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The clean scent of him is in my lungs, sun, rain, leather, something all Aleksander. I breathe deeper, not wanting to miss a second. How I’m able to accept Aleksander’s arms around me, I don’t know. All I know is I’m not ready for him to let me go. Everything falls away—the pain, the fear—only this moment exists, and I don’t want to let it go. I burrow deeper into his heat and wind my good arm around him as I do and fall asleep again.
A ringing phone yanks me from sleep. The warmth around me disappears; deep, rich, and smoky, Aleksander speaks Russian. I never would have thought Russian was a sexy language, until hearing him speak it.
Peeking out at him, I see he’s sitting up on the edge of the bed, his back to me. Air is trapped in my lungs at how large he is yet how gentle he was with me. A flash comes back to me of him carrying me to the car; he’d carried me as easily as if he were carrying a child. I close my eyes against him, not prepared to face him.
“I have to go. You’re going to be a good girl and do what Amaya tells you,” he says as he runs his hand over his face.
I’m not surprised he knows I’m awake. Something tells me there isn’t much Aleksander misses. I bite my lip to keep from asking him to stay. I should want him to leave me alone. “You can’t tell me what to do—"
“No arguing,zhena. If you’re a good girl, I’ll bring you a treat.” He’s not even looking at me, he’s typing something out on his phone.
“What doeszhenamean?” I donotlike him calling me something in Russian. I really don’t.
“Zhenameans wife. Don’t worry. I’ll be teaching you Russian, our children will grow up speaking the language.” Once again, he’s typing on his phone so fast I can’t help but wonder if it’s legible.
The words don’t make sense to me. He’s joking, right? Except he doesn’t look like he’s joking. “That’s not funny.”
He stands, done texting, he slips the phone into his pocket. Even though the bed is big and high off the ground, Aleksander looms above me in black silk pajama pants and a black T-shirt I remember feeling soft as silk. “I don’t consider it funny. You’re my wife. It solves two problems. One, keeping you alive, and two, Milos wants all of us married as soon as possible. I need a wife, you need protection. We both win.”
Holy fucking shit. It’s not possible. “You can’t marry someone without them agreeing. What about a license and judge and—”
“You signed.” That wicked grin flashes. “Your signature was a little shaky from how happy and excited you were to marry me. Our marriage certificate was signed off by a judge and filed already.”
Apparently anything is possible if you have enough money and power. Holy shit, how much money does he have? “That’s fucking insane, Aleksander!”
“Youcame to me.” A dark eyebrow goes up. “Whether you thought my place was going to be empty or not. It wasn’t. Because of that you’re alive. Your badge isn’t going to protect you from Richie and Manuel. As a Levin, as Bratva, I’m scarier than any badge.”
Oh. My. God. He is serious.
“If you need me, have Amaya call me.”
“Are you leaving?” I hate how sad the words sound. I’mnotsad. I’m stunned he’s going to drop a bomb like that and walk away.
Turning back to me, he closes the distance, and a finger runs along my cheek. That first touch sends electricity through every inch of my skin. “You aren’t ready for what might happen if I stay,zhena. Be a good girl for Daddy. Rest; the sooner you feel better, the sooner Daddy can kiss everything and make it better.”
My face flames at the way the worddaddytwists me up inside.
He's a bastard.
I hate him.
It doesn’t matter this isn’t what I want. That I never agreed to it. No one will believe a man as gorgeous and rich as Aleksander Levin tricked fat, poormeinto marrying him.
It doesn’t matter he’s right, that everyone who had a hand in trying to kill me will be far more terrified of me as Phoenix Levin than me as Phoenix Raymond with an FBI badge.
How the hell can I try to bring him down as his wife? Who the hell would believe anything I have to say about the Levin family?
“I wish you’d let me die.” My words are as bitter as I feel.
He doesn’t bother responding, simply chuckles as he leaves the room.
* * *
Aleksander
The entire drive all I can think of is how Phoenix felt against me in bed. Soft and sweet, she fit me in a way I couldn’t believe. It wasn’t just how her legs wrapped around mine. I haven’t slept so peacefully in…ever.
I resented the fuck out of the phone call that woke me up. I’d barely gotten a restless hour before Phoenix yelled for me. Aware she’d probably be scared of me naked, which is how I sleep, I’d thrown on clothes before going to her.
