When he tries to grab my arm, I pull away. “No.”
“No?”
I’ve never disobeyed him before but I know nothing could take me away from Maksim’s side.
“No,” I repeat. “My husband is here. I’m staying. I no longer belong to you.”
The anger in my dad’s eyes frighten me but he knows I’m right. I no longer belong to him and there’s nothing he can do about it. “Fine. I told you to make this marriage work and it seems you’re trying. But Maksim didn’t protect you tonight. Once he’s better and you have a chance to talk with him, I’m taking you back to Chicago. Clearly I’m the only one who can protect you.” He walks away before I can get a word in.
Gregor stays out of it completely.
After an hour, a doctor approaches us and tells us that Maksim is all right. They got the bullet out of his shoulder and gave him blood and he’ll be fine in a few days.
I run to the room they have him in to find Maksim awake. A bandage is across his shoulder.
“You’re alive,” I sob, grabbing his hand.
“That’s not the reaction I ever expected from you.”
“I said I would try. I’m trying. I care for you, Maksim. I know that. Almost losing you tonight made me truly see that.”
“I care for you too.” Before he can say anything more, Gregor appears in the room, silencing Maksim.
“Glad to see you’re all right,” Gregor says stiffly. “But we have a problem on our hands. Enzo. We’ll need to find a way to handle him.”
“Can’t I have a moment with my wife?”
Gregor gives Maksim a disapproving look but leaves the room.
“Maksim, there’s something I need to tell you.” I bite my lip, readying myself to tell him what my father told me.
“What is it?”
“My father is going to take me back to Chicago. He thinks you’re not doing a good enough job protecting me. I don’t know what to do.”
Despite the pain he must be in, Maksim pushes himself upright and gently cups the back of my head. “You’re mine now, Natasha. When we married. I may not have wanted this marriage but I know I want you. I won’t let your father take you back. I’ll protect you from him. I promise.”
“How can you promise that?”
“Because I’m not afraid of him.” He presses his lips to mine, silencing my worries.
And for this one moment, I let myself get lost in Maksim’s kiss.
Chapter Seventeen
Natasha
Maksim is discharged from the hospital the next day. There was no complications from the bullet thankfully.
“I’m going to be sore for a while,” he says as he slips his shirt on. I brought it from home since the doctors had to cut off Maksim’s shirt he was wearing when he was shot. I felt so domestic getting Maksim’s shirt. We’ve truly become a real married couple.
“But you’re all right?” I ask.
He gives me a soft smile. “I’m going to be all right. It could have been worse.”
“What about Enzo? What if he comes back?”
“Then we’ll deal with him then. But for now, I just want to go home and rest. I want to know that you’re safe with me.”
