Page 122 of Savage Enemy

Stefano would do everything in his power to protect our son, but I worried Aris had more pull than anyone realized.

He could have developed skills and contacts no one knew about. Sadistic assholes could learn new tricks like anyone else.

Aris was dangerous. He held grudges.

Stefano would remain vigilant, now that he understood my family, but our son would always need to look over his shoulder.

I had limitations on how I could protect Enzo myself. Coming home with Saul, step one. Preventing Aris from going back for my son, undefined step fucking two.

Damn it, I needed to think. Step two.

Assuming I did get away, taking Enzo on the run might not work like I once thought. First, Stefano would never allow it. I would have bet anything his estate was now like a military base.

Stefano might have even transferred Enzo to a safe house.

He definitely had one.

Besides, I had no resources or contacts, no more fake IDs, or birth certificates. Stefano had confiscated those too.

Most importantly, what would happen to Enzo if the Russians or the Moscatellis found us?

No, running away couldn’t be an option any longer. I would be a fucking fool to think so at this point, so I crossed it off my mental list.

The best thing to do was often also the hardest.

Making the full circle…

Accepting my fate.

It gave Enzo and Stefano the best chance.

I’d grown so accustomed to my independence, to freedom. Living my life while relying on myself, my wits, and my decisions to fill mine and my son’s needs. Freedom meant knowing our future rested in my hands.

Managing Con Amore had taught me a great deal about self-reliance as an autonomous woman, one who made her own life choices. How did I let go of that?

Going with the Russians, I couldn’t be a woman with a voice that others would hear. Just a possession meant for use and abuse. No choices left about who I wanted to be with or even what I wanted to do on a day-to-day basis.

The cold, hard truth came down to one thing. A different man would own me each day for the rest of my life, my body his personal reward for good behavior.

Saul had mumbled that they might put me up in a nice penthouse in Moscow or St. Petersburg. Maybe it would bewarm, and maybe I would have food, but it would still be a gilded cage at best.

Just because a prison had a beautiful view of an onion-domed church that looked like it belonged in a stupid snow globe didn’t change the fact that it was still a prison.

No more than it changed the fact that they meant for me to be their sex slave, a pretty doll who screamed when abused.

Thinking about my future in Russia made my spine vibrate with bone-deep shivers and it hollowed out my heart.

The Russian had told Saul his payment would come in two installments. Half upon delivery, then the rest in a year, but only if I lived that long.

How fucking stupid was Saul anyway?

They didn’t intend to make the second payment. They intended to kill me before the year ended.

All the men involved in my transaction believed they’d won. They assumed I had no cards left to play.

They were wrong.

I’d made my decision. I planned to die on my terms. To die for my son. Die because I couldn’t bear to be with any man other than my one true love, Stefano.

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