Page 50 of Caught in the Crossfire

“I still don’t understand. If Max had wanted to kill me, he easily could have.”

“I agree,” Obi answered. I settled against his chest, allowinghis warmth to blanket me. “So the logical conclusion is that he does not want to kill you.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why, after everything, wouldn’t he want that?”

There were so many answers to that question, and none of them made sense.

Obihmm’d, the sound thick in his chest. “If it were me, it would be because I still had use for you.”

“You think he wants to use me?”

“Yes.”

My eyebrows knit together as I flipped through everything he said, trying to understand what he could use me for. Instead of reaching an answer, I went in circles until I groaned in frustration.

“Tell me,” Obi said, smoothing his thumb over the crease between my eyes. I nuzzled my face into his neck again. His hands gripped my thighs. “What are you thinking?”

“I can’t decide if I’m more concerned aboutwhyhe’s done all these things or what he wants from me. Maybe we should have just killed him on the yacht and been done with it.” I pulled back. My feelings about Max were so fucking complicated. Amid all that pain, he’d still been there. He’d still protected me. But I was only on that ship in the first place because of what he and my father had done. “I blame him that we were taken, and that he’s lied to me all this time, but I’m grateful he was there. And I can’t make sense of those two things.”

“You need time to process.” He picked up my fingers and pressed a kiss to my knuckles. They were probably the only parts of my body thatdidn’thurt right now. “We all do.”

My eyes unfocused as I saw my nightmare play across my eyelids. Those people, trapped like I had been, screamed to be free.

“I’m afraid no amount of processing is ever going to make me sleep again. Every time I close my eyes, I see the man who hurtme and his yellow teeth. And then I think of all the women he’s probably raped before, and I’m so fucking livid men like him exist.”

His eyes flitted across my face, and his voice went even softer. “What do you need? What can we do?”

My jaw worked as I considered his questions. I needed a plan. I needed todosomething, not just sit here and stew in my tears.

We took out one of their ships, but that couldn’t be the only one. How many people were jammed into cells, waiting to be hurt? Drugged? Assaulted? Raped?

Penny said there was an auction with dozens of women. It happened right under our noses.

How many people had the Vokshi Clan trafficked? How many were waiting to be rescued, yet believing no one would come?

They had to be stopped.

I’d made a promise to Wynn before that we’d eliminate trafficking in New York, but that wasn’t enough anymore. Not for me, not for Wynn. The Vokshi Clan had to be ended once and for all so the suffering could end.

If they were dead, and the rest of their victims were free,thenI could forget. I could move on.

The pain would disappear with their lives.

“We need to eliminate the Vokshi, and stop their entire enterprise so they cannot hurt anyone else.”

“I will bring you their heads on a silver platter.”

It was a solemn vow. But would that help?

I pictured how I’d feel if I sat in this penthouse and waited for the Albanians to die. Would it be enough?

Then I pictured what it would be like to hunt them down myself. To feel my blade slice through their jugulars. To pull my trigger with a bullet that shattered their skulls. My hands clenched.

“No. I will do it myself.”

His hand cupped the back of my head, and he pulled meforward so he could press his lips to my cheek. The gentle touch had my hands clenching on his shoulders.

“As you wish.”