It's not an option.
"My wife is family business."
"Your wife is a liability that's making us all targets. The longer this drags out, the more attention we attract from law enforcement, media, rival organizations. Every day she remains alive is another day our enemies can use this situation against us."
I think of Inessa in my arms, how she tenderly admitted that she loves me.
How I felt so deeply and strongly compelled to tell her I love her in return, but the words wouldn’t come.
I won't allow her to die and I won't do anything that would make this worse for her.
"I won't give her up," I tell Dimitri.
"Then you're choosing her over your own family."
"I'm choosing my wife over your convenience."
The line grows quiet for a moment, and I realize he's thinking.
He isn't getting his way, and I know he won’t stop until he does.
Somehow, he will come at this from another direction and try to force my hand.
I can't let that happen either.
"You have forty-eight hours to resolve this situation. After that, the family will resolve it for you. And we won't be as careful about collateral damage as you've been."
The line goes dead, and I stare at the phone for a moment, processing what my brother has just told me.
An ultimatum backed by family consensus, with the clear threat that refusing to comply will result in actions I can't control or prevent.
What they don't realize is, I'm not backing down.
I am the leader of this family, and I will not allow my brother or my uncles to overstep my authority.
When I'm done cleaning up this mess with Viktoria, I will finish them too.
And they'll only get one chance for mercy.
27
INESSA
The chirping phone on the nightstand tears me from sleep.
I rub my eyes as Yuri answers immediately.
Calls this early in the morning are never good, but I wait to hear what he has to say before I let myself feel panicked.
With everything going on, I know it must have something to do with my mother.
I prop myself up on my elbow and watch his face contort as whoever it is speaks to him.
"We'll be there in twenty minutes," he says, ending the call and turning to me.
He's already folding the blanket down, sliding out of bed.
"What happened?"
