Nadya hesitated a moment, in which Zivon could see this going many different ways. But then she nodded and reached to set the gun on the table. “For you, Zhenya. For us. For our future.”

It all would have been perfect. If only the door hadn’t burst open behind them at that exact moment.

One moment, Lily had been watching the descent of the gun, anticipating the reach for the lone book on the shelf. Thinking in the back of her mind that she wished she could get a photo of Evgeni and Nadya before they left.

The next moment, chaos poured in. At first she could see only the blur of fast-moving men in dark blue. Then she recognized Daddy, Hall, Barclay, and, of all people, Father Smirnov behind them.

There were shouts—from Daddy, from Evgeni, from Nadya. A single bullet fired, which must have lodged in the wall, given the plaster raining down. Zivon threw himself in front of Lily. Evgeni tried to protect Nadya. Nadya brandished the smoking gun with such clear intent that Daddy, who had probably never dreamed of raising a hand to a woman in all his life, had no choice but to go on the offensive.

He caught her wrist with one hand, struck her arm with the other. She lashed out, kicking at him, but he sidestepped. Tugged her forward with that arm. Bent his knee in what Lily assumed was meant to be a blow to the stomach to make her double over and relinquish her weapon.

Only before contact could be made, Nadya screamed. All but tossed the gun aside. Wrapped her free arm around her middle and recoiled as far as she could get from Daddy, eyes wild. “Nyet! Nyet!” she screamed over and over again.

Lily’s father, still caught in the throes of adrenaline, didn’t seem to hear her. Didn’t seem to see the desperation in the young woman’s eyes.

But Lily saw it. Just as she saw the single bed in the room. As she’d seen the looks between Nadya and Evgeni. She saw the our future Nadya had really meant, and she did the only thing she could think to do.

She jumped around Zivon, between Daddy and Nadya, with her arms raised. “Stop!”

The whole room went still, other than the heaving breaths of the men who had stormed in thinking to rescue them. Her father’s eyes cleared, then confusion descended. “Lily?”

She stepped into his arms, letting him crush her to his chest. “I thought I’d lost you,” he muttered into her hair. “That you were gone like Ivy. I couldn’t have borne it, Lily White.”

She clung to him, as much because he needed her to as because she needed it as well. “I’m fine, Daddy. I promise you.”

“No thanks to them.” Daddy drew back, lightning flashing in the gaze that landed on Nadya.