Chapter 158 158

Chapter 158 158
“Mia, don’t talk like that.” He sounds sincere. “Yulian will be around. He may be done with both of us after tonight, but he won’t be done with him.”

I shake my head. “As long as Eli is in New York, Brad will find him. And if Brad—if he crosses Yulian, then he’ll—he’ll—” I force myself to breathe and calm down. “I don’t want him dead, Maks. He’s horrible, but he’s Eli’s father. I just don’t… I don’t want him to be able to hurt Eli again.”

Maksim nods grimly. “Alright. I promise.”

“And… help my family out, okay?” My voice cracks at the edges. “Don’t—Don’t let them struggle again. Not because of me.”

“They’ll be taken care of. I swear.”

“And the other thing we talked about, too⁠—”

“Mia.” He reaches out and squeezes my hand once. “I’ll take care of it. All of it. You have my word.”

“Thank you.”

We don’t say anything else on the way over.

Finally, after what feels like hours or days, we pull up in front of the hospital. My hospital, in Brownsville.

The car rolls down the ramp to the underground parking lot. It’s eerily empty. I’ve never seen it like this before. I wonder how much Brad offered to the hospital’s administration to rent it out for the night. He’s always had way too much money to throw around.

I see him at the end of the parking lot. A pressed cream suit, an arrogant grin, the body language of someone who knows he’s won.

Then I see someone else.

“Kallie!”

I throw myself out of the car and rush over to her. She’s tied up, hands and feet bound, gagged so she won’t be able to scream. The gorgeous sari she was wearing earlier tonight for our celebration is all dirty, covered in floor dust.

I may not want to kill Brad, but right now, I’d punch his daylights out without a second’s thought.

Brad steps between us. “Not so fast, sweet thing.”

“Let her go,” I say, “or I swear⁠—”

“What? You’ll call your big, bad boyfriend?” He glances theatrically around the lot. “I don’t see him.”

Of course he’s not fucking here, I want to yell. I drugged him to save your ungrateful ass!

Though that’s not quite how that went, either. When I stepped out onto the balcony, part of me was holding out hope we could work this out together. That we could handle it like a team.

But then⁠—

“I need you to trust me.”

“I don’t think I can.”

Then I was left with no choice. There’s a lot I’m willing to bargain with, but Kallie’s life isn’t it.

And neither is my son’s future.

While I’m grinding my teeth into dust, Maksim steps out of the car, gun drawn. “How ‘bout you worry about the boyfriend of the woman you kidnapped, you piece of shit?”

“Maks, no⁠—”

“He hurt my girl,” he snarls. “He⁠—”

“He’s gonna let her go.” I place my hand on Maksim’s and gently lower his gun. “Isn’t that right, Brad? You’re gonna let Kallie go.”

Brad’s face goes pale at the sight of the gun, but he stands his ground. “Why should I? I don’t see Eli.”

“It’s not Eli you want.” I take a step forward. “It’s never been him. Isn’t that right?”

“The fuck are you talking about?”

It sickens me to do this, but I swallow it. There’s no room for pride here—not with Kallie’s life at stake.

I move closer. Make my voice softer, warmer. “It’s me you want,” I purr with a hint of seduction. “It’s always been me, hasn’t it?”

Brad’s throat bobs. He doesn’t answer. Instead, his gaze darts down to not-my-eyes.

I force down the disgust that makes me feel and reach for his tie. I play with it, the way he liked back then. “You win, Brad. Here I am. You got me. So let my friend go free.”

A slight flush creeps up his neck. “That wasn’t the deal.”

“It’s the new deal.” I breathe those words softly on his alcohol-soaked lips. “You’re not made to be a father, Bradley. Changing bedsheets, telling bedtime stories? Parent-teacher conferences and child psychologists’ appointments?” I force myself to laugh. “Believe me. I’ve been playing that game for five years. It’s a losing one.”

“And yet, you went to court to battle me.”

“Yes.” I tighten my grip and pull, just slightly. Just enough to make him want it. “Because I liked the man on the other side of it. You know me, Brad—I just can’t stay away.”

It works like a charm. “So, what?” he demands, a little too breathless for indifference. “You’re ditching your own kid?”

“He’s got his grandparents now. No reason we can’t have a little bit of… fun.” I stand on my tiptoes and speak the next part into his ear. “Don’t you want it to be like before?”

I can tell I’ve almost got him now. “What about… that?” he rasps with a hateful look at my belly.

“Yulian wants her.” It’s the first thing I’ve said that isn’t a lie. “Once she’s born, let him take her.”

It costs me everything to say it. Every single goddamn thing. But right now, I can’t afford to think about myself. I’ll do what I have to do.

For both my children.

“Okay.” Brad jerks his head towards Kallie. “Get the girl before I change my mind.”

Maksim rushes to her. He’s got one eye on me, though—always guarding me. “Hey,” he says to Kallie, pulling off her gag. “Let’s get you out of here.”

“No!” she screams. “You can’t do it, Mia. He’s a monster! You can’t⁠—”

“Kallie, please.” I bite down my tears. “I’ve made my choice.”

I can’t lose you. That’s what I really want to be saying. Please, don’t make me lose you.

But Brad can’t hear me say that. He can’t suspect I’m lying to him. If he gets even a whiff of my true heart, he’ll go after Eli next. He’ll never let him be free.

And I need him to be free.

I need us all to be free.

“No!” Kallie starts thrashing in Maksim’s hold. “No! Mia!”

But he drags her away. Like we always planned. Kallie’s safety—that’s the mission. That’s the goal. I’m secondary.