Page 66 of Innocent Prey of the Bratva

A beat of silence.

Then they add, “It was Milos.”

Kaz nods. “Maxim told me, too.”

Everything in me freezes. “Milo?” I whisper, blinking fast. “No. That—no.”

I look to Kaz, expecting some kind of denial. But he doesn’t say anything. His lips press into a bloodless line. His knuckles whiten more.

Arina nods slowly. “I didn’t believe it at first either. But it makes sense. The breach. The fact that someone knew exactly where Violet would be. It had to be someone with access to everything.”

“No,” I say again, because the disbelief feels physical in my chest. “Milo was…kind. Quiet.”

“He played his role,” Arina says simply. “He always did.”

“He doesn’t know we know,” Kaz says coldly. “I’ve told Maxim to keep it silent. As soon as Violet is safe in the holding facility, I will go back to the estate and make him wish he was never born.”

Chapter 16 – Kaz

The ride to the holding facility is steeped in silence. Violet doesn’t speak. Neither does Arina. The only sound is the roar of the SUV’s engine and the occasional hiss of the brakes when I drive too hard into a corner.

By the time we get there, dusk is settling over the city like a slow bruise. The warehouse-like building looms ahead—plain and heavily guarded. I pull through the reinforced gates, roll to a stop, and kill the engine.

“Inside,” I say quietly.

I lead them through the back entrance, up a short flight of stairs, and into my private wing. This place isn’t as polished as the estate, but it’s secure. Armored windows. Panic tunnels. State-of-the-art surveillance.

Violet looks around, clearly taking it all in.

“In here,” I say, pushing open the door to my office and ushering her inside, leaving Arina in the main hall.

“Lie down for a while,” I tell her gently. “You’ve been through too much today.”

But she doesn’t move toward the couch. Instead, she turns to me, arms folded, fire already sparking in her eyes.

“No,” she says firmly. “Kaz, I need you to tell me what the hell is going on. I know someone is out to get me. I know there was a breach. I know Milo betrayed you. But what happens now? What are we going to do? Why am I being hunted?”

I take a breath. Her voice is steady, but her hands are trembling. She’s scared. Exhausted. But she’s not backing down.

“I don’t know yet,” I admit, rubbing a hand down my jaw. “Maxim’s tracking the leak. Arina’s gathering names. I just need time—”

But I stop speaking when I see her gaze shift. She’s not looking at me anymore. She’s staring at the far wall of my office. The wall filled with photos.

And I know exactly what caught her eye.

Her. Or more accurately—photos of her. Dozens of them.

Some grainy. Some taken from far away. Others close up. Different angles. Different days. All of Violet. Some taken during Jennie and Adrian’s wedding. Some taken while she was in class….

She takes a step closer, her eyes wide.

“Kaz…” she whispers. “What…what is this?”

I don’t answer. Because I know what this looks like. She turns to me, slowly, her voice shaking now.

“Kaz, you said you saw me before I knew your name….” She approaches me slowly. “Is this what you meant? Did you—were you watching me before I even knew you?”

The words sound louder in the silence that follows.