Chapter 10 - The False Victory
Three days later, we left the underground clinic and relocated to Jared’s highly secured estate in the snowy mountains of upstate New York.
The massive stone mansion was surrounded by electrified fences, armed patrols, and impenetrable quiet.
For the first time since this nightmare began, I actually felt completely safe.
Jared was recovering remarkably well, his strength returning a little more each day.
Titan was practically a new dog, eating full meals and sleeping peacefully at the foot of our massive bed.
I stood by the reinforced glass window of the master bedroom, watching the snow fall gently over the pine trees.
Jared walked up behind me, wrapping his strong, warm arms around my waist.
He rested his chin on my shoulder and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my neck.
"We are safe here, Willa," Jared whispered against my skin.
"My father cannot touch you, and the Romanovs don't know this property exists."
I leaned back against his solid chest, closing my eyes and letting out a long sigh of relief.
We had survived the betrayal, the explosions, and the impossible politics of his terrifying world.
The immediate threat was finally over, and I was safe in the arms of a man who would literally die for me.
I smiled, turning around to wrap my arms around his neck, finally accepting this beautiful, dangerous life.
Then, my old flip phone vibrated deep inside the pocket of my discarded winter coat on the chair.
I pulled away from Jared, walked over, and checked the screen, expecting a text from my old clinic coworker.
Instead, I opened a text message from a blocked number that made my blood run completely cold.
"Thanks for carrying my hidden tracking device straight past their security perimeter, Willa," the message from Brendan read.
May you like
"The explosive payload is already armed."
I looked out the window just in time to see the first wave of Romanov tactical trucks violently crashing through the front gates.
