Page 54 of Pay the Piper

“So I’m your woman then?” I joke, smiling softly.

Misha reaches across the island for my hand, and I gladly give it. “Oh, lesnaya…you’re my woman, my soulmate, my world, my entire reason for existing. I know this is a lot to take in, but the dangers of my work won’t affect you. I would burn the world down before I ever let harm come to you. You’re safe with me, my darling.”

I know…God, I know I’m safe with him. I feel it in my bones. Squeezing his hand, I let go so that I can round the island and bury myself in his arms. His honesty today means more to me than he will ever understand, and I know it was hard. As soon as I’m within his grasp, he pulls me into a deep hug and everything feels right in the world again.

“I was so scared you would hate me,” he whispers.

Oh, my poor, sweet boy. I know coming clean about his past and his life was hard because I still haven’t gained the courage to tell him my secrets.

“Misha, I…” I want to tell him about who I am so badly, but I just can’t. It’s not even that I believe he would harm me for my deception…but what if he doesn’t want me anymore? This is the first time I’ve felt safe in the arms of a man in a decade. The first time I’ve felt loved by anyone in that time. I can’t lose it. Not today. He may very well choose to leave when I eventually tell him, but not today. I need more time. More time to bask in this happiness, the likes of which I haven’t ever felt before and never will again.

Misha tucks a strand of hair behind my ear and kisses the tip of my nose. “What is it, beautiful?”

Tears well in my eyes, and I burrow my face into the crook of his neck so that he can’t see them. “I’m so happy you felt like you could tell me the truth…It means the world to me.”

He kisses the top of my head and pets my hair. “You mean the world to me, lesnaya. I’ll always tell you any and everything.”

I’m a horrible person.

I’ll tell him soon enough. I just need to hold off for a few more weeks. I don’t want to go to him for help without a plan, but once I figure it out, I’ll tell him everything. And with connections to the Mafia and the Bratva, maybe I’ll actually stand a chance of taking Conor down. I just hope my friends don’t hate me when it’s all said and done.

Chapter 22

“I still can’t believe you planned this completely under my nose. It took me way too long to figure out where we were going.”

Misha huffs a laugh, feeding me another spoonful of ice cream. I’m perched on his lap in the back of a VIP area of the theme park, having our second sweet treat of the day.

“Well, you fell asleep in the car, lesnaya. And it wasn’t too far of a drive. I didn’t have to make up too grand of a story.”

“Still, I should’ve known we weren’t leaving at six a.m. to go to a farmers’ market.”

He’d gotten us matching outfits and planned the entire day completely on his own. I vaguely remember being scooped out of bed at an ungodly hour, Misha changing my clothes and re-braiding my hair after it came loose during the night. He carried me to the car and buckled me in like a child while cooing about the market and telling me I could sleep for a while longer. With sunglasses on, I didn’t even wake when the sun rose, and it was only when we parked and he put the lanyard with my VIP pass around my neck that I realized where we were.

“If it remains so easy to fool you for the rest of our lives, I’ll be pleased. Surprising you and spoiling you are my two favorite hobbies these days.”

My stomach flutters at the mention of the rest of our lives. He’s been so raw with me since he told me everything, since our declarations of intent. Like a man who’s confident that he has exactly what he wants and isn’t afraid of scaring me away. The sickly pit of shame that’s throbbed since I didn’t tell him everything threatens to spill up and out, but I tamp it down for the thousandth time. Soon. But not today. Not to ruin today.

A server brings a selection of real food, and we tuck in to breakfast. Since we arrived for early access and rode a few rides already this morning, we’re only now eating a proper meal. Although I’d argue a churro and ice cream are perfectly nutritious. Misha makes no move to let me off his lap, and I don’t resist at all. We’re tucked away from any prying eyes, and nobody seems to care that this giant man has continued to feed me bite by bite.

“Have you been here before?”

“Never.”

“What! You’ve lived in Florida for so long…”

His wink and peck to my temple make me melt even further into him, the thin athletic material of his shirt doing nothing to shield me from his heat or the iron-hard muscles that make my mouth water. Something about him today is soft, caring…he’s anticipated my every need and allowed me to flitter around the park and have zero adult thoughts in my head all morning.

“I’ve never had anyone I wanted to come with. To be honest, I didn’t think it would really be my scene. But since someone,” he says, tickling my side and making me giggle, “kept talking about it, I decided now was the perfect time.”

“And what do you think?”

“Any day with you would be precious to me, Abby. I’ve loved watching you have fun. And I’ll admit, the last ride, the one that went so fast? That was pure fun. I’d ride it ten times in a row, if only to hear you shriek with laughter.”

His gaze is so tender, and I’m about to say screw it and tell him my darkest secrets right here, because he doesn’t deserve my lies of omission…

“Daddy! Daddy, did you see! I got to meet—”

The little girl who’s run up to Misha and is excitedly pawing at his knee is the cutest thing I’ve ever seen. She’s wearing a poofy pink dress and is covered in glitter, eyes bright at whoever she just met. As her eyes widen, though, it’s clear she’s noted my presence in Misha’s lap, and as she looks closer, she sees he’s not her Daddy.