“It’s the only way,” Caro whispered, repeating the words he had said when they made their choice.

Or we risk our daughter was the statement that hung between them unspoken.

“Today?” he asked.

She nodded. “That was our one-hour warning.”

His heart ached as he realized this might be the last time he would see his daughter for years, perhaps even decades. There was no way to know how long it would take.

Caro handed Astasiya back to him, and he hugged her so close that she complained. But he didn’t stop, his soul breaking in two as he resolved himself to this fate.

He didn’t worry about himself so much as his two angels. The loves of his life.

Caro joined the hug, her aura radiating the same fierce protectiveness, except for him and their daughter.

And then she met his gaze again, her own reflecting the promise they made to one another. To overcome anything and everything in their path, regardless of how much it hurt or how challenging it became. They would never betray each other.

Mine, he told her.

Mine, she agreed.

“Let’s go home,” he said out loud. “We need to prepare.”

Caro nodded and took the keys so he could hold Astasiya one last time on their drive. She curled into his chest, her blonde head tucked beneath his chin, and sniffled. “You’re scaring me, Daddy.”

“Don’t be afraid, darling girl,” he murmured. “You’re stronger than you know.”

“Then why so sad?”

“Because sometimes life requires the ultimate sacrifice for love, and while it’s the right course, it still hurts.” He kissed her head and hugged her to him. “But for you, my darling little angel, I would give everything. And so would your mom. It’s just time for us to prove it. That’s all.”

She peered up at him through damp lashes. “I don’t understand.”

“I know, my angel. I know.” He brushed her hair from her face and pulled her back into him. “One day, I’ll tell you everything. I vow it. But for today, we’re going to play the ultimate game of hide-and-seek, okay? You remember that place we always go to? The one where Mommy can never find us?”

Her little brow crinkled in confusion. “Yeah?”

“When we get home, I want you to go there and not come out. No matter what happens. Understand?”

She sniffled again. “I don’t wanna play today, Daddy. Please don’t make me.”

He smiled softly, his heart sad. “You have to play today, little angel. For me and your mom. Just in case the bad men come, okay?”

“ ’Cause of the ice cream?” she whispered, her eyes going wide.

Caro pulled into the driveway and shot him a look.

“No, darling, not the ice cream. The bad men who might come will be here for me and your mom, not you. So you have to stay hidden and wait for me to find you, just like all the other times we played.”

Her nose scrunched. “But this time feels different.”