Was this what daredevils felt after every stunt? Because holy hell, it was exhilarating.
I woke up minutes after Avit slipped out of bed. When I stepped into the hallway and heard the front door close, dread slithered into each of my muscles, constricting them.
I knew exactly where he was going.
I changed in record time, grabbed my phone, shoved pillows under my blanket, and sprinted to the office. I locked the door, hacked into Oskar’s security system, dismantled his alarms, and put his cameras on a loop. While the software ran, I ordered an Uber and synced the live feed to my phone so I could track Avit’s movements.
I told myself I just needed to be close in case he needed me.
Turned out, he really did.
And thank God I went, because things could’ve gotten ugly fast. Especially since there was a silent alarm that I had overlooked, and two men showed up.
I’d never done anything that reckless before. I was the girl who always needed a foolproof plan, backup options, and contingency routes. But tonight? I didn’t think, I acted. And it felt damn good.
“Sienna, what the hell was that?” Avit’s voice snapped me back to reality as he sat behind the wheel, driving us home.
Something in his voice was…different. In the short space of time I'd known Avit, I'd learned the difference between when he was angry, frustrated, and trying to hide his annoyance with a bland monotone. But this? It was…more.
This one was low, dark, a furious, restrained growl that vibrated through the air and straight down my spine. It carried authority, raw, commanding authority, and my entire body reacted before my brain could catch up. Heat rushed through me so fast it stole my breath.
I turned to face him.
The moment our eyes met, my pulse tripped. His gaze was sharper than I’d ever seen it—feral, electric, like he was staring straight through my skin and reading every thought I wasn’t saying. His irises looked brighter, almost glowing, and the intensity rolling off him made the air in my lungs falter.
And suddenly I couldn’t stop replaying the moment in the warehouse, his body pressed hard against mine as we hid from the guard, his breath warm on my cheek, the gun steady in his hand. Watching him on a camera feed could never compare to seeing him up close, in the flesh. It was a million times sexier, and my body hadn’t forgotten it, how he felt against me.
But then irritation slid in. Why the hell was he angry at me when I had just saved his damn life?
“You mean saving you?” I snapped.
“You were reckless! You could've been hurt! You could've died tonight!”
“I wouldn't have! You wouldn't have let me! I've never trusted anyone to protect me as much as I do you! I just wish you felt the same about me!” Then I scoffed. “But, then why wouldyou? You've got a whole lot of Bratva siblings to protect you! All I am is a debt paid!”
Avit veered sharply to the side of the road, and my hands shot out to grip the dashboard as the tires squealed slightly and the car slowed to a halt. The sudden motion made my stomach lurch. His seatbelt hissed as he unclicked it, and he turned to me. He gripped my chin with one hand, forcing me to look at him.
“You don't think I see how you've protected me, Sienna? How you stopped me from rushing to the location? How you've been working your ass off to get me the intel I needed? How you've kept the secret of why we got married in the first place?” His thumb stroked my cheek as he continued, his tone growing softer. “You've protected me in ways that my siblings haven't. But this, tonight? I can't…” his voice cracked briefly before settling into a steadier, deeper growl. “Don't put yourself in danger like that for me again.”
I swallowed hard, trying to ignore his touch and stop myself from swimming in his eyes. We weren't a real couple. This thing between us would be ending soon. I had to put some distance between us.
I yanked my head away and unbuckled my seatbelt so I could turn and glare at him, already missing his touch. “Or what? We'll have another fight like this in the damn car? I'm sure you're well aware that I'm not your puppet and you can't tell me what to do!”
His gaze didn’t leave mine, and I could see the storm of frustration, a dangerous warning, burning behind his eyes.
“As long as you're mywife,you will do as I say, Sienna!”
“Or what?” I yelled. “You'll hurt me? Lock me in my room and throw away the key?”
He gripped the sides of my hoodie, pulling me slightly closer, his thumbs brushing lightly under my breasts.
“I promised your mother,” he said gently, “that I'd protect you, angel. So if that's what I've got to do to keep you safe, I will. And if…”
The more Avit caressed me, the less his words registered. Soon, I’d walk away and never see him again; after all, we now knew who my father was supplying.
And yet, I’d never wanted anyone more than the man in front of me. If I could slip past trained guards and break into a warehouse to save a Bratva man, I could damn well stare danger in the face again. I’d done it twice already tonight; I could do it a third time. I’d never initiated anything with Avit before, but fuck it, now was as good a time as any.
I grabbed Avit’s shirt and yanked him toward me. His eyes widened, just for a moment, before my lips crashed onto his, hungry and desperate. Immediately, he opened up to me, matching the fire and passion I’d let loose, and the world outside the car fell away.
