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Kiki woofed again, jumping onto my leg. “She’s in on this, huh?”
“Maybe.”
He took my hand, which continued to make me quiver, but I attempted to pull it away. “I’m not in the mood.”
When he pulled me into his arms, lifting a single eyebrow, I could tell what he had on his mind. “Then I guess I’m going to need to spend some time convincing you.” With a sly look on his face, he pinched my nipple between his thumb and forefinger. My body reacted instantly, the heat between my legs building.
“You’re terrible. It’s not going to happen.”
“I think you forget that you belong to me.”
“I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”
“This isn’t a democratic society,” he said gruffly, still grinning, another aspect that surprised me. If the situation with his estranged family was bothering him, he refused to allow anyone to see it, including me.
“You’re very mean.”
“Yes, I am. Now, about that surprise. Come with me.”
I gave him a hard look. “Hmmm…”
“Trust. Remember?”
The thought that I did trust him with everything I had was never far from my mind. The angry, brooding man had awakened the woman inside. Now I doubted I’d ever be the same even if he decided to let me return to my life. We’d yet to discuss the flash drive after he’d spent hours with the contents. The only thing he’d said after looking through every file was that the information was explosive, capable of shifting the power within several countries.
“I do trust you,” I said, shielding my eyes from the bright sun.
“Then walk with me.” He walked slower than normal, leading me toward one of the gardens. I had a feeling whatever he wanted to tell me was troubling him. Kiki trailed behind us, her eyes bright with happiness. “You’re very special to me, Emily. That’s difficult for me to admit. When I thought I’d lost you, I was ready to burn down half the world in order to protect you. The moment I saw a gun pointed to your head, I almost lost it. What it helped me realize is that I don’t want that life for you.”
“What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that after the remainder of Volkov’s men are hunted down and dealt with, you’re free to go back to your life. However, I will keep tabs on you, providing a bodyguard.”
“You want me to live with a bodyguard for the rest of my life?”
“Well, I hope you won’t live with him.” His attempt at making a joke made me groan.
“You know what I mean.”
“It’s for your protection.”
I nodded, hearing the difficulty in his voice. “I don’t want to live that way. That’s nothing more than being in a cage. No freedom. Besides, I’m not certain of what I want any longer.”
“You already told me, and I understand.”
What I realized was that the single thing I needed I doubted I would ever have. His love. It would forever perplex me, possibly becoming a thesis paper on psychopaths seducing their prey. But it was the truth. I loved him. Even with all the evils, the dangers surrounding him and his forever roguish behavior, he meant the world to me. “I don’t think you do at all.”
He chuckled as we walked. “You’re one tenacious lady.”
“And you’re a pain in the ass.”
His look was priceless. No one had ever talked back to him before. “Careful, beautiful lady.”
“What are you going to do about the inheritance?”
I shouldn’t have been surprised that Diego had been able to confirm what had been suggested to Kostya. With Dimitri killed in the boat, the entire seven-hundred-billion-dollar estate would eventually be awarded to Kostya alone.
“Honestly? I’m going to give fifty percent to my half-brother.”
