Offensiveness aside, I consider lying. This child ties me to Adrian in a way I'm not sure I want. And yet, I can't. "Yes." I close my eyes briefly. "I haven't been with anyone else in years."
"Good."
The possessiveness in his voice makes my skin prickle.
"We can discuss the baby when we get you somewhere more comfortable."
Fear spikes through me again. "And where is that?"
"My penthouse. You need to rest. You're injured and pregnant and you've been through trauma." His voice is reasonable. Calm. Which somehow makes it worse. "I have doctors who can check on you. Make sure the baby is safe."
"I can go home?—"
"To your apartment above a bookshop with no security?Where the Morozovs know how to find you?" He shakes his head. "That's not happening."
"You can't just kidnap me."
"I'm not kidnapping you. I'm protecting you." He stands. "But to be clear, Seraphina, you're not going anywhere without me until we sort this out."
I try to stand, to push past him. My body screams in protest but I ignore it. "I'm not going anywhere with you. You killed someone?—"
He catches my arm. Not hard. Just firm enough to stop me. His hand is warm against my skin, and I hate that I notice.
Hate that part of me remembers how those hands felt on me that night.
"I killed someone who was trying to kill you," he says quietly. "I'd do it again."
"That doesn't make it right."
"Right and wrong are more complicated than you think." He's still holding my arm. His thumb rubs soothing circles on my skin. I want to melt. I'm so tired. So stressed. I want him to take care of me. "You're in danger, Seraphina. Your brother made sure of that. The Morozovs want their money, and you're the next best thing."
"Then I'll go to the police?—"
"And tell them what? That you witnessed a murder? That I'm the one who killed Dimitri Morozov?" His thumb strokes across my pulse point. Once. Twice. "They'd arrest me. Maybe. For a few hours. And then you'd be completely unprotected when the rest of the Morozov family came for you."
"You're saying I have no choice."
"I'm saying you have one choice. Come with me. Let me protect you. And tomorrow, we'll figure out the rest." He releases my arm. "One night, Seraphina. That's all I'm asking.You rest. Take care of the baby and yourself. Let me help you."
I'm melting.
"If I come with you," I say slowly, "you'll take me to Gabe tomorrow?"
"I'll take you to your brother when it's safe."
"That's not an answer." I notice that he didn't agree.
"It's the only answer you're getting tonight." He picks up my ruined clothes, tosses them in the trash. "I had clean clothes sent up. Get dressed. We're leaving."
Every instinct says to fight. To scream. To do anything except give in.
But I'm so tired, and everything hurts, and my eyes are heavy.
"Fine," I whisper. "One night."
He smiles. It doesn't reach his eyes. "Good girl."
The clothes are simple. Leggings, a soft sweater, flat shoes. Everything fits perfectly and I don't want to think about how he got my size.
