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“That’s one hell of a change of heart,” Arman points out.
Igor shrugs. “One I should have had a long time ago.”
“Oh, no,” Mandy groans and hurries from the kitchen. Maxim glances at me only briefly before following her from the room.
“She’s having such a hard time with morning sickness,” Hanna explains.
Igor steps to me. “What you and your brothers have done, the splitting of responsibilities, it’s smart. I raised you to be their leader, to take over this family, but you’re your own man. I should have seen that earlier. And respected it.”
“Roman. She’s up,” the doctor says from the doorway.
“Go.” Dad jerks his head toward the door, but I’m already off my stool and halfway out the door.
* * *
Billie
The bedroom doorbangs against the wall when Roman bursts inside.
“You’re going to break the door doing that,” I say, pushing myself to sit up against the headboard.
“Don’t move so much,” he demands.
“I’m not hurt,” I argue, pulling the covers up higher. I’m still cold, but I think it’s more of a memory than actual chill. These heavy blankets are warm enough to bake a cake underneath, but still my insides are cold.
“Well. Still.” He pulls a chair from the vanity to beside the bed. “Do you need more blankets?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I’m sorry I slept so long.” I run my hands over my hair, tucking it behind my ears. I must look an absolute mess.
“You slept as long as you needed,” he says, but I know my Roman. He was probably stomping around the house demanding someone make me wake up and tell him I was all right.
“Who washed me?” I’ve been wondering since I woke up. I remember the doctor looking me over when we first got home, but I don’t remember much after that. Probably because he gave me a sedative.
“I did.”
I laugh. “Of course you did.”
“I wasn’t letting anyone else touch you.” He grabs my hand, sandwiching it between his hands.
“Thank you,” I say with tears starting to form already. “For not being so mad that you didn’t come for me.”
His brows pull together. “Why the fuck would I not find you?” He manages not to yell the question, but only barely.
“Because I left you. I messed up your business deal with that family and then I just left.”
He moves from the chair to the bed, sitting right up against me. He plants one hand against the bed on the opposite side of me, caging me in.
“Listen to me, little girl. No matter what you do, I will always find you. I might bust your ass when I do, but I will always go after you.” He wipes the falling tear from my cheek.
“So.” I take a shaky breath. “You’re still my daddy?” I whisper the question, unsure if anyone is in the hallway or not.
“Of course.” He touches the tip of my nose. “And the fact that you didn’t understand that tells me I have a lot to teach you about what it means to belong to me.”
“We were just pretending,” I remind him, which makes him shake his head.
“No, baby girl, we were never pretending.”
“You’re confusing me.”
