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All softness disappears and his eyes rage with an intense gray as he clenches his jaw. “Kolya would kill him.”
“He couldn’t possibly kill all of them.”
“He could.”
“Then I would meet them behind Kolya’s back.”
“Lia…” he warns.
“What, Adrian?What? You’re the one who wanted me to move on.”
“Fuck that.” He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me to him, flattening my front against his hard chest as he breathes harshly. “You think I would ever want you with another man? That’s like gutting myself with my own hands. You’re mine and I only ever want you to stay mine, not someone else’s.”
“Then don’t say you’ll leave me again. You’re my last stop and I plan to stay, not move on.”
“You’re my last stop, too.”
My heart flutters and my stomach churns at the tenderness and determination in his tone. We remain like that for a few seconds, soaking each other’s existences. I want to hug him and bawl in his chest like that time at the hospital after my career ended.
It’s been long years, but I still look back at that memory as the moment I started falling in love with him. Ballet was the only thing that made sense in my life and when I lost it, I was aimless and without purpose. Everything felt useless and empty.
He was the exception.
Not only did he slowly fill the hollow gaps, but he also disallowed me from running away. He became my shield and continued to even when I scratched the armor and attempted to destroy it.
A deep sigh leaves him. “You have to keep in mind that it’ll only get worse now.”
I blink, pulling myself out of my reverie. “Worse how?”
“Lazlo will obviously think that I hid your existence from him on purpose. Sergei and everyone in the brotherhood will keep a closer eye on both of us. And there’s still that fucker, Luca, and no one knows where he’s hiding.”
My palm lies on his chest and I stroke it lightly. I don’t want to stop touching him, feeling him, making sure he’s indeed here and not dead. “It can only get worse for so long before it gets better.”
He caresses my cheek with the tips of his fingers. “I wouldn’t be so optimistic if I were you, Lenochka.”
“I am. Everything you mentioned is scary, but none of it terrifies me as much as the thought of losing you. As long as we’re together, I can get through anything.”
“Is that so?”
“Absolutely.” I run my fingers over the cut in his lip and frown. “Does it hurt much?”
“Not as much as the thought of never seeing you again or leaving you unprotected.”
“Then don’teverthink about that again. I mean it, Adrian. You couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried. We took vows and I intend to keep them.”
“I thought you didn’t like those vows.”
“Who says I don’t?”
He raises a brow. “The fact that you begged me not to marry you.”
“I hated the way you forced me into it without talking to me about it while I was still mourning the end of my career, but I’ve never regretted marrying you. It was supposed to happen sooner or later.”
“Just as I told you. You’re finally coming back to my words.”
“Shut up.” I get on my tiptoes and he lowers his head so I can brush my lips against his.
Tears still cling to my lids, but they’re happy tears.Relieftears.
