Chapter Eighty-Five

The next day, Lena woke knowing this day was going to be the most important one in her life. Today she would either get her daughter back or lose her forever.

While no one had said anything specific, she knew the importance of apprehending Viktor before he left the country. Because once he was gone, her chances of finding Kenzie were slim. If they couldn’t hold him, they had no leverage to make him give her up.

If he was leaving the country, it could also mean he was going to meet one of his customers. The evil kind who brokered in little girls. With Lena’s betrayal, he no longer had any reason to keep her daughter around. The fact was, Kenzie could already be lost to that terrifying underworld.

Lena felt sick and the room spun as if she’d had too much to drink, despite having gone to bed sober.

Dane nuzzled closer and wrapped his arm around her waist. He was warm and smelled like soap and clean sheets. He was also aroused in the way men were in the morning.

How nice it would be if this was her real life. If the only thing she had to worry about was being quiet so they didn’t wake Kenzie. If she could snuggle in bed with this man, knowing her daughter was safe in her own bed, right down the hall.

The joy of that thought brought tears to Lena’s eyes, but she blinked them away.

Dane’s job was saving people. Right now it was Kenzie, but it wouldn’t stop with her. He would go on other missions and jobs that would put him in danger. And that danger could possibly follow him home. The situation with Tobey had made that likelihood crystal clear.

She couldn’t risk being part of that. Couldn’t put herself in that kind of danger. If she got Kenzie back, she would do whatever she had to do to keep her safe. Not just the normal things like stranger-danger and taking smaller bites, but the long-term things, like who was allowed in her daughter’s life.

She had responsibilities, and she hadn’t taken them seriously enough before.

She’d never make that mistake again.

Dane stirred and made a small groan of happiness. She wasn’t sure if it was because he’d slept well or because his erection was nestled up against her hip.

“Good morning,” he said in a voice deep and scratchy with sleep.

“Good morning.” Her voice, by contrast, sounded high and flinty. It was impossible to disguise her worry.

“Today’s the day we get your daughter back.”

He sounded so confident she wanted to believe him. But they’d been in this place before. She’d woken up a little over a week ago with the same hope in her heart.

Hopefully, today would be different.

The outcome must be different.