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Shock rippled through him.

“See.” She tried to pull her hands away. “Told you it was bad.”

Ronan tightened his grip. “Just … give me a second.” He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers, gathering himself.

The man’s death — and the collapse of one of the largest Russian criminal organizations in the country — had happened just before he’d entered the Marines. Senior year.

Old enough to understand the significance.

Too young to care.

Now he cared. A hell of a lot.

And he’d heard the name on the news recently. An upcoming trial.

He lifted his head. “He had a son …?”

“Vasily. My uncle. He’s currently on trial for my mother’s murder.” Her laugh was harsh. “That’s us. One big, happy Bratva family.”

Her uncle had murdered her mother.

How much darker could one go?

“Your father?”

“A weakling. Handpicked by Sergei.” A flicker of something cold crossed her face. “He died in prison. Good riddance.”

“You. Your sister?”

“Witness protection.”

“How old?”

“Me — sixteen. Inessa — thirteen.”

So young. All alone.

He held her gaze, something tightening in his chest. “Why witness protection?”

She broke their stare; tried to pull her hands free.

He didn’t let her.

“Lay it on me, Lissy-love.”

He wanted all of it.

“Whatever it is…” His voice softened. “Trust me with it. Please. You know I won’t break your confidence.”

She gave him a quiet, “I know.”

Her gaze dropped again, her breath uneven. “We were three girls — Tatiana, me, Inessa. Roughly three years apart. We grew up on the compound in Newport. Heavily guarded. Private tutors. Almost no contact with the outside world, except for the occasional outing with Mama — shopping, the theatre, things like that. And boating.”

A faint shift in her voice, a little smile hovered. “Mama sure loved the ocean. And she took us out whenever she could.” Her fingers tightened in his. “Looking back … I wonder if she ever thought about just sailing away with us. Sometimes, when she took the helm, she’d get this faraway look.” Her head tilted a fraction. “I wish she had, you know. Just … kept going.”

The sigh that followed said more than words. “It wasn’t possible, of course. Not with the guards.” She looked away. “The Liminov girls were always watched.” She drew a shaky breath. “Things changed after Mama…”

Her fingers bit into his, knuckles whitening. He rubbed his thumbs over the backs of her hands, slow, steady. “You’re safe, my love.”