Page 128 of Mission Shift

“You’ll be dead in a week.”

“Then let me decide that!”

Nikolai stepped forward, closing the space between us. “You’re under my protection now. I put my neck on the line for you. That means you don’t get to make decisions that get you killed.” He flicked his wrist toward the navigation screen. “Living in the US is your best option. I have people there who can keep an eye on you.”

“I don’t need anyone keeping an eye on me.”

“Besides, you already speak English.”

“I also speak French. I’ll go to France.”

Nikolai’s eyes narrowed. “This isn’t a negotiation.”

My rage boiled over. “You son of a—”

“It’s done!” His voice cut through mine, final and unmoving. “You are Volkovi Notchi now. That means you belong to my family, and we take care of our own.”

My pulse thundered. He had no right.

“You should be grateful,” he went on, shaking his head. “Your new papers are so clean no one will ever question them. And for the first time in your life, you’ll be able to walk down the street without looking over your fucking shoulder.”

I slammed my hand on the bar. “And I should thank you for stripping me of my name?”

“Your name was a death sentence.”

My head pounded. I turned, leveling Braxton with my fury. “And you? You went along with this?” I waved my hands in the air between us. “How arrogant do you have to be to think I wanted this?”

Braxton stood and raised his hands placatingly, his expression torn between shock and regret. “I thought—”

“You thought I’d be grateful?”

His jaw flexed. “I thought you deserved a fresh start.”

I opened my mouth to fire back, but Nikolai cut in, saying dryly, “Oh, you’re really gonna love this next part.”

Braxton and I both snapped our heads toward him. Nikolai grinned like a man about to light a match in a room full of gasoline.

“There’s one more thing you both need to know,” he said, stepping past us and heading toward the doorway, taking his time. “Technically, you’re married now.”

Silence enveloped the room as we digested what he’d just said.

“What?!” I shouted after a stunned moment, reality smacking me hard.

Nikolai smirked. “Welcome to your new identity, Mrs. Dasha Thorin.” He chuckled. “I know you’ll love Tacoma. Won’t she, Braxton?”

I spun back around to face Braxton. If glares could kill, he’d be a corpse at my feet.

His whole body was rigid, his eyes fixed on Nikolai. “What the actual fuck?” His voice came out hoarse, as though his brain had just misfired. Then he rushed past me and lunged at Nikolai, grabbing his collar and yanking him forward. “You never mentioned that to me.”

Nikolai barely blinked. “I didn’t think it was important.”

Braxton’s grip tightened. “You—”

Nikolai knocked his hand away. “It’s my prerogative,” he said, daring him to move. “I’m the boss.”

Braxton’s hand curled into a fist. My blood boiled.

Nikolai seethed, shaking his head and giving us an annoyed frown. “Listen, I have work to do. You two can sort out your little drama while I make sure we don’t get fucking blown outof the water.” As he stepped through the door, he tossed over his shoulder, “Don’t worry, you can always get a divorce. It’s common in the US.”

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