Damn her.
My jaw tightens as I guide her toward the front door. If anyone even thinks about looking at her too long today, I’ll make sure it’s the last thing they see.
Three brand-new SUVs line the circular driveway like black beasts crouched in wait. Their paint gleams under the morning light; their tires still shine with showroom gloss, and their armored glass catches the sun like a mirror. A dozen men in dark suits and tailored jackets stand nearby, six on the perimeter, six flanking the vehicles. Alert. Silent. Mine. I guide her down the steps with a hand on her lower back. She’s quiet, taking it all in, but I see the way her chin lifts slightly, the way her spine straightens. She was born into this world, but this?Thisis me carving a space inside it. For her. For us.
I walk around the first SUV, running my hand along the matte black surface like I fucking built the thing myself. "Bulletproof tires," I say, nodding toward the treads. "Reinforced panels, V8 twin-turbo engine. You could drive this thing through a war zone and still keep your lipstick straight."
Sophia raises a brow, half amused, half impressed. That look makes something stupid unfurl in my chest. I tap the side window. "Triple-layered ballistic glass. Level B6 armor—stops high-caliber rounds. Every door’s got internal steel reinforcements, and the underside’s plated to absorb blast damage."
She whistles low. "So subtle."
I smirk. "It purrs when it runs. But it bites back when it needs to."
I nod toward the back. "I had the storage compartment modified with a false bottom and enough room foremergency weapons. Also, burner phones. Whatever we need if things go south." I glance at her. "Which they probably will, at some point."
She doesn't flinch. Just tilts her head and murmurs, "Good thing I brought heels."
God, I fucking love her.
I swing the back door open and gesture toward the interior. The leather is so soft that it feels like sin. Inside, there’s dark wood paneling, along with a chilled compartment for drinks. And a partition—of course.
"The middle SUV’s yours," I tell her, turning to face her. "With your own driver, two guards inside, two outside. Full surveillance feeds and a panic button behind the armrest."
She blinks up at me. "You’re giving me my own SUV?"
"I’m giving you a kingdom," I say softly, "Piece by piece."
Because this isn’t just about safety. Or control. Or power. It’s about showing her I’m not just the weapon in the shadows anymore. I’m the man who stands in the light beside her and lets her walk her own path. "These men are loyal to you only. They will even stop me if you ever give the order." I lean down and whisper in her ear, "Not that I would ever give you reason to, princess."
Her large, crystal-clear gray eyes drink me in and make me forget there are a dozen of my men around us. She has that effect on me, when time just seems to stand still.
"I love you." She says clearly and loudly—a statement.
"I love you," I reply, making a statement of my own in case any of my men haven't gotten the message yet.
"Great, if you two are ready?" A female voice rings out.
Surprised and smiling, Sophia turns and says, "Lexy."
"The one and only," Lexy beams, wearing a smart suit of her own that shows off her feminine side but also sends a clear message of her power.
"I'll be your personal guard, if you allow me." Lexy smiles.
"I'd like that very much," Sophia beams, "but what about the shelter?"
"Well, I thought, if you were serious about wanting to be there too, from time to time, it'd be like killing two birds with one stone."
"You will, of course, have other guards as well," I interject.
"Oh, I love this. Thank you. Thank you both." Sophia beams from Lexy to me,
and it’s like watching sunlight ripple across water that has been frozen for too long. The shudders moving through her are the thaw, the warmth after a long, brutal winter.
The car still smells new, of leather, polish, and the faint scent of rubber from untouched tires. It’s quiet inside,save for the hum of the engine. Her hand is resting in mine. Small. Warm. Stronger than it looks.
She runs her fingers along the armrest, then exhales with a soft, content smile. "You did well."
I glance at her, and my chest tightens. "Yeah, I always knew money opened doors. But I didn’t know how to wield it like a weapon… until you."
