“I’m so fucking sick of Niko Popov thinking he can mess with me,” Mikhail groused from his office as I met with him, Andre, and Roman, as well as a few others.
“That he can mess with you.” My uncle shot me a stern look. “I don’t think they even cared who Natalie was when they first tried to take her and traffic her and Maisie. But since you made enough of a claim on her, he’s hell-bent on trying to attack.”
I shook my head. “She’s not leaving. She’ll be safe here.”
While I hunt them all down.I would. I would let no one hurt them.
“And Giovanni’s being more of a pain in the ass,” Andre said wryly.
“He’s still spying on our dealers’ movements?” Roman guessed.
Andre nodded and looked ready to reply when Mikhail slammed his fist on his desk out of frustration. His son didn’t flinch, used to his infrequent bursts of annoyance and smacking something in a fit.
“It’s one thing to call you in here because I’m annoyed about shit falling through the cracks and all,” he said. “But this has to stop.”
Andre stood, sighing as he smoothed his hand over his shirt. “I’ll keep on the Giovanni angle. They won’t win or be able to compete with us for long.”
After he left, on his phone and ordering men to assist him, Roman glanced at me. “What about Natalie and Maisie?” he asked.
“You could marry her,” Mikhail said. “That would show the world that she’s yours and anyone who targets her will pay tenfold.”
I shook my head, jarred from thinking about having her under me again. “I won’t marry her like that.”
“What, you want her to be in love?” My uncle scoffed. “Fuck that. She needs to stay alive first, right?”
For the longest time, he didn’t give a shit about love or “softer” emotions. His first wife from an arranged marriage loathed him and was never present except to be knocked up for Andre and Anya to be born. Mikhail’s views on love were twisted, but since he’d met and married Claire, it seemed that he was risking himself to be softer. Weaker.
“There’s time for her to learn you and love you later, Sergei.” He rubbed his face. “But when it comes to the situation of our enemies trying to use her to distract us, it’s better to be one step ahead. To eliminate that potential of a strike. Marry her, love her when she’s ready to forgive you. If she’s viewed as your wife, they’ll think twice about trying to target her.”
“I’m… working on it.” It was the best reply I could think of for him right now.
I refused to push her, but with his stark warning, I wondered if she’d ever be ready to open up to me and accept me as her husband. Especially with the history of how I’d killed her first one.
Roman stayed to speak with Mikhail about something he was overseeing for him, and I saw myself out. Instead of leaving to handle some business, I walked back toward my building, eager to see Natalie. To check on Maisie.
I reached my building and realized I had been lost in my thoughts, daydreaming about a future and being a family with them for the entire return trip.
Wincing at the thought that I could be this vulnerable in love, this distracted, I vowed not to lose my edge and risk losing them before the rest of our lives could start.
Are you only allowing yourself to enjoy something physical with me, Natalie? Like I’m your fuck toy?
Or would you ever marry me?
And love me like I love you?
30
NATALIE
Even though I left Sergei’s room hours ago, late at night after I’d gone to him so he could drive me wild with three orgasms before having his own, I was tempted to seek him out again as soon as I woke up. The morning dawned so quiet in my room. The bed felt like a vast sea of space, cool to touch beside me. Loneliness crept into me as I blinked and fully woke up.
After such a passionate night of hard sex and intense intimacy with the rugged man I couldn’t get enough of and wanted nothing to do with, I felt like I was lacking something… more.
Because you’re too afraid of anything more.
You’re too nervous to trust him.
No, I was too nervous to trust myself. I’d gotten involved with Sergei because he’d dangled a carrot in front of me—the allure of security. That was one carrot I couldn’t resist. Then later, once we caved, he enticed me to want more of his wicked kisses and sensual touches. He taunted me to wish for every husky murmur of praise and each stubborn and bossy demand.
