Page 62 of Broken Embers

“Are you serious?” Syd asks, her eyes wide.

I look at Sabrina. She meets my gaze, then sighs and nods.

“There’s no putting that cat back in the bag now,” she says softly. “Yes. I’m pregnant.”

Syd does something I’ve never seen before—she actually skips across the floor to hug her, then punches me in the arm. “Well done, Boss.”

Lev grins. “Mazel tov.”

Clyde just smiles. “Congrats.”

“It’s not time for congratulations,” Carla snaps. “I told you both to keep this quiet. You cannot tell Yelena that.” She gives Timofey a scathing look before pulling out her notebook, opening it to a page, and snapping a photo, before handing the phone to Timofey. “This is what we use for bait. It’s the first section of the corrected formula Yelena has been chasing for twenty-seven years.”

“No,” Sabrina says, shaking her head vehemently. “You can’t give her that.”

“I agree with Sabrina. If Yelena knows you have this and have completed it,” Timofey’s voice trails off. “She will not stop coming after you, and it will not guarantee she will not kidnap one of you again.”

“Timofey is correct,” I say. “That will not stop her. It’ll make her worse.”

“I have a better plan,” Timofey says, leaning back and smiling. “We set a trap in their trap.”

“So they think we’re walking into their trap, but they’re actually walking into ours,” Sabrina clarifies. “I like it.”

“Then we bring the roof down on them all,” he says simply. “If we take them out at the same time, it won’t allow the other to escape or give them time to destroy any valuable evidence.”

“And while we are occupying them, my father will ensure each base that Valeska marked on the map is raided,” Carla adds. “That way, Sabrina doesn’t get exposed, our new little life growing inside her is safe,”

“And my mother is safe without Yelena getting even a portion of my mother’s complete formulae,” Sabrina finishes.

“I’m fine with that plan,” I say.

“When do we start?” Ivan asks.

“Everyone get ready,” Timofey orders. “Have a good breakfast. The plan goes into operation in three hours.”

Sabrina and I head back to our room. As soon as the door shuts behind us, I turn and lock it.

“What the fuck, Sabrina?” I ask, rounding on her. “I thought we agreed. No more secrets.”

“I didn’t want you to stop me,” she admits. “I was going to leave you a note.”

“Oh, good. A note,” I sneer. “Real considerate.”

“I’m sorry,” she says, eyes wide. “Please, don’t let us fight. Not when we’re about to go face a fucking hydra.”

My anger crumbles. I look at her—really look at her. She is stubborn, brave, reckless and willing to walk into fire if it means protecting the people she loves.

I yank her into my arms with a fervor that borders on desperation. She melds into me seamlessly, like a missing piece finally found. Our lips collide, and the fiery warmth of her body ignites a primal reaction within me, my desire surging to life.

I want to feel her bare skin against mine and tug her sweater up, yanking it up until it’s bunched under her arms, exposing the smooth plane of her stomach and the lace of her bra. My mouth leaves hers, trailing down her neck, sucking and biting until she’s whimpering, her head thrown back, her body arching into as a soft mewl escapes her throat.

I lift her onto the dresser with a grunt, her ass hitting the wood with a thud that makes her gasp. Her legs part instinctively, and I step between them, my cock already hard as fucking steel, straining against my jeans. I yank her jeans down her thighs, the denim scraping against her skin, and she kicks them off impatiently. Her panties are soaked, the fabric clinging to her pussy. I rip them off with a growl, tossing them aside.

I drop to my knees, my hands gripping her thighs, spreading her wide. My tongue drags up her slit in one long stroke, and she cries out, her fingers tangling in my hair, pulling hard. I bury my face in her pussy, my tongue teasing her clit with relentless precision. Sabrina writhes above me, her hips bucking against my mouth, her moans getting louder, more desperate.

“Fuck, yes,” she gasps, her voice breaking. “Don’t stop—oh God, don’t stop.”

I don’t. I suck her clit into my mouth, flicking it with my tongue until she’s trembling, her thighs clamping around my head. Her orgasm hits her hard, her body convulsing as she comes, and I lap it up greedily, not wasting a single drop.

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