“Don’t.” My voice trembles again. “Don’t say it like that. We’re not yours.”
He rises slowly. He looms over me in a way he never has before. But he doesn’t say a word.
“I’ll finish the proposal tonight,” I say. “Then I’m going home.”
Sasha shakes his head. “You’re not going home to that apartment.”
“What? Are you kidding me?”
“You’re moving into my place. Tonight.”
I laugh, but there’s nothing funny about it. “No. No way. Absolutely not.”
“If this deal goes sideways, Peter Morozov will come for you to get to me. My home is secure.”
“What do you mean ‘Peter Morozov will come for me?’ What’s going on?”
“Just… I’ll explain later.”
“No, you’ll explain now.”
He purses his lips. “Peter Morozov, Johan’s father, is connected to some shady people. And he doesn’t know about the plans with Dandelion. If he finds out I’mworking with his son behind his back, he might not be so cordial and businesslike about it.”
“Shady people? What kind of shady people?”
“Bratva.”
And there it is. The Bratva life Sasha is rumored to live is a rumor no longer. There’s not just business at play here; there are criminal empires moving around me. I’ve heard rumors about Peter Morozov and what he’s capable of.
“You don’t get to make those kinds of choices for me.”
“Idoget to keep my family safe.”
The wordfamilyhits me hard. I feel it all the way down to my toes. I hate that it affects me the way it does. Is that what we are now?
He steps closer, just a little bit, and he takes my hand with surprising gentleness, lifting it to his lips and kissing it softly. I hate that the gesture makes me feel so good, but it does.
“Go home. Pack. Be ready. A car will be there in an hour.”
“You can’t?—”
“I can. And I will.”
“No. I’ll finish the proposal, then I’ll go home. To my place.”
“Gabriella,” he starts, sounding impatient.
“I will move in with you, but on my terms. You can send a car in the morning.”
His mouth forms into a hard line, and for a long moment, Iwonder if he’ll refuse and turn into the tyrant I’ve always feared he might be.
“Fine. The morning.”
I nod. “Fine.”
“When you’re ready, Bogdan will drive you home. And he’ll be there in the morning to help you pack.”
There’s nothing else to say. I take one more look at Sasha, then I turn and walk out. I go to my office and finish the proposal. I send Sasha an email, and he replies that Bogdan will meet me downstairs.
