Page 95 of Bride of Vengeance

"The estate is sovereign territory in certain legal interpretations, I know," Harrison adds. "My friends in Washington will spin this as foreign criminals attacking American law enforcement on technically international ground."

"Your friends in Washington don't know you're a trafficker?"

Mariana's voice makes them both spin. She stands in the doorway, weapon drawn. I cover her from the shadows—she doesn't know I'm here yet. This is her play.

"Agent Castillo," Harrison recovers first. "How nice of you to accept our invitation."

"I'm here to finish this."

"Are you? Alone? That seems... optimistic."

"I'm never alone." She touches her stomach deliberately.

Pavel laughs. "Dramatic. Very Russian. I approve."

"I'm not being dramatic. I'm being honest." She pulls out her phone, shows them the screen. "Mila Morozov has everything.Every confession, every crime, every trafficking victim. It goes wide in ten minutes unless I stop it."

"You're bluffing."

"Check your accounts."

Harrison pulls out his phone, and his face goes white. "The offshore accounts—they're empty."

"Mila's good with money," Mariana says casually. "Transferred everything to the victims' families. All twelve million, plus interest."

"You bitch—"

"I'm offering you a deal. Full confession, on record, and you get to live."

"We could just kill you now," Pavel points out.

"You could. But then the information releases, and you're hunted forever. No resources, no protection, no friends."

"Or," Harrison says, pulling his gun, "we kill you and Ghost, blame everything on that Russian criminal, and I return to my life as a decorated federal officer who survived a terrible ordeal."

"Except Ghost isn't here."

"Please. He'd never let you come alone." Harrison looks around. "He's probably watching right now, planning something stupidly heroic."

He's right, of course. But they don't know how right.

"You really think I'd betray him?" Mariana asks. "After everything?"

"I think you're a survivor," Harrison says. "And survivors make deals. Even if you don't betray him, he'll go to prison, and if he escapes, he'll never be free, nor will you and your child. There's no way to leave him out of this; he'll pay a price too. All this heroic act doesn't absolve him of his criminal past."

"You're right." She lowers her weapon. "So let's make a deal."

I don't like where this is going.

"I'm listening," Harrison says.

"I give you Ghost. Really give him to you. In exchange, you let me go. Full immunity, real witness protection, new life."

"Mariana—" I start to move, but Boris's hand on my shoulder stops me. When did he get here?

"Wait," he breathes. "Trust her."

"And why would you give us your husband?" Pavel asks, suspicious.