Page 140 of Unexpected Redemption

I halt my approach, feet stopping on a dime. My spine goes ramrod straight, but I maintain some give in my knees, staying poised to adapt as needed.

Is she talking to Viktor or me?

When Leo stops beside me, my periphery catches Shep and Aaron approaching from behind Viktor. He’ll have no idea they’re on him. Unless the unidentified female tips him off since she can likely see their approach.

Fuck.

“I have the back of his skull in my sight,” Jonesy announces in a steely calm tone.

“Be a man and take off your mask when you’re pointing a gun at me,” Viktor orders me in perfect English, his tone cocky and face punchable. “No need to hide. We’re all friends here.” He narrows his eyes to slits as he throws a fierce glare over my shoulder. “Except that backstabbing whore.”

“Fuck you, Viktor,” the female screeches.

Curiosity wins out, and I finally cut my eyes over my shoulder toward the sound of the shrill, unfamiliar voice.

Katia.

Disdain coating her words, she taunts Viktor. “I guess you finally figured out what was going on, you pathetic idiot.”

Despite her thrashing to get free, Sawyer restrains her easily, holding her hands behind her back. She’s petite and pregnant, so he’s being cautious with his hold. Even still, she won’t get free.

But hold the fuck up.

Why is she here? Did she come to stop him from giving us the intel?

What the fuck is happening? Best I can tell is she played Viktor.

“Sawyer, bring her over here,” I order, needing her and Viktor together in my field of vision.

Leo’s focus on Viktor wavers slightly as he throws a quick side-eye at me.

I answer his unspoken question in a code I hope he tracks. “Little audition for them.”

It takes three seconds before Leo finally gives me a solid nod of understanding.

We need to see who’s playing what fucking role in this shit show.

Once Katia and Sawyer are a few feet behind me, I raise my NODs to the top of my head, revealing my face to Viktor while keeping my SIG pointed at him. Burning a hole into his face with my stare, I grit my teeth and return both hands to my gun’s grip.

Impatiently, I wait for him to shift his glare off Katia.

As the seconds pass, I itch more and more to get him intimately acquainted with the bullets in my weapon.

Gradually, his greasy gaze slithers off Katia. The corner of his mouth pinches and lifts into a sneer. “Lovely to see you, Tomer Stillman. How is our girl?”

My finger wobbles as it inches closer to the trigger. “She’s notourgirl. She’s mine. Mention her again, and you’re dead where you stand.”

He lowers his hands to his sides as if he’s untouchable despite being a hair’s breadth from death.

To resist the urge to put a bullet between his eyes, I channel every ounce of love I have for Lettie and our baby. The vision of her rounded belly fills my mind, along with her little sweetheart smiles and sneaky laughs.

Finally, my trigger finger relaxes.“The architect said you had something for us.”

His expression goes blank for a split second, followed by a slight twitch under one eye. “Yes. Of course. Idohave something.”

“No. He lies,”Katia refutes, her accent thick and voice strained.

In Russian, he accuses her of being the liar, then switches back to English as his eyes fall on me. “Silly me. I forgot you can speak the mother tongue.”

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