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He’s gone.
I swallow hard, a lump forming in my throat as I pocket my phone and rush back to the bedroom. I need to wake Lily and tell her the news. Even though she’s pregnant and needs her rest, she’d be furious if I went out without letting her know what the situation was.
I can’t bring her with me this time, but at the very least, I owe her an explanation.
Before I even have a chance to open the bedroom door, Lily steps out with her arms crossed over her chest and a scowl on her pretty face. “What the hell is going on?” she asks.
My heart sinks as I realize I have to tell her the truth, but I can still shield her from some of the gritty details. “Project G was stolen from our private lab five miles south of here. The Red Hitters are behind this, obviously.”
“What?! Those motherfuckers,” she growls, shaking her fist in the air. “We should kill every last one of them. House by house. Door by door. We need to slaughter them and ensure they can’t do something like this ever again.”
Her reaction is similar to mine, but without the sorrow toward Donovan. I don’t want to tell her about him, so I leave the part about the shooting out. It’s better that I don’t stress her out more than she already is.
“We’re going to track them down,” I say, leaning on the doorframe and looking down into her brown eyes. “Don’t worry. I just need you to stay home while I conduct an emergency meeting.”
Her hand slams into my chest hard, and her eyes glow with ferocity I haven’t seen before. “No, Ivan. You said you wouldn’t leave me alone.”
“It’s not safe for you, darling. Think about the triplets,” I say, softening my tone in hopes to win her over.
No luck.
“You promised me. Are you really going to go back on that promise?” she asks, planting her hands on her hips and pursing her lips.
There’s nothing worse than a woman’s scorn. I’m discovering that now as I feel her eyes shooting daggers into my skin.
I feel like I don’t deserve this, but I know she’s not going to see it that way. All she sees is a man who promised her something and is now going back on that promise, and she’s furious.
“I want to protect you,” I say, keeping my voice calm.
“Too late,” she snarls. “You dragged me into this Bratva shit, had me take a blood oath, and trained me to use a gun. I’m never truly going to be safe.”
“But you don’t have to get involved in a situation like this while you’re pregnant. That’s all I’m saying. It’s infinitely safer for you to stay at the house while I call the meeting. I’ll have a guard posted here with you.”
She grits her teeth, narrowing her eyes at me and not moving an inch. She shows no intention of agreeing to my terms, and that becomes crystal clear as when she speaks again. “You fucking promised, Ivan.”
I sigh. “I promised you’d never be alone, and you won’t be. Now, I’m ordering you to stay at the house. That’s official.”
She raises her hand like she’s going to slap me. “Don’t you dare try that crap around me when I’m pregnant with your babies, Ivan. You don’t command me. I’m the mother of your children and I demand respect.”
Lord, what have I gotten myself into?
I take a step back, raising my hands to diffuse the situation. “Okay, darling, don’t worry. I’m not going to leave you. I could probably have the meeting here, but it’ll take longer to get everyone to the house.”
She lowers her hand, pressing her lips together hard as she continues to stare daggers at me. “And I want to be involved. It’s going to be a lot more stressful for me to be kept in the dark than to know the truth. I promise you that, Ivan.”
“Okay,” I reply, feeling defeated for perhaps the first time in my life. I don’t know how she’s done this to me, but I feel helpless, like I can’t fight back. She’s the one in charge of my heart, through and through.
Lily’s sharp eyes soften, and she touches my arm. “We’re in this together, Ivan. We have to be a team.”
“But you’re the most precious part of my team. I can’t jeopardize you for anything,” I reply, pulling her toward me and pressing myself into her soft figure. “You are an angel, and I’m just a monster who has tricked you into falling in love with him.”
“You never tricked me,” she replies, flicking her finger across the tip of my nose. “You’re not as clever as you think you are. I fell for you because of who you were, the true Ivan. I wasn’t tricked.”
“Agree to disagree,” I reply. “ But that doesn’t change the fact that I’m madly in love with you.”
“And the babies,” she says, putting her hand on her belly. “They need just as much love.”
I lean down, kissing her belly three times before moving up to her lips and kissing them next. “I will love all of you. Forever.”
