Page 55 of Bound Vows
“Then I’ll spend whatever time we have making sure you know you were worth dying for.” His hand moves to cup my face with devastating gentleness. “Though I plan to keep you alive long enough to prove that some love stories don’t end in tragedy.”
“What if she retaliates? What if she decides that if she can’t have you, no one can?”
“Then she’ll discover that threatening you is the fastest way to lose everything she values. Including her life.”
I look up at him then, stunned. “You’d kill Elena’s sister?”
“I’d kill anyone who threatens what belongs to me, regardless of their connection to my past. Elena’s dying wish doesn’t extend to protecting Katarina from the consequences of betraying me.”
As I look into his eyes and see genuine love mixed with terror, I realize that my jealousy about Katarina was just the surface of something much deeper. I’m not just competing with a dead woman’s memory or her sister’s obsession.
I’m competing with Andrei’s belief that he’s cursed to destroy everyone he loves, and that might be the most dangerous opponent of all.
Chapter 24
Andrei
Watching my empire burn while sitting in a mountain fortress proves that paranoia is just pattern recognition when someone you trust has been systematically destroying everything you’ve built.
“Three more operations compromised in the past twelve hours,” Alexei announces as he enters my office. “Federal raids on the warehouse in Brooklyn, the shipping facility in Queens, and the safe house in the Bronx.”
I close the laptop containing Maya’s latest medical reports and notes from Dr. Morrison about her progress since we’ve implemented his recommendations—supervised walks around the property, access to books and entertainment, and choices about daily meals and activities—and lean back in my chair as Alexei spreads surveillance photographs across my desk. “Casualties?”
“None. Our people evacuated minutes before the raids began, like someone warned them when to leave.” He points to timestamps on the surveillance images. “The timing was too perfect to be coincidental.”
“Inside information.”
“Has to be. Someone with access to operational schedules, personnel assignments, and security details.” Alexei slumps into the chair across from my desk. “The leak is coming from within the organization.”
I study the photographs, recognizing the faces of federal agents who’ve been trying to penetrate my operations for years. The fact that they’re suddenly achieving coordinated strikes suggests intelligence gathering that goes far beyond normal investigative work.
I pour vodka from the bottle in my desk drawer and sigh. “The question is whether we’re dealing with a turned asset or an intentional plant.”
“There’s a third option you won’t like.”
“Which is?”
“The leak is coming from inside this facility. Someone who’s been here during the planning phases of every compromised operation. Boss, I think we need to consider that Katarina might be involved. They started just after her first visit.”
The suggestion nearly knocks me over, though I force myself to consider the implications rather than rejecting it outright. Katarina has access to everything—operational plans, security schedules, personnel information, and detailed knowledge ofhow my organization functions, and she’s been here almost every day. Still…
“Katarina has been loyal to this organization for eight years,” I point out. “She has no motive for betrayal.”
Alexei leans forward reluctantly. “She has the strongest possible motive, sir. You married another woman and brought her to the one place Katarina probably considered her sanctuary. Boss, she’s been in love with you since Elena died. Maybe longer. Everyone knows this.”
“Being in love doesn’t make someone a traitor.”
“Being in love with someone who’s obsessed with another woman makes people do desperate things.” He pulls out his phone and shows me communication logs. “Katarina has been making encrypted calls when she’s here, always when you’re occupied with Maya’s care.”
“She coordinates intelligence-gathering for the organization. Encrypted communications are part of her job.”
“Not to numbers that trace back to federal task forces.” Alexei’s words land like bullets between my ribs. “Boss, I think she’s been feeding them information in exchange for immunity. Or maybe she thinks you’ll suspect Maya and turn on her.”
Before I can respond to this devastating possibility, footsteps in the hallway announce Katarina’s approach. She enters my office with her usual confident stride, though I notice how her gaze immediately moves to the surveillance photographs spread across my desk.
“Alexei,” she greets with professional courtesy before turning her attention to me. “I heard about the raids. Devastating losses, but at least our people escaped without casualties this time.”
“Convenient timing for those escapes.” I study her face for deception. “Almost like someone provided a warning. But they’d have to know the raid was coming.”
