Page 67 of Tattooed Vow

“Already in progress,” Yuri confirms before disappearing back up the corridor.

“It seems our time is up,” Ilya remarks, something like triumph in his voice. “Morozov moves faster than I anticipated.”

I grab him by the throat, squeezing just enough to make his eyes widen. “What exactly is his next move? Tell me now, or I swear by all that's holy?—”

“He's—” Ilya chokes out, struggling for breath. “He's going to destroy everything you care about. Starting with the girl.”

I tighten my grip until his eyes bulge, and then I release him.

“You're running out of time, Dimitri,” Ilya gasps, rubbing at his throat. “Tick tock.”

A muffled explosion shakes dust from the ancient ceiling. The attack on the estate is escalating.

“We need to move,” Aleksandr says urgently. “Now.”

I nod, though my thoughts are still reeling. “What about him?”

Aleksandr’s eyes are as cold as winter in Moscow. “He's told us what he knows.”

“We had a deal—” Ilya begins, panic finally breaking through his professional demeanor.

“I promised nothing,” Aleksandr cuts him off. “Dimitri said we would consider your request. I've considered it.” The knife catches the harsh overhead light as it arcs through the air, then opens his throat in one clean stroke. The wet gurgle that followsis short-lived. In the Bratva, betrayal earned only one sentence. Death.

“Come,” Aleksandr says a moment later, wiping our father's blade clean. “We need to secure the mansion.”

We move swiftly up the narrow staircase and burst through the outer door, the sounds of chaos swelling around us as we step outside. My phone vibrates in my pocket.

Lev:Mansion secure. Sandy is safe. Perimeter breach contained. Three intruders neutralized. Appears to be a probing attack, not full assault.

Relief floods through me, followed immediately by renewed determination. As we reach the servant’s entrance of the mansion, I hold out the message for Aleksandr to see.

“They're testing our defenses,” Aleksandr observes grimly. “The real attack is yet to come.”

“I'm not letting Sandy out of my sight,” I say firmly. “No safehouses, no separate security details. She stays with me.”

Aleksandr studies me for a moment, then gives a sharp nod.

I pull out my phone and type a message to Lev:Double the guard on Sandy. No one approaches her without my direct authorization.

Whether she will hate me afterward remains to be seen. But at least she’ll be alive to do so. That is all that matters now.

As Aleksandr coordinates our men, organizing the response to the attack and reinforcing our security protocols, I allow myself one moment of doubt to question every decision that has led me to this impossible situation. The woman I am falling for istargeted because of my past. The traitor I had trusted with my life. The vendetta born from actions I can’t undo.

Then I bury those doubts deep, where they belong. Doubt is a luxury I can’t afford.

24

SANDY

The first scream rips through the mansion like a bullet. I freeze, the teacup suspended halfway to my lips as I sit in the sunroom overlooking the gardens of the Avilov estate.

“Sandy! Sandy, come quickly!” Elena, one of the housekeepers, bursts into the room, her face ashen. “Security breach at the gates! We need to move now!”

My heart plummets into my stomach. Before I can respond, the mansion erupts into chaos. Security personnel race through the hallways, barking commands into their radios. The staff scrambles to secure doors and windows. And all I can think about is Talia and the children.

“Where are the kids?” I demand, already racing for the stairs. “Where's Sasha and Maxim? And my sister?”

“Mrs. Avilov has them,” Elena assures me, grabbing my arm as she guides me through the mansion's winding corridors. “She’s taken them to the panic room. We need to join them.”

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