He’s not someone else’s.
Yulian is still fuckingmine.
“I don’t think I would’ve been able to do it anyway.” He palms my cheek, stroking gently. “Marry someone else, I mean. Knowing me, I would’ve probably dramatically run back up the aisle or something.”
“I love you, Yulian,” I confess with my heart in my throat, my voice slightly choked. “I think I’ve been in love with you since we were teens. I fought it, ignored it, denied it, tried to replace you with someone else, but it never worked. The more I tried to strangle my feelings for you, snuff them out, and bury them, the stronger they became.I’m done fighting you, us, and everything we can be together. I’ll fight for you,killfor you, I’ll protect you from the world with my life, but you’re not allowed to leave me. You make me a better man, baby, and I don’t ever want to see the version of me without you again.”
He lets out a breath, his fingers trembling on my face. “Fuck.”
“Is that…all you have to say?”
“Give me a second. I need to process that and learn it by heart. Tattoo it on me, maybe.”
I smile, stroking his hair. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I always tattoo you on me, though.” He steps back, forcing me to release him.
Before I can complain about the lack of him, he undoes the top buttons of his shirt, then takes my hand and makes me trace the tattoo right over his heart.
The Cyrillic script disappears beneath my fingers as he says, “? ? ????? (Ya s toboy).You told me this in the cave when I thought I’d die. It was the first time someone other than my mother cared about me so deeply. I’ve been in love with you ever since, Mishka.”
My lips part. “Yulian…”
“I might have been desperate in chasing you, and sure, from the outside looking in, some would think I’m an idiot for always loving you when you could be emotionally stunted and aloof.” He tightens his grip on my fingers, then brings them to his mouth to drop a kiss on them one by one. “But I always knew you cared about me. You might act cold and distant at times, but truly, you’ve always looked out for me, cared about me, spoiled me shitless. When I’m in a dangerous situation, you always show up for me, andthat’s what makes me love you more, baby. I don’t want my life without you. Irefuseto have it. And I’m never letting you go again. Not in this lifetime, not in the next.”
“That’s what I should be saying.” I slide the gun into my waistband and palm his face. “You’re mine, and I’m yours for the rest of our lives.”
“You’ll never get rid of me.”
I smile. “I’m counting on it.”
And then he kisses me, sensually, passionately, with every morsel of wildness that Yulian is.
And I know, I just know, that our new life starts now.
No more hiding.
No more fear.
Just him and me.
The villain I hunted only to fall in love with.
EPILOGUE 1 — VAUGHN
ONE MONTH LATER
Maybe this was a mistake.
Not transferring to Brighton Island—that was perfect. I get to live with Yulian in our coastal house. But this…this meeting.
If you can even call it that.
“So let me get this straight,” Niko says. “Or gay, see what I did there? Muahaha!”
“You’re so lame,” Killian says from where he’s standing near the door as if he’s looking for a chance to slip out.
“Youare lame, Satan’s heir,” Niko shoots back.
