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He reaches over and takes my hand, his rough, calloused fingers intertwining with mine. I savor the warmth of his palm against my skin.
"How did he find you?" Dimitri asks, his voice soft but serious.
I know he's referring to Lorenzo ambushing me in my hospital room. I shudder thinking about Lorenzo's menacing fury when he appeared.
"I'm not sure," I reply. "He seemed to know exactly where I'd be."
Dimitri's jaw tightens. "He must have had inside information to locate you so easily."
I consider this for a moment. Lorenzo always seemed to know more about me than I realized. Then it hits me.
"My father," I say. "He must have given Lorenzo access to my personal information, like my class schedule. I wouldn't put it past him to list Lorenzo as my emergency contact."
Dimitri swears under his breath. I know he's angry at the idea of Lorenzo having that kind of access to me. To be honest, it terrifies me, too.
Dimitri pulls me tighter against him. "He can't ever hurt you again," he reassures me, his voice hard with determination.
I nod; after today, I know I'm safe. Lorenzo is gone, and my father has accepted Dimitri.
He places a hand gently on my still-flat stomach. "Our child will have a good life," he says. "Everything is going according to plan now."
I hit Dimitri playfully on the shoulder, unable to contain my smile.
Dimitri grins and pulls me close, planting a tender kiss on my lips. I feel his hand cradle my face as the kiss deepens. After a blissful moment, we slowly pull apart.
I search Dimitri's face, still processing everything he said. A part of me knows I should be afraid of how fiercely possessive he is of me, but instead, I feel safe, like nothing could ever harm me as long as I'm with him.
"Dimitri," I say softly. "Can I ask you something?"
He nods, his piercing blue eyes fixed steadily on me.
I take a deep breath before continuing. "Are you... do you have anything to do with the campus killings?"
Dimitri doesn't even flinch at my question. His expression remains neutral.
"Yes," he says after a pause.
I'm not surprised by his admission, the thought had obviously occurred to me, but hearing him confirm it still sends a chill down my spine.
"Why?" I ask.
Dimitri's jaw clenched, his eyes flashing momentarily with anger before he regained his composure.
"Because no one touches what is mine without paying the price," he states firmly.
I understand now - the four men Dimitri murdered, Boris Andrei, Mikhail, and Lev, had all hurt or threatened me in some way that day. Dimitri was eliminating everyone that hurt me.
I should be horrified, but part of me is oddly touched that Dimitri cares so deeply about protecting me, despite his disturbing methods. He notices my conflicted expression and cups my face in his hands.
"You have nothing to fear, my love," he murmurs. "I would never let anyone harm you or our child."
Despite the twisted nature of it all, I know Dimitri means every word. In his lethal way, he is devoted to me.
I snuggle deeper into Dimitri's embrace, comforted by his protective presence. Yet my mind is still troubled, thinking of the sacrifice he made for me today.
"Dimitri," I say softly, looking up at him. "What will happen to your brother now? You should be taking over the family business from your father. But now, accepting my name..."
I trail off, hating that I've caused him to break his promise to his family. Dimitri's jaw tightens, his eyes flashing with a flicker of anger, though not directed at me.
