Page 88 of Jetmir

He chuckled. “I’ve known you since you were born, Jetmir. Nothing I say will persuade you to do anything you don’t want to and we both know nothing in this world, but your death, will separate you from your wife.”

“Exactly.”

He let out a heavy sigh. “You know her father would be more than happy to oblige.”

“He’ll have to find us first.”

“Sooner or later, he will,” Kian deadpanned.

“Well, he hasn’t yet and neither has the Triad.”

“Yeah, and they’re definitely on the move.”

“Why don’t we just fucking kill them all? Especially the bastard that’s running it.”

“If it was that easy, we would have,” Kian retorted dryly. “Ever since they set off that explosion, we’ve been hitting their organization. The problem is they’re like damn Lernaean Hydra. You cut one head and two more sprouts.”

“I won’t let them get to Anya,” I said. “She’s mine to protect. From the Triad and from her family.”

“She doesn’t need protection from her family, Jetmir. You do.”

I scoffed. “We’ll agree to disagree.”

“Jesus Christ, you’re madly in love with this girl.” He had no fuckin idea. “So what’s your plan? Move locations every few weeks?”

“That’s actually not a bad idea.”

“Jetmir, be serious. Anya is close with her family. You won’t win any points by keeping her prisoner. Didn’t you learn anything the first time?”

“I won’t have her leave me,” I shouted, then froze. I couldn’t believe those words really left my lips.

My shoulders slumped, and suddenly, I felt lost and tired. Or maybe, I was back to being that six-year-old boy.

“I kept you and Elira with me until it was safe to take you to Liana,” Kian said slowly, his tone cautious. “But I’m starting to wonder, son, if perhaps I made a mistake.”

That was the problem though. Kian didn’t make mistakes.

“Jetmir, I know your first years without a mother left a mark on you. My lifestyle left a mark. Thinking back, I should have found a loving family to keep you and Elira, but I was convinced there was no safer place on this earth than to keep you with me.”

“You did your best,” I murmured.

“Maybe but I shouldn’t have told you the truth about your father. At least not when you were so young.”

“I don’t think there is a good time or age to learn that your biological father was a rapist, torturer of women, a sadistic bastard who wanted to kill your mother and you as a baby.”

“I wanted to be honest with you and Elira. I needed you to both know that there were important empires waiting for you.” A heavy exhale came through the line. “I raised you both as my own and often struggled with my own desire to simply be your father.”

“Why didn’t you just tell us you’re our father? It would have been so much easier.”

And Elira and I wouldn’t have felt like some orphans waiting for our family.

“I think partly because I wouldn’t have done the right thing when the time came to give you back to your mother. I would have kept you as my own and left her thinking she lost her babies.”

My heart clenched.

“You… you would have loved us like your own children?” I hated that my voice shook.

“Jetmir, I did love you, and still do, like you’re my own. Why do you think that I don’t?”