Patrick O'Rourke is both now.
My blood runs cold every time I think about what's coming. Not for myself—I've survived assassination attempts before, will survive them again.
But for Mila.
For Valerie.
For everyone I've let close enough to matter.
The aftermath in my head is chaos.
I love Valerie. I hate her. I want her gone. I want her closer. Want to lock her in my room forever. Want to send her away where she'll be safe from the war I'm fighting.
She betrayed me—gathered intel, lied for months, worked for the man who murdered my family.
But she also saved me. Confessed before I could walk into Patrick's real trap. Gave me the information I needed to extract her family and destroy Rico's operation.
The contradiction is maddening.
Mikhail corners me three days after the ambush. "Boss, we need to talk about the girl."
I'm reviewing security protocols, adding layers, positioning men. "What about her?"
"She's a liability. Patrick knows she turned. He'll use that. Come after her to hurt you." He leans against my desk. "Safest play is relocating her. Somewhere Patrick can't reach."
"No."
"Lev—"
"I said no." I don't look up from the reports. "She stays here."
"That's insane. You're putting her in the line of fire."
"She put herself there when she walked into my house, working for Patrick." My jaw clenches. "She wants to make this right? She can do it by staying. By fighting. By proving she's actually on my side instead of running the second it gets dangerous."
"And if Patrick kills her?"
The thought makes something twist in my chest.
That will never fucking happen.
"He won’t get the chance."
Mikhail studies me. "You love her."
"I hate her."
"You can do both." He crosses his arms. "Question is whether you're keeping her here because you think it's strategic or because you can't let her go."
I finally look up. "Does it matter?"
"To your judgment? Yes. To the operation? Probably not. To her?" He shrugs. "That's between you two."
He leaves before I can respond.
And I sit there staring at security feeds showing Valerie in Mila's room, reading a story, completely oblivious to the conversation happening about her.
I can't let her go.