"It's true… Yes. It's true." I don't know what he's really asking for, just that everything I've said to him since the moment that building exploded has been the honest truth. I am having his baby and I love him, and I never meant to hurt him.
"You're pregnant?" he says, eyes deadlocked with mine.
"Kaz," Stepan mumbles. "Kaz, we gotta go." I hear a police whistle and know someone has called security.
"Yes," I say. "Yes, I'm having your baby."
"Kaz!" Stepan says, more insistent this time.
He hesitates another second and Yefim starts to get up. Then Kazimir takes my hand and pulls me with him.
"We gotta run, okay?"
I nod, and we take off, though I'm slower than him. I see the security people moving in toward my brothers and know if we get caught, there’ll be hell to pay. But we make it off the platform and through the station to the parking lot where Timur waits in a blacked-out SUV.
"Get in," he growls through the open window, and we climb in quickly, barely having the doors shut before he's rolling.
Only then does Kazimir turn to me again. He grabs my hand and kisses my knuckles gentler than I deserve. My head drops because I'm not sure what to say to him. I can barely look him in the eye now. I did so many bad things, though I didn't make that bomb go off or the police raid their gym. But none of it would've been possible if I hadn't willingly agreed to deceive him.
"You're really having my baby? Not someone else's?" He holds my hand tenderly, thumb brushing over my knuckles, and I lift my chin to meet his gaze.
"Kazimir, I never slept with anyone else while I was with you. I promise you it's your baby. I wouldn't lie about that."
"You lied about everything else," Stepan butts in.
"Shut the fuck up, Step," Kaz snarls, and I get the feeling his family isn't happy about his coming to get me. He turns and cradles my cheek again but this time, it's soft. "You look me in the eye right now, Zora, and you tell me that you're not lying to me."
Tears well up in my eyes and I blink them back. My lip trembles but I press my hand to his and say, "I give you my word, I am not lying. I am madly in love with you, and I have been for a while, And I fucked up really badly by letting my brothers push me to lie to you before, but you are the most perfect thing I've ever had in my life. I screwed up so bad, Kaz, but I can't lose you. You’re everything."
His lips cover mine and finally, after weeks of uncertainty and fear, my world feels like it's healing. I kiss him back, leaning into it until our bodies are pressed against each other and his arms are wrapped around me.
When he pulls back, I lean into his chest and let him hold me. I'm not a fool. I know we have a lot to work out and I know life as I know it has changed forever. My brothers will never forgive me for coming to him, and he may never trust me fully with anything to do with his business again, but we're together.
"Is your uncle home?" I ask, scooting closer as I wrap my arms around his chest.
"He is, and he's not happy…" Kazimir's body is tight, like he's poised to strike.
"And he let you come get me?" I can't believe what I’m hearing. I've heard the stories of how ruthless Roman Kuzin is.
"He did, but there will be consequences." Kazimir presses a kiss to the top of my head, but I sense how much tension he carries. Whatever punishment he has been given or has yet to hear about, I'm sure it won't be easy. I feel so guilty for all of it.
"I'm sorry," I tell him, pulling back to look up into his eyes. "I never meant for any of this to happen."
"I believe you, okay?" he kisses my forehead. Then he says, "We just have to take it one day at a time and figure things out. And Roman is gonna have a lot of questions."
I bury my head in his chest again and close my eyes. I can only imagine how furious his whole family is at me for everything that happened. And they have every right to be mad enough to kill. I just hope they can see how I tried to stop things and be honest.
If Kazimir and I even have a shot at a relationship, it may very well depend on their ability to look past my mistakes.
29
KAZIMIR
Zora clings to my side as we walk through the doors into Roman's house with Stepan on our heels. He hasn't said much since I told him to shut up, and Timur has been quiet too. I know neither one of them approves of me and Zora, but their opinions don’t matter. Roman is the only one who can make or break my choices, and I think now that I'm with her, even he doesn't stand a chance at separating us.
"It'll be okay, alright?" I pull her tighter against me and she trembles.
"I'm sort of scared," she mumbles, glancing over her shoulder. I imagine Stepan glaring at her in his usual way, but he'll get over it. As soon as he sees Ro approving of her and our life getting back to normal, he'll understand it was her brothers who put her up to that and they're out of the picture now.
