Page 82 of Marked By the Devil

“I want to make sure that you understand how much we all appreciate your joining us to even be in the position to suggest a counter-move like the one we did last night.” I watched her expressive face, slightly amused that she’d at least stayed awake enough to take her contacts out. “I want to make sure to officially offer you, in case you’ve been waiting for me to spell this out clearly, a permanent place on our ‘team’. A permanent position in the structure of what makes the Volkov Bratva as strong as it can be.”

I watched her raise her brows, seeming intrigued and slightly confused.

I wanted to expand and let her know that I meant something much deeper.

I wanted her to know that she would always have our protection. Security. A home.

Tempted to word it like a proposal but being cautious with how Maksim reminded me that the timing wasn’t ideal with this war against Gregori, I waited for her reaction.

“If you want to choose a solid future with me, I hope that you will understand that you’re not a captive. You’re not a woman I kidnapped. You can just belong with me, Wren. No matter what.”

I held her hand and grew more nervous the longer I waited for her to reply.

She couldn’t still want to have a different life from the one she’s sharing with me now, could she?

30

WREN

What are you saying?

What are you really saying?

Viktor looked so earnest, talking to me about having a place with him, with his family.

Which was sweet. I always wanted to hear that I was wanted and welcome and valued. Everyone did.

But he seemed to think that I didn’t know that already. Of course, I did. I was getting along with Elena so much that we really were like sisters. I spent all night working for them and getting that last-minute counter move to save them damage and death.

I lived with him. I had half of his closet.

Why are you telling me this now?

“Wren?”

Oh, shit, he’s expecting me to answer him?

I blinked, frantic to guess what he was really trying to tell me here. Reading in between the lines had never been harder.

Are you… proposing?

It almost sounded like that, and if he was proposing, I would be over the freaking moon. With my suspicions and worries about being pregnant, hearing he wanted to marry me would alleviate all my fears. All of them.

Yet, it wasn’t a proposal. I didn’t think it was. I’d never been proposed to in order to know for sure. Just like I’d told Elena that I didn’t have much girl time experience, I had little to no boyfriend experience either.

Is he trying to label me as his girlfriend? Or is he strictly talking about job stuff?

I felt like I was caught between happiness and woes. I couldn’t tell what he was asking me, but I felt the pressure to reply.

“I…” I smiled, hoping to remove the concern from his face. “I know I’m not just some woman you kidnapped.”

He nodded, but he still seemed so tense. Like he was waiting for me to say more.

“And I know I’m not a captive. You let me drive your car.” I winced. “Then it was blown up, but still. You let me be out in the wild. You let me have my gun. You let me concoct a hasty solution for last night…”

“But I did know that you see yourself as part of our team.”

Team?