Finally, she stirs. "We need to go see Rurik at the clinic," she says. Her voice is so small. "Is he alive? Is he dead because of me?"
Matvey answers before I can. "Ava," he glances at her in the rearview mirror. "Everyone in the Bratva is prepared to give their life at any moment for you. Rurik and I both knew this. Dr. Morozova says he's in critical condition. But heisalive."
She puts her hand on his shoulder and he pats it lightly before putting his hand back on the wheel. By interrupting me, he broke protocol, but I'll overlook it.
"Do you want me to call my mother?" I ask.
"Please," she says fervently.
Fortunately, Mother picks up on the second ring and I put her on speaker. "Rurik is alive," she says instantly. "He must've turned just in time for the bullet to pass by his heart. I had to dig it out, and there's some damage to his right lung, but he's going torecover. A bullet isn't enough to stop a mountain of a man like him."
"Oh, thank God." Ava starts sobbing.
They exchange some medical jargon that I don't fully understand before Ava agrees to go home.
"You can see him tomorrow," Mother says firmly. "Let Dmitri take care of you."
Bidding her goodnight, I hang up, pulling Ava closer. "Are you hurt anywhere?"
"No, just scraped up," she says, burrowing into my chest. "Can we sit like this for a minute?"
"Of course." I stroke her tangled hair, listening to her soft, shuddering sigh as Demid turns into our parking garage. "Ah, I have something for you." I fish her wedding ring from my pocket and hold up her hand.
When she realizes I'm waiting for an answer to my unspoken question, she gives me the sweetest smile. "Yes, please."
Her wedding ring slides on easily and she holds up her hand. "I love this ring," she says. "How did you find it? He ripped it off my finger when he and that pasty undead ghoul dragged me out of the office building."
"Smith? That's the perfect description," I say. "He looked like a cadaver."
And now he is one,I think. But I don't say it out loud.
"I can walk," she protests as I scoop her out of the car and carry her to the elevator.
"I'm sure you can," I lie. "But I'm going to carry you anyway."
The penthouse is quiet, empty of guards for once, just the two of us as I carry her into the master bath. I start the shower, steam filling the bathroom as I pull off my clothes and then hers, gently handling her battered feet and hands. Sitting on the shower bench, I put her on my lap, gently working shampoo through her hair, running soap over her skin, and rinsing her poor, raw hands. Her head is down, her hair falling in a curtain around her face. When I pull back to get a towel, she grabs me.
"Wait- are you leaving?"
"I'm not going anywhere," I promise. Wrapping her in a towel, I bring her to bed, finding her softest socks and underwear before putting her in one of my T-shirts.
"I love you." Cupping her face, I kiss her forehead. "I should've said it to you first, because I've loved you since you refused to go home after being kidnapped at Adam’s wedding, dancing with me, drinking champagne like nothing could stop you." Ava's lips part slightly, and I give into temptation, kissing her. "I married you because I love you, and I should've said that then instead of pretending it was all about protection. If I had told you the truth then, that I loved you, I wanted to be with you, would you have said yes?"
She nods, but I put my finger on her chin, making her look at me. "Yes," she says, "I would have. I love you. You put a tracking chip in mywedding ring?" She shakes her head. "Well, do you have one in yours?"
"That's a fair question," I agree. "No, though I do have one embedded in my arm. The entire family does."
"You are allchipped?"she asks incredulously. "I guess if you get lost someone can take you to the vet to get scanned and they'll call me. Though I can't even give you shit about it becausetoday proved your point." She's silent for a moment. "I have to apologize to you. I should have told you this right away."
"Told me what?" I frown, my thumb stroking over her cheek.
"I'm pregnant." Her watery eyes look up at me.
"You're… pregnant," I repeat stupidly.
"Pregnant." She nods, a little smile creeping over her face. "I think it was from our first night together, remember? What kind of medical professional thinks pulling out is a good birth control method?" She's laughing giddily and then, so am I. Clutching each other, finding this the most fucking hilarious thing in the world.
"We've been so responsible since that first night," I squeeze her.
