And I see myself, standing guard outside their door, forced to listen as she becomes his in every way.
My heart constricts with a pain so visceral, it feels like a sledgehammer to the chest.
"You've gone quiet.” Valentina’s voice pulls me from the dark spiral of my thoughts. "What's wrong?"
I force myself to meet her gaze, knowing I can't reveal the truth burning inside me.
That I fantasize about putting a bullet in Maksim's brain before he can touch her.
That I dream of stealing her away.
"Just thinking about this change in plans," I lie. I seem to be doing a lot of that lately where I’d never dared to before. "Going to Maksim's estate wasn't part of today's security assessment. Makes me uneasy."
"Is that all?" She arches a brow as if she doesn’t believe me.
"I also feel…" I hesitate, allowing a fragment of truth to emerge. "I shouldn't have indulged our little game at the florist. I've made you vulnerable."
Her fingers brush against mine on the console between us. The simple touch sends electricity through my veins.
"I asked you to play along," she reminds me. "And for a few minutes, I felt normal. Happy, even. Don't regret giving me that."
I wish I could tell her everything.
How I'd give my life to spare her from what's coming.
How watching her walk into Maksim's world is killing me.
How her touch is both salvation and torment.
Instead, I say, "My job is to protect you. Back there, I forgot myself."
"Maybe forgetting is exactly what I needed." Irritation laces her tone.
We fall silent as the car approaches the gates of Maksim's estate.
I straighten my shoulders, my face hardening into the mask of the loyal soldier, not an easy feat when inside, I want to burn this place down and everyone in it to save this brave woman beside me.
Suddenly, she tenses. “Is Alessandro sending more men?”
My jaw nearly cracks. “No. He doesn’t want to give the appearance that we don't trust Maksim.”
Her gaze jerks to me. “But we don’t.”
No, we don’t, and it makes me resent Alessandro even more.
Pain flickers in her eyes, and I know without asking that she feels abandoned by her brother who is compromising her safety to appease a monster.
I wonder if I could convince Adriano to get rid of his brother, knowing he doesn’t like this arrangement.
Or maybe I could call Luca.
He’s a one-man slaughtering machine and very loyal to his sister.
"I've got you," I assure her, covering her hand with mine. "Nothing will happen to you under my watch." God, I hope I can live up to that vow.
The gates swing open, revealing the sprawling Morozova estate.
The Gothic architecture looks like something from a nightmare.
