I’d killed him. I had done my part in seeing to her safety.
Roberto Giovanni was dead.
His organization could crumble apart now.
Sofia was with me, never to be taken again.
As she fussed over me, pressing her hand to my wound and trying to keep me propped against the wall, I admired her tenacity. To do good. To help. Even if it meant standing up to evil and facing it square on.
She’d stalled that soldier. She’d tried to kill her uncle herself when I was unable to react quicker.
Because she loves me.
I winced at the pressure she put on my wound, knowing without a doubt that this was what it was like.
To be loved. To love. Wrapping myself with the security of her love, I accepted that no other details could matter anymore.
I didn’t care that she was Sofia Giovanni by birth. She’d chosen me and she would be my wife.
“Sofia Orlov…” I said sleepily, reaching out to cup her face. My fingers smeared blood on her cheek and I cringed.
She gave me an incredulous look. “Not tomorrow.”
I frowned. “But I love you.”
She huffed a laugh, muttering under her breath as she checked the flow of blood from my shoulder.
“You said you’d marry me tomorrow.”
With a sweet but exasperated smirk, she glanced at me. “I’m not marrying you when you’re drugged up and not with it.”
I smiled, letting the sweetness of her big heart piece me back together again. “I’m withyou, sweetheart. Now and forever.”
Footsteps sounded, and she tensed, reaching for my gun. She turned to aim it at the door while keeping one hand on my shoulder.
Sergei ran in, lowering his gun as soon as he saw us.
“Oh, thank God.” Sofia gulped and sat back, relaxing now that help had come.
“No, thankyou,” I told her, cupping her cheek again. Gazing into the warm love in her eyes, I cleared my throat. “Thank you for loving me.”
Her smile was a watery one as she seemed to hold back tears. Next to her, my cousin helped me stay upright. Tuning out his orders he barked into his phone for backup, I watched Sofia as she sighed.
“And I love you, my bride. My partner.” I reached forward to kiss her, but I was too off-balance and missing, smacking my chin on Sergei’s shoulder with him crouched low.
“For fuck’s sake…” he muttered good-naturedly.
Sofia’s light laughter soothed my soul.
“My wife,” I said, unable to stop expressing how profoundly relieved I was that her uncle was dead. Nothing could stop me now.
“Not yet,” she argued lightly.
“The mother of my children.” I reached out to put my hand on her stomach, but again, I missed.
“Hand me that blanket,” she told Sergei.
He gave it to her and she put it on my open wound.
