“Near the beach. A big yard for our kids. An art studio for you. Maybe a gym. A huge kitchen, a really fancy one with a view of the sea.”
He chuckles. “Easy. Where?”
“Monaco,” I say without hesitation.
It’s the first place I’ve ever felt at home. Even if my friends are here. I have to spread my wings at some point and build something for myself. A future with Drago. A place where we are at peace, finally, after years of simply surviving. Monaco is that place for us, I just know it.
He threads his fingers through mine. “Deal. As soon as it’s safe, I’ll get us there.”
“Really?” I ask softly. “You’d leave all this?”
He lifts my chin with his thumb, eyes unwavering. “My home is wherever you want to be.”
My chest tightens.
“Will you draw for me?” I ask. “I want to watch.”
He kisses me gently. “What do you want me to draw, baby?”
I smile, pressing my forehead to his.
“Our future.”
CHAPTER SEVENTY-ONE
Drago
I drag Lily back to me across the center console for one more kiss before she goes.
“I won’t be long,” I whisper against her lips. “I’ll come straight back here for you.”
“You better,” she murmurs, smiling. “Hallie’s making us all lunch, so I’ll make sure they save you some.”
I can’t help the grin that pulls at my mouth. “Okay, baby. Have a nice day.”
I kiss her once more. She’s happy. She’s safe. Spending the day inside Decadence with her best friends.
And I can go do damage control with Declan and Enzo without my chest feeling like it’s being ripped open.
Her hands frame my face, her eyes soft. “You look so handsome today.”
I bite my lip. “That’s what happens when I get some sleep cuddling the love of my life.”
She blushes, and it hits me again. How easily she lights up my world. Like she was made to soften the sharp edges of me.
One benefit of Lev knowing the truth? We don’t have to hide. I don’t have to sneak around my own damn house like a teenager.
Lily studies me for a beat, like she sees the weight sitting behind my eyes. “We’ll speak to my father later,” she says gently. “I can tell it’s killing you not speaking to him.”
I exhale, slow.
It is.
More than I thought it would.
I run my fingers along the back of her hand before I force myself to pull away. “He’ll come around,” I murmur. “He’ll just… want to kill me less.”
But I’m not confident.
