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“Please,” she says, a pleading tone in her voice. “For the sake of me and my family. Just give him the benefit of the doubt. Think of what you’ve gone through with your own family. No matter how angry you may be, you always do the right thing. You’re loyal and you care.”
“There’s a limit.”
She shakes her head. “No, there isn’t. Not when something’s important to you. Even when you found out Dima sent those guys to kill you, you never went after him. You could have snapped his neck out on that veranda, but you didn’t. And if he hadn’t gotten shot at the wedding, you’d have let it go because you’re not the evil person he was.”
“I would have made him pay in other ways.”
“But you wouldn’t have killed him. You’d have never destroyed your family like that. You’re too good.”
My lips twist. Good. That’s a word I’ve never heard anyone use to describe me.
“It’s true,” she says. “Stop resisting it.”
“I’ve told you before. I do what I have to do to protect my family and our organization. Period. And nobody has ever called me ‘good’ for what I’ve done in the name of security.” A smirk plays on my lips. “I’ve definitely heard the word ‘maniac’ used more than a few times, though.”
“That I can definitely believe.”
“Then it won’t come as a shock when I tell you that if anyone comes near you, they’re dead. Someone slapped a target on the backs of my family members, and you’re my family now,” I say, pulling her against my chest.
I dip my head over hers and drag in a deep breath. Her familiar scent fills my lungs, and for a few seconds, I refuse to exhale. I hold her in, letting her infuse my entire being, exactly as I imagined she would the first time I realized I had to have her in my life.
I run my fingers through her hair, the soft strands sliding between my fingers. “If anyone puts your life at risk, I’m gonna shoot first and ask questions later. Do you understand? You’re my priority, Natasha. And you’re mine. Forever.”
We cling to each other for a long minute, the gravity of what I’ve just said weighing down my heart. I can’t lose her. For whatever reasons why we’re still locked together like this, I need to make sure she’s always here by my side.
“Tell me the truth.” Natasha pulls slightly away and stares up at me. Her lips tremble and she presses her fingertips into my back. “Why do you really want to marry me? Is it because you need to pick up where your brother left off? Because you want to show the world that you beat my father? Is it power? Ego?” She pauses. “Or is it something else?”
I run my fingertips up and down her bare arms as I stare into eyes that hold so much emotion. When Dima was alive, I couldn’t handle telling her the truth, exposing myself and knowing that she’d never be mine. Now he’s gone and I have my treasure.
I won the battle I never thought was mine to fight.
But Natasha isn’t a trophy. She’s everything.
And she needs to hear it.
“This marriage was supposed to make us stronger in the eyes of our enemies. It was supposed to be a show of strength.” I grip her shoulders, stroking them with the pads of my thumbs. “But those were Dima’s goals. And now that he’s gone, it’s up to me to figure out how to lead this family. It doesn’t start with a forced marriage or a revenge plot against an enemy. I don’t want my legacy to be built on that. I want you by my side because I’m in love with you. Every fucking thing about you, including your smart-ass mouth and your will to fight for what you want. I’m crazy about it all and I can’t live without it. Without you.” I take a breath. “And if you don’t believe me, I can think of a lot of ways to convince you.”
She smiles, and her tear-streaked face glows like the sun. “You’re sure that you love me?”
“I’ve been in love with you for months, since the first time I saw you play a duet with that kid, Mason Gary, from your music academy. You remember the day?”
Natasha gasps. “Yes. There was a fire alarm, and it was such a beautiful day, we decided to do our lesson on the bench outside the school.”
I nod. “You played ‘Sweet Child O’ Mine’ by Guns N’ Roses.”
“Oh my God, you’re right.” Her hand flies up to her mouth. “Your T-shirt…”
“I’ll never forget it,” I say softly, bringing a hand to the side of her face. “I knew in that second whatever I had planned for your father couldn’t include you.”
“And look at us now.”
“Yeah. The fucking irony.”
“I can’t believe you remember that.” She rolls her eyes. “I can’t believe I didn’t notice a smokin’ hot stalker tailing me for two months.”
“Maybe now you’ll be more observant.”
She giggles softly. “I just hope you’re the first and last stalker I ever have.”
