That she has the capacity for it comes as no surprise to me. I don’t like what she had to do but I understand the necessity, knowing full well she’s pragmatic enough to understand it too.
She sags weakly into me, the riot of tears having passed.“Is the Harrington whose ear you sent me related to the one I?—”
“Yes. Harrington Jr. was a legacy.”
“If father and son are both tied to the Veronians, then why did they have me beat him for my initiation?”
“Curious, isn’t it?” I kiss her temple. “His uncle was who you heard shouting earlier tonight.”
“Whydidyou send Sr.’s ear to me? All we needed was proof of?—”
“Did it make you feel safe?”
“Yes,” she confesses. “I don’t have to know whose body a part belongs to to know that you send them to me for a reason.”
“I’m glad that you came to recognize that,katyonok.” Satisfied, I hum. “Now, as to the why. The ear made a statement. One you backed up tonight. That matters.” When her breath hitches, I stroke my hand over her back. “Meanwhile, I’ll hold onto him for intel.”
“Harrington Sr.’s Brother Theodoric?”
“Yes. As for Jr., he hasn’t earned your tears or your distress. He’ll rot in hell, and you spared a lot of people and animals misery at his hands.”
“When did you become a humanist?” Her faint smile crumbles apart. “What if someone goes to the cops? I-I don’t want to go to jail.”
“You won’t. I’d take you to Montenegro before that happened.”
“You don’t have any power over there.”
“I have plenty.”
“Why Montenegro?”
“There’s no extradition treaty with the USandbecause the Forgotten Boys haven’t taken over Russia yet. Plus, Montenegro has a beautiful coastline. I think you’d be happy there.”
Her arms tighten around me. “You’re like my guardian demon.”
Pressing a kiss to her temple, I smirk. “I’d prefer to be called your husband, but I’ll take whatever label I can get.”
She snorts and it morphs into chuckles. Not in hysteria. Just exhausted amusement.
“I’m a virgin.”
The abrupt statement has me murmuring, “I know.”
That has her rearing back to gasp at me. “How did you know?!”
“Tonight’s kiss.” There was experience there—but not enough to make me murderous.
“Oh.” She cuddles into me again. “That’s okay then. I thought you might have cameras in my bedroom or something. You don’t. Right?”
“I don’t,” I confirm.
“Do you?”
“I don’t.”
“Would you tell me if you did?”
“Probably.”
