Page 23 of Unstable

“I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “You’re already doing me a favor. I won’t make you jump through any hoops, and I know my word doesn’t mean much, but I promise I won’t try to claim anything of yours, either. I already owe you so much for protecting me, and…” She trailed off as the memory of the car accident came to mind and a shiver racked her body.

“Rina.” He waited for her to meet his gaze. “This isn’t your fault. We’re going to do whatever we have to in order to keep you safe.”

She nodded slightly. “Thank you.”

Her heart stuttered in her chest as his huge hands lifted and cupped her shoulders. “I promise I won’t let him near you.”

“I know.” The words came out on a whisper, but she felt them to her soul as her heart raced with a combination of fear and anticipation. Despite their tumultuous beginnings, Roman would never let anyone hurt her.

His hands dropped away. “So, here’s what’s going to happen…”

Less than two hours later, Knox pulled up in front of the house. She watched from the window as he exited the SUV, and a petite brunette climbed from the passenger side. “Who’s that?”

“Vivi. Knox’s baby sister,” Roman explained.

“She’s beautiful.”

Roman threw her a strange look as he moved to open the door, and the duo stepped inside seconds later. Vivi’s eyes immediately landed on her, and a grin lit up her pretty face. “Hey! It’s so nice to meet you!”

She blushed under the scrutiny. She met fans all the time, but it never got easier. She always felt like she was playing dress up, trying to fill a pair of shoes much too big. There were so many artists who were much better than her, and she was constantly amazed that people found her even remotely interesting.

Vivi continued. “Ink’s told us all about you.”

She slid a look Roman’s way and caught a tiny smirk lifting the corners of his mouth. Her gut tightened. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know exactly what he’d told them, but she held out a hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Vivi. I’m Irina.”

She waved away her hand and pulled her into a hug instead. She tensed as Vivi’s arms tightened around her and awkwardly returned the embrace. Over Vivi’s shoulder, she met Roman’s gaze. There was something there that she couldn’t quite read. Vivi pulled back and tossed a look over her shoulder at the guys before turning back to her. “Are you ready for this?”

Not knowing exactly what this was, she nodded slowly. “I guess so.”

“Perfect.” Vivi pulled a camera from the large handbag slung over her shoulder. “Go stand by that wall.”

She did as instructed and watched Vivi glance around for a moment. Her gaze lifted, and every muscle went tense as a pair of dark brown eyes latched onto hers. Though she’d met him a couple of times now, she wasn’t sure she’d ever get used to him. Knox was… intense.

He stared at her as if seeking something, and she forced herself to bear up under the scrutiny. She wanted to assure him that she would never jeopardize Roman, that this was only temporary. Instead, she remained silent and still.

“Ink, come here.”

He moved forward, and she forced her attention back to Vivi. Vivi had the same dark eyes as her brother, but hers were softer, framed by impossibly long lashes that she envied.

“Take a knee,” Vivi directed. Roman followed her instructions and knelt on the floor in front of her. Despite the entire thing being staged, her heart gave a little flutter in her chest. As a little girl, she’d dreamed of the day a man would propose to her and make her his wife.

But she’d never envisioned anything like this. The sight of this huge, dominant man on his knees in front of her sent her ovaries into overdrive. Her legs shook with the urge to throw herself at him, and she locked her knees to keep from tackling him to the floor and having her wicked way with him.

He lifted a tiny black box then threw open the lid, and her eyes widened at the diamond inside.

“Is that…?” Her gaze jumped from Roman over his shoulder to where Vivi stood, camera obscuring half of her face as she took the photos.

“Just go with it,” Vivi called from behind the lens.

Automatically, Irina lifted her hands to her mouth, affecting the stereotypical surprised look. Mostly, though, she was trying to cover her true reaction. She hadn’t expected a ring at all, let alone the good-sized diamond nestled inside the velvet box.

“Good!” Vivi called. “Now, Ink, take it out and slip it on her finger.”

Her hand trembled as she held it out to him, and it took him two tries to get it on properly. She had a feeling he was shaking just as much as she was. From his position, his head reached her sternum, and he tilted his chin up to meet her eyes. Still holding her hand, he gave her fingers a reassuring squeeze.

She heard the faint snap of the shutter on the camera as Vivi clicked away, but in that moment, it seemed as if the rest of the world had slipped away, leaving only her and Roman. If she hadn’t been aware of how decent a man he was before, she was now. He’d chosen to put a virtual stranger’s needs ahead of his own wishes and desires, and she appreciated it immensely.

“That’s enough.” Irina jumped a little as Knox’s voice shattered her reverie, and Roman dropped her hand before slowly rising to his feet.