“Meaning whoever is behind this does not want you near me. Or Ivy.”
Maggie’s face pales. “Who?”
“I don’t know yet. Roman and I are trying to get information from people connected to Italy.”
Her eyes focus immediately on my bruised hand. The real version of me finally stands completely in front of her.
“That’s where you were tonight,” she whispers.
I don’t answer because I don’t need to.
Maggie pushes abruptly to her feet and starts pacing across the office, bourbon forgotten in her hand while emotion shakes through her voice beneath the anger.
“This is insane. I run an animal shelter, Alexei. I organize adoption events and argue with volunteers about cat food donations. I’m not built for this world.”
“I know.”
“Then why am I in it?” She glares at me like she’s furious I still don’t have an answer good enough to make any of this okay.
The answer is because I couldn’t stay away from her after that first meeting at the shelter. Because Ivy laughs differently whenever Maggie is around. Because the second Maggie accidentally handed me a dog treat, my entire life started moving in a direction I no longer fully control.
None of those answers makes it past my teeth because saying them aloud would make this far too real.
Maggie stops pacing suddenly. “Maybe I should leave.”
The words hit me square in the chest. My answer leaves before thought can touch it. “No.”
“Maybe that’s exactly what needs to happen. Maybe whoever this is stops once I’m gone and leaves Ivy alone too.”
I move before thinking. One second, she’s standing near the windows, the next, my body blocks her path completely.
“You’re not leaving me,” and the finality in my voice makes her breathing hitch.
“You don’t get to decide that,” she replies through clenched teeth.
“Actually, in this situation, I do.”
“There it is.” Hurt flashes across her face. “Control.”
The accusation slices deeper than she realizes. “This isn’t about control.”
“Really? Because it sure feels like it.”
I step closer until I feel the heat coming off her skin.
“You think I enjoy this?” My voice drops lower. “You think I wanted violence following you home? Men watching your apartment? Threats left in your mailbox?”
“Then let me go.”
“No.” I growl.
Maggie’s eyes glisten with frustrated emotion while she stares up at me like she’s fighting panic as much as anger now. “Alexei, I care about Ivy. God help me, I care about you too, but this whole situation is terrifyin’. Every day it gets worse, and maybe if I walk away, all of this stops followin’ me. Maybe whoever’s doin’ this finally leaves your family alone.”
I stare at her then. Really stare at every beautiful, stubborn inch of the woman currently standing in my office, trying to argue herself away from me while panic and anger war across her face.
“No,” I say flatly.
Her eyebrows pull together immediately. “No?”
