Page 117 of Secret Heir

When I’m done, he’s quiet for a long moment, eyes searching mine.

“He’s been planning this for years.” It’s as close to admitting he was wrong as Nikolai is capable of. “And I gave him access to everything. Every meeting. Every decision. Every weakness in our security.”

“He told me if I said anything, Daniel would have an accident,” I say quietly, shivering as I remember Alexander’s words. “That I would lose this baby.”

Nikolai’s expression hardens into fury. “He won’t get the chance. We’re going to find him.”

“He won’t stop coming for us.” Fear floods through me and I wrap my arms around myself, suddenly cold. “As long as I’m alive, I’m a witness. And Maksim is a threat. Alexander has to eliminate us to be safe.”

“Then we find him first.” Nikolai looks at the closed door, at where his brother is sleeping. “And we end this.”

The promise in his voice makes me shiver again.

Alexander Morozov tried to kill Nikolai’s brother. Now he’s going to learn what happens when you threaten the Sokolov family.

17

MAKSIM

It’s been two weeks since the car bomb and I’m going fucking insane.

The doctors said I need to rest and stay in bed. I apparently need to let my ribs heal and give my body time to recover from the concussion and shrapnel wounds.

I’ve ignored every single recommendation.

“Maksim, you need to lie down.” Aria is standing in the doorway of Nikolai’s study, her arms crossed, her face caught between concern and frustration. “You’re going to tear your stitches again.”

“I’m fine.” I don’t look up from the reports spread across Nikolai’s massive mahogany desk. Surveillance footage. Financial records. Airport manifests. Border crossing logs. Every lead we have on Alexander’s location, which is precisely fucking nothing.

“You’re not fine. You can barely stand upright without wincing.” She crosses the room, her footsteps silent on the Persian rug. Her hand is gentle on my arm. “Please. Just rest for a few hours.”

I shake my head. “I can rest when Alexander is dead.”

Aria sighs heavily. “Maksim, you’re killing yourself.”

“He’s out there, Aria.” I finally look at her, and I know she can see the frustration, the rage, and the helplessness burning in my eyes. “He tried to kill me. He wants to hurt our babies. And he’s just…gone. Vanished. Like he never existed.” I scowl at the desk.

“Nikolai is handling it,” she says softly but firmly. “He has every resource focused on finding Alexander. You pushing yourself to the point of collapse isn’t helping anyone.”

“It’s not enough!” I slam my hand on the desk, then immediately regret it as white-hot pain lances through my broken ribs. I bite back a groan, but not quickly enough as Aria sees it.

“See?” Her voice softens even more, which somehow makes it worse. I would rather hear her scream at me. “You’re hurting yourself. Come lie down. Just for a little while.”

I shake my head stubbornly. “I don’t have time to⁠—”

“You don’t have time to heal?” She moves in front of me, forcing me to meet her eyes. “You don’t have time to take care of yourself so you can actually be useful when we do find Alexander? Maksim, you can barely walk across a room without stopping to catch your breath.”

The truth of her words stings. My ribs are on fire. My head pounds with every heartbeat. I’ve been running on adrenaline and fury for two weeks, and my body is starting to give out.

“One hour,” I concede, feeling like I’ve lost.

Aria raises an eyebrow. “Three.”

“One and a half,” I counter.

“Two, and that’s my final offer.” She’s using her negotiation voice now, the one she used to use at the gallery when dealing with difficult clients. “And you’re going to actually sleep, not lie there making calls and reading reports on your phone.” Her eyebrow raises even further and my ears redden. Dammit, she’s caught me.

My first instinct is to keep arguing, but I can see the worry in her dark eyes and the exhaustion in the lines around her mouth. She’s not sleeping either. None of us are.