“Come on, princess, you need to trust me on this,” he smiles at me. “I’ll keep you safe. All of you.”
“How can you keep me safe when you are underestimating the danger you have to face to do so?!”
Simon clenches his jaw, realizing that I am not letting up on this argument.
“I think what father did to you made you fear him more than he is worth. He is not unbreakable, Selene. He is a man. A man who bleeds and dies like the rest of us,” Simon huffs.
I’m livid, but in all honestly, he might be right. Maybe it’s fear bleeding through. Maybe I envision my father as much bigger than he really is. But still, you should never underestimate an enemy. Not when the price you’ll pay is losing your family.
I thought he understood. I thought he realized how dangerous my father is. But he’s speaking about it as though this is going to be a breeze. That means he isn’t going to prepare properly for the reality of what is about to rain down on us. Andthatmeans he can’t possibly keep the children or me safe.
Simon reaches over and places his hand on my thigh. At first, I want to push it off, but the heat of his touch is reassuring and settling. Even in an argument, he doesn’t want to push me away. He’s still reaching for me. That has to mean something.
“Hey, I’m sorry,” he mutters gently. “I didn’t mean to upset you. I just wanted you to know that you’ll be safe.”
“I know,” I sigh. “And I just want you to know what you’re really up against,” I say quietly.
He nods, keeping his eyes on the road. We don’t speak about it anymore, and when we arrive at the penthouse, I feel unsettled, like I want to run again. Like it’s not as safe as I thought it was. I feel like his underestimating my father means that I have overestimated Simon. He’s a fool if he doesn’t take this seriously.
Raya greets us at the door. “How did it go?” she asks, raising her brows.
“It went very well, actually, surprisingly. I think Matvei is happy with the intel he got,” Simon answers.
“The twins have bathed, they ate most of their dinner, I read them a story, although I am sure they will try to convince you I didn’t, so they can get a second story,” she giggles. “They were a pleasure to spend the day with.”
“Thank you so much,” I say, pulling Raya into a hug.
“You look exhausted,” she says, pulling away to look at me.
“I am. It was a long session.” I smile tightly.
“Matvei can be really intense,” she nods. “Well, I’ll get out of your hair. Call anytime if you need me to help again. You two have a nice, relaxing evening,” she smiles, hugging Simon before letting herself out.
I sigh softly and turn to Simon. “I’m going to check on the twins.”
In their bedroom, I find them in bed, sitting up as though waiting for us, but they are both fast asleep. Quietly, I shift their positions, tucking them in and turning off the main lights so only the soft pink glow from under the bed illuminates the room.
Then I step out into the hallway. Simon is waiting for me there.
“Are they asleep?” he asks.
“Fast asleep. They must have had a blast with Raya,” I smile. “Well, I’m going to go to bed now, too. I hope you sleep well,” I say quietly.
Turning towards my bedroom, I still feel heavy with worry.
But Simon grabs my arm and gently tugs me back to face him. “Sleep in my bed again,” he says with quiet confidence. His eyes pierce into me as he looks down at me. I tilt my head up, trying to read his expression. What does he want from me?
“Simon… I…”
“Just tobewith me,” he pushes. “Just to benearme.”
I look up into his gorgeous caramel eyes. All I see is care. A deep tenderness that spills from him into me and tugs at my heart. I want to be wrapped in his arms. I want to be soaking in the warmth of his body.
My heart flutters nervously. “Ok,” I say, barely a whisper of a reply.
He lets his hand slide down my arm until his fingers are knotted with mine, then he leads me to his bedroom.
We are both quiet as we strip our clothes off from the day. He hands me one of his t-shirts that fits me like a dress, and he slips into a pair of sweatpants. We climb beneath the covers, and while I know he said it was just to be near him, I find myself snuggling closer and lifting my face towards his to kiss him.
