But when he glances over and catches me watching, everything softens just slightly. The corner of his mouth lifts and his entire posture shifts to be… warmer, as if I’m the only person in the room who matters.
My father sees the way Dimitri looks at me, like I'm something to be protected and cherished and—if necessary—burned the world down for, and he exhales in wonder.
“He’s good to you?” Dad asks quietly. “Really?”
I nod, blinking back tears. “He’s everything,” I say simply, as it’s the only thing I’m able to get out without crying.
My father nods slowly and studies Dimitri for another moment, taking in the controlled power in how he moves and the respect his men show him.
“He’s not what I expected,” he admits. “When Konstantin suggested the marriage, he painted Dimitri as... different. Brutal. Unstable.”
It was the Dimitri I had first known. “More manipulation,” I say, now knowing the man behind the façade.
“Yes.” He looks back at me. “You love him.”
It’s not a question, but I answer anyway. “I do.”
“And he loves you.”
I nod, feeling warmth bloom in my chest as I remember his declaration of love, and I can’t help the soft smile on my face. “He does.”
“Good.” He clears his throat, looking very uncomfortable. “That’s… that’s good. Your mother will be... well, surprised, but pleased, I think.”
It’s the closest we’ll get to an emotional moment. We’re not that kind of family, but it’s enough.
Dimitri returns to my side, and I can feel the shift in my father’s demeanor—the way he straightens slightly, acknowledging Dimitri as an equal rather than an enemy.
“We need to discuss next steps,” Dimitri says. “Konstantin knows we’re coming for him now. He’ll be fortified and expecting an assault.”
“So we don’t assault,” I hear myself say, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.
Both men look at me.
“We lure him out,” I continue, the idea forming as I talk. “Make him think he has an opportunity he can’t resist.”
Dimitri’s eyes narrow as if he can see my train of thought. “Where are you going with this, Vera?”
Oh, he’s going tohatethis. “We use me as bait.”
“Absolutely fuckingnot.” His response is immediate, and he scowls at me as if unable to believe I even offered it. “Not happening. You’re pregnant and a target, and I’m not putting you in danger again.”
“I’m already in danger,” I counter. “We all are. As long as Konstantin and Alexei are out there, none of us are safe. But they want the baby and me, so we give them an opportunity they can’t resist.”
There’s a long pause, and I realize several people nearby have stopped talking to listen.
“What did you say?” my father says very quietly.
Oh. Right. Shit.
I never actually told my parents about that particular development.
“I’m pregnant,” I say, meeting his brown eyes. “Thirteen weeks.”
My father goes very still. “You’re—” He looks between me and Dimitri as if doing the mental math of when our wedding date was, and he blanches. “Whose?”
I really hope this doesn’t give Dad a heart attack. “Alexei’s.”
If the room was quiet before, it’s a tomb now.
