Page 165 of Beautiful Trauma

And then it was done.

I was a murderer.

And I never imagined it would feel so good.

CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: KELLAN

As I paced around the jet’s cabin, I thought my heart was going to explode out of my chest. I’d yet to hear anything from Mila. Our contacts at the airport had sent security feed pictures of her arriving in Philly. I’d managed to keep hope until Leo sent the hacked street-view feed of the Korolova mansion.

I’d watched in horror as she was spotted being dragged into the house by Dima. That had been thirty minutes ago. My chest ached when I imagined the worst like they were torturing her, or they’d put a bullet in her head.

Just as I thought I was going to start screaming, my phone rang. At the unknown number, I braced myself to hear from Danill or Dima. “Hello?” I demanded.

“Kellan?”

At the sound of Mila’s voice, I sank to my knees. “You’re alive,” I choked out.

“I am. And I’m so sorry I left without telling you.”

Although I wanted to yell at her for leaving, I asked, “Have they hurt you?”

“No. It was just a ruse.”

Furrowing my brows, I asked, “What?”

“I’ll explain it all to you when I get home.”

“But I’m on my way to Philly.”

A pause came over the line. “You are?”

“What the hell did you expect me to do when I figured out what you’d done?”

“But you knew you couldn’t come to Philly without being killed.”

“None of that mattered when you were in danger.”

“Oh, Kellan,” she murmured. “I love you so very much.”

“And I love you.”

“Should I wait for you here?” she asked.

“Where is that?”

“My Father’s.”

I sucked in a ragged breath. “How are you safe if you’re at your father’s?” I questioned.

“Because he’s dead.”

If I hadn’t already been on the ground, those words would have knocked me down. I looked up at my brothers who were staring anxiously at me. “Danill is dead?” I repeated.

As a murmur went through the others, Mila replied, “Yes. I killed him.”

“You killed him?”

“Holy shit,” Callum said.