“Did you kill her?”
“Natasha, you are being ridiculous.”
I make myself stand up straight. “Did you kill her?”
“I will not entertain such ridiculous questions.”
“Did you kill her?”
“Natasha, you are my daughter and you are being insubordinate. I guess it’s because of your husband. He’s a bad influence on you. I never should have agreed to marry you off. Now, come along.”
“Answer the question,” Maksim says. “Did you kill your wife?”
“I don’t have to explain myself to either of you.”
Maksim stands at my side, offering me strength. “You can’t answer because you did it. Didn’t you? You killed your own wife and you left your daughter scared and terrified of the world. She is not safe with you. She is not going with you. She is staying with me.”
“You don’t have the right,” he seethes so hard that spittle flies from his mouth.
“But I do have the right. I am her husband. She’s my wife. You gave up your rights to her the moment you agreed for us to be married. You have no power here, Lev, and it’s eating away at you. So go. You are not getting Natasha. If you want us to keep your secret a secret, then you will go. Or I will tell everyone that you killed your wife and see what that happens to you. The mafia may be a dark place but wife-killers are usually frowned upon. My family here has the power to take you down and you know it. So don’t fucking mess with me.”
I stare at Maksim in awe. He’s truly standing up for me – the woman he never wanted to marry to begin with. And yet, he has chosen me. He has chosen to care for me. To protect me.
Maybe even love me.
Enzo asked if I loved Maksim and I couldn’t answer because we haven’t known each other long. There’s still so much to learn about by husband and yet, I’ve learned all the important parts of him: that when push comes to shove, he’ll stand up for me. What more could I want in a husband?
I know in this very moment that I love him.
Lev looks between me and Maksim, uncertainty in his eyes. My scary, intimidating father and yet now he looks like a small child who isn’t able to get his way. “Natasha, come with me. Now.”
Even though I love Maksim’s help, I have to stand up for myself. “No,” I answer in as clear of a voice as I can. “I am not going with you. If you take me back to Chicago, it will be a kidnapping. I am staying with Maksim and I will keep your secret like I’ve kept it all these years. But just go. I never want to see you again. Not after what you did to Mom. Not after you took her from me forever.”
He opens his mouth and yet, he still can’t deny it. He can’t lie and say he didn’t kill her when we both know he did.
“You better not let my daughter get kidnapped again,” Lev growls at Maksim before storming out of the room.
I slump onto the bed, all my energy leaving me. It’s only when Maksim grabs my hands that I realize I’m shaking.
“Are you ok?” he asks.
“You’re the one who was shot. I should be asking you that.”
“I’m tough. I can handle a lot. You stood up to your dad. That takes guts. I haven’t been able to stand up to my dad and I’m a grown man.”
“It’s because you helped me. I wouldn’t have been able to stand up to him otherwise.” I let out a long, slow breath. “So that proves it. He did kill her. He couldn’t deny it. I saw the truth in his eyes.”
“That has to be hard. I’m so sorry, Nat.”
“I’ve known for years. I’ve come to terms with it but knowing I’m right helps give me some closure. He’ll never go to jail for what he did but as long as he’s out of my life, I’m fine with it. I just want to move on from him. I just want to be happy.”
“That’s all I’ve ever wanted too.” He pulls me into his arms. I rest my head over his heart – it’s a place where I belong. The urge to tell Maksim I love him is on the tip of my tongue but I hold it back. What if he doesn’t feel the same way?
“Can we go home now?” I ask.
“Yes,” he says with a chuckle. “I want that too.”
But things are not done for us yet. When we leave the hospital room, we run into Gregor.
