could run," Nastja offers, and my gaze snaps to her. She holds up her hands, palms forward. "I'm just saying it's an option."

"Could we?" Alena sounds hopeful. "We could run away together?"

"No," I say painfully. "We would be running forever, and now he knows I have you, he'll keep chasing until I'm dead and you are…" Words falter. I can't even entertain the thought of Alena anywhere but by my side.

"Well, okay, then." Alena sucks in a breath and stands a little taller. "Is there a way to face him together?"

"No, Alena. I know what you think you should do, but I'm not letting you within a hundred feet of him, do you understand?"

"Why not?" she demands, her eyes flashing with that subtle fire I've enjoyed from her brattiness.

"Because he will do everything to get his daughter back as a matter of principle, and I would not be able to focus on anything else but you if you were near."

"But—"

"No, Alena!" I snap again.

She steps back, and my hands fall away from her shoulders, my mind racing with a hundred thoughts split between keeping Alena safe and facing down Aleksander. It's the only real option here.

As much as I have planned to overthrow him, I hadn't given much thought to what would happen if we came to blows. For Alena, though, it will be worth it.

"Boss!" Andrev comes sprinting around the corner, panting harshly as he stumbles to a stop.

"What is it?" I demand.

Andrev's gaze flicks between all of us before settling on me. "Aleksander. He sent an envoy to the house. We killed them all, dumped the cars in the forest, and burned them, but I got a message from your friend in the Family. Aleksander is planning to come right here, full frontal assault. He's coming to burn this place to the ground."

"Now?"

Andrev shrugs. "Unsure. No movement yet. They're still planning, but we don't have much time."

"Did you get an address? Where he set up shop?"

Andrev nods.

Fuck.

There's no time to take Alena anywhere else, and on the road, she'd be in more danger than she would be here.

In an instant, I make my decision.

"Fine. We go to him. Wipe them out before they can even think about coming here," I say.

"No!" Alena clutches at my arm. "You can't go."

"I have to!" I take her arm. "Alena, I have the element of surprise here. If I can get to him first, then you will remain safe here, don't you understand?"

"I do," she insists, and tears shine in her eyes. "But I don't want you to."

"I have to. I meant it when I told you I would do anything for you, and fighting to protect my family is second-nature."

"I'll go with you," Nastja says. "Ivan, too. They won't know what hit them."

"Kristof." Alena clutches tighter at me, and my heart clenches painfully in my chest, further ignoring the anger in my chest.

"Alena." I cup her face, stroke her cheek, and pull her closer. Our mouths collide, and the faint taste of salt reaches me from her tears. I kiss her as deeply as I can, crushing my mouth against hers like every kiss we've ever had is melding into one. I want to consume her, to tuck her under my ribs where she'll be safe forever next to my heart where Aleksander can never get her.

She clutches at my shirt so fiercely that her nails pierce through the fabric and nip lightly against my skin. If I had my way, I'd stay like this, frozen in this moment for all eternity.

Sadly, I can't.

We break apart, and Alena gasps, tears clinging to her lashes.

"Kristof," she croaks.

"Andrev will keep you safe. Stay with him and Chek. You will be safe here until I get back, understand?"

"Promise me you will come back," she demands.

"I promise."

It takes all my strength to step away from her.

"Kristof!" she cries out. "Please!"

"You keep her safe," I snap at Andrev. He nods, just once.

I don't know what she's asking for, I'm not sure she even knows herself, but her cries follow me like a charge in the air as I stride away through the garden with Nastja by my side.

Facing down Aleksander this early isn't part of any plan I had. Then again, Alena wasn't in any plan I had, and I foolishly hadn't considered anyone working out that she was with me.

Either way, only one of us is walking away from this.

And I am coming back for Alena.