That last sentence has me sitting up straight. “What? Run my business? But how?”
“You can keep it running, straight from here. You can work remotely and hire new freelancers who don't need to know your location or who you are. It's not ideal, but it's better than letting everything you've built die.”
“You would really let me do that?” I ask, suspiciously.
“I would. But you can’t contact your old employees. No matter what. The Zakharovs could have them tracked, you understand?”
“I do,” I nod, finally. “So…I work from here.”
“You work from here.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t know,” he sighs, meeting my gaze. “Until it’s safe. And speaking of safety, those guys are dangerous, and we need all the help we can get. I think it’s time we introduce you to my family, so they can know what’s going on with us. Not thewhole picture yet, wouldn’t want to worry them. But the basics. You know…in case… we need them…” His voice trails off, and he watches me like a hawk, like he’s worried about how I’ll react.
This totally catches me off guard. “Your family?”
“My brothers, my sisters. They need to know who you are.”
“Why?” I ask, suddenly wary.
“Because that's how this works. You're a Yuri now, and they’ll protect their own.”
Meeting his family. Running my business from here? It all sounds so permanent. A large part of me wants to say no to everything. But after what I just saw? What other choice do I have? Besides, a small voice in my head is wondering what Valentin Yuri is up to, going around involving me in his life, as I’ve always been a part of it.
Chapter 7 - Valentin
“You ready?” I ask Gela as I help her out of the car. Tonight’s the night we’re meeting my family, and needless to say, she’s nervous as hell.
“Let’s just get this over with,” she says as she steps out of the car.
Honestly, I don’t blame her for being nervous. I’m on edge too. Meeting the family is anxiety-inducing for couples who have been together for ages, even. We haven’t even known each other for over a month, and this marriage isn’t exactly an honest one.
“It's going to be fine,” I lie, because I can’t exactly tell her I’m afraid that my siblings will look at her like she's an exotic animal in a zoo.
After all, she’s an American wife who knows nothing about our world.
“Just... follow my lead, okay?” I tell her as I guide her up the stairs to the mansion. “And try not to look so terrified.”
“How should I look? Dear god, they’re going to be so pissed about this situation,” she winces, and I notice her fidgeting with her wedding ring, the one I had delivered yesterday.
“I know,” I say. “But let me do the talking.”
“Are you going to tell them exactly what happened between us?” she asks, fishing for information.
It won’t be easy, telling them I kidnapped a woman. “I think, for tonight, let’s just drop the bomb about us being married. We’ll take it one day at a time from there.”
“Fair enough. We don’t want a nuclear war,” she says, smoothening her hair with trembling hands as she stares up straight at the door.
“You look beautiful,” I say, without thinking.
Fuck. Where did that come from?
She freezes. So do I. She turns to me, my heart racing harder as she does.
“Thanks,” she whispers.
Okay, she didn’t bite my head off. That’s good news, I suppose.
