Page 120 of Savage Enemy

After several seconds, he nodded.

Thank Christ. Telling him all this was the only thing I could think of to keep him from trying to sneak aboard the fucking plane. My son was brilliant, bold, and a stubborn pain in the ass, just like his beautiful mother.

He slid his fingers out and wiggled them at me.

“Just bring her back, okay?”

I took his fingers and gently squeezed, a knot of emotion tying up my throat.

“I’ll do everything I can to bring her back,” I promised—one I would kill to keep.

“Can you do me one more favor, Mr. Vignali?” he asked.

“What’s that?”

“Kill Aris.”

I smiled. “Consider it done. I need a favor in return, son.”

“Okay,” he whispered.

“I don’t want to hear you call me Mr. Vignali again. I’m your father. Think about what you want to call me… dad or papà or whatever you like. When your mother and I get home, you can tell us what you’ve decided.”

I didn’t wait for my son to agree.

He knew I meant it.

My son understood when an option wasn’t given.

And he was slowly learning to accept my commands.

I stepped back and tapped on the top of the car twice to let Tony know he should drive away.

Then, as I settled in on a plush leather seat, and the flight attendant closed the plane’s main door, my phone pinged with a text message.

It was from Marco Moscatelli.

Russians are taking ownership of her in the morning

I put the phone back in my pocket and prepared for takeoff.

Fuck if they were.

CHAPTER 24

VAL

Saul Moscatelli barged into my bedroom without knocking.

“Good news, little princess.”

I’d spent the last two hours under scalding water trying to wash away not only the Russian’s sickening touch, but also to erase the image of Saul examining my naked body as he put a price on it. My skin was pink and raw from all the scrubbing, but on the inside, their filth remained.

I pulled my robe tighter and hugged my abdomen.

“What news is that?”

“The Russians made their offer, and they’re coming for you first thing in the morning. You’ll be heading right to Moscow.”