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I had her, but I knew the path moving forward would only become more difficult to manage. I had to be careful, regardless of how much I wanted to try and get back in her good graces.
No other woman could compare to Anastasia, and I knew she was worth the effort.
As we passed under the streetlights, I tried to focus on my next steps, but I could only think about Anastasia and how badly I wanted her despite it all. My previous anger seemed so insignificant with her nearby, and every part of me hoped she would eventually be able to see why I did it. Why I really did it.
When I first met her, I wanted to push her away to protect her from the world of organized crime. But after finding out who she truly was, and how she came from that very world herself, I knew this was the only way I could protect her.
She could hate me all she wanted, but it was for her. For us.
That night in Europe changed the trajectory of my life, whether I knew it at the time or not, and I wasn’t prepared to ruin it. I had never met any woman capable of striking me like she could, with no effort at all. She was vibrant and regal, and she knew what she wanted.
We had clicked almost instantly, and it pained me to know I let her go afterward. It felt like we had wasted time, given her true identity, but I was willing to overlook it for the chance to feel that connection again. To return to that place where we were both happy and optimistic, fully and completely understood by the other.
It wasn’t like me to be so wrapped up in a one-night stand, but there was something different about her. Something I couldn’t bear to let go of.
Sneaking glances in the rearview mirror at her, that familiar pulse of warmth in my chest was a reminder of why I was doing this in the first place. Even if she hated me, I’d make sure she was safe and comfortable above all else.
I only hoped she would make it easy for me, but given who she was, I wasn’t so sure that would be possible.
A sigh from the back seat caught my attention, followed by her quiet voice.
“What are you going to do with me?”
She sounded helpless and tired, and I already knew that was unlike her. Surely, the ambush had worn her down, and given that it was the middle of the night, she was likely at the end of her rope.
As much as it pained me to see that exhaustion in her eyes, I knew it benefited me.
Swallowing the dryness in my throat, I met her gaze in the mirror and held back everything I truly wanted to say. All of the hopes and ambitions for us that I had been holding in for months.
Very simply, I said, “We’re getting married.”
The car went quiet enough to hear a pin drop. As if she couldn’t handle the shock of it all, Anastasia remained completely silent.
Not another word was spoken as I pulled up to the house.
Chapter 5 - Anastasia
I was reeling in the back seat, unable to fully grasp what he was saying.
That disbelief consumed me, even as he turned the car off, got out from the driver’s side, and propped my door open. He pulled me out, forced to assist me due to my bound hands.
I could hardly breathe as he guided me toward the front door of a modest house. It certainly wasn’t anything like my brothers’ houses, or any of my family members for that matter. But still, it looked nice enough.
The door was unlocked and I was ushered inside, left scrambling with the vague, almost threatening words he uttered before.
There was no way he meant it. It couldn’t possibly be true.
“What are you talking about?” I finally asked, having fought to even get it off my tongue. Watching as he kicked his boots off casually like any other day, I still couldn’t understand how any of it was happening. “Why do you want to get married? You’re the one who walked away from me.”
Nik scoffed and locked the door, then guided me forward with a hand against my lower back. “I walked away because I wanted to keep you away from the crime underbelly.”
My brows pinched together in question. “And how does marrying someone in the mafia keep me safe from it?”
He shook his head absently. “You wouldn’t understand.”
Refusing to move a step farther, I met his gaze and hardened my stare. “I wouldn’t? Try me.”
“If not me, then your brothers would eventually find someone to marry you off to. All for the sake of the business and developing good relationships with other families in the city. Surely you know the fate of most mob wives, no?”
