Page 22 of Filthy Lies

“I love you,” he whispers. “Both of you. More than I ever thought possible.”

“We love you, too,” I reply. “Always.”

I look at Vince’s hands again. They’re clean now, but not so long ago, they were spattered with blood—my captors’ blood.

For the first time, it feels like I’m understanding the shape his soul has taken—because mine has begun to take the same shape.

The darkness that lives inside him burns brightest when protecting what’s his. What’sours.

“When they took her from my chest for those few seconds,” I whisper, throat raw, “I understood what makes you capable of such violence.”

Vince’s eyes meet mine. “And?”

“I’d burn the world down, too.”

He nods. He understands what I’ve become, because he has been that thing already for a long, long time.

We’re the same now.

God help anyone who threatens our daughter.

10

VINCE

I park the SUV at the gate and wait for the security scan to be completed. Beside me, Rowan sits with Sofiya nestled against her chest, both of them asleep. The soft hum of their breathing is the only sound in the car.

It’s also the only sound I ever need to hear for the rest of my fucking life.

If all the world faded away and there was just that, just my two girls inhaling and exhaling in unison, I’d be a happy man. I’d be a complete man.

The iron gates slide open silently to reveal a winding driveway that cuts through dense forest. I drive slowly, careful not to wake them. Every bump in the road feels like a personal failure.

This property doesn’t exist on any map. I purchased it through seven different shell companies, each registered in a different country. The deed is held by a trust that has no connection to the Akopov name.

It’s my contingency plan. My fortress of last resort.

And now, it’s our home.

The house appears through the trees—modern, low-profile, built into the side of a hill with walls of concrete and bulletproof glass. Solar panels line the roof, and a small helipad sits on the east side. The entire property is surrounded by state-of-the-art security systems.

I ease the car to a stop and turn off the engine. Rowan stirs, her eyes fluttering open.

“Where are we?” she asks. Her voice is thick and dreamy with sleep.

“Somewhere safe,” I tell her. “Somewhere no one can find us.”

She looks out the window, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. “How long have you had this place?”

“Since I found out you were pregnant.”

Her eyes meet mine. “And you never mentioned it?”

“I hoped we’d never need it.”

I exit the car and move to her side, opening the door carefully. She’s still weak from the birth and captivity. The doctors wanted her to stay in the medical facility for at least a week, but I couldn’t risk it.

Not with the Solovyovs still out there.

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