“You wouldn’t have agreed if I told you first,” he says calmly.
Maybe it’s the calmness of his voice conflicting with the storm raging inside of me, or the fact that I’ve missed my husband so much these last couple of days, but I find myself raising my voice even though I know I’m overreacting.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have agreed, because I don’t want three strange men following me around and watching me all day.” I draw in a rushed breath. “I want to live like a normal person, not like a guarded possession.”
“Too late, ptichka. I’ve already assigned the guards. You’ll have to learn to live with them.”
“No, Leonid.” I snort. “No, I won’t learn to live with them. You have to call them off. Now.”
“I don’t remember having to take orders from you, Elena. You’ll do as I say, and please don’t make it a habit to try to counter every decision I make. Especially when it’s for your own good.”
My mouth falls open, my breathing labored from how angry I am. I glare at him for a full minute, and then a short, disbelieving laugh ripples from my throat.
“Oh, that’s rich coming from the man who apparently woke up this morning and decided I needed an entire security detail and didn’t mention it to me despite the fact that we sleep in the same bed.”
Leonid leans back in his chair, his expression remaining infuriatingly calm. “You know why I made the decision to get you new guards. You were targeted in the attack, and I can’t risk you getting harmed in any way.”
The raw concern in his voice almost softens my resolve. Almost. But I don’t back down, because this isn’t just about the guards outside.
It’s about my growing feelings and how he seems to be withdrawing just when I thought we could finally begin something real.
“You killed Artem. The threat is gone.”
“Artem was just part of the threat, Elena. He was Vasili’s tool, and we have no idea who else might be working for him or how much information he got from Artem. I can’t lose anyone else. My priority is keeping my family safe.”
The reminder of how many losses he’s suffered lands between us like a bomb.
My anger falters for half a second, just enough for me to see the exhaustion in his eyes, the strain and grief he keeps buried beneath that cold exterior.
For the past week, he’s kept his distance. Even though he’s never said it, I know how much killing Artem took from him. And it dawns on me that my husband isn’t such a cold-blooded bastard after all.
He’s simply a human trying his best. A human who has to make tough decisions and live with them. A human who also has a soft side.
And I hate how much I’ve noticed about him.
I hate how much I’ve missed him.
“Leonid.”
“I’m busy, Elena.” His voice is gruff, his tone harsher than he’s ever used with me. “I’m not having this argument with you.”
“Well, I am.”
“Leave.”
“God,” I mutter, throwing my hands into the air. “Just when I start falling for you, you—”
The words leave my mouth before my brain catches up, and it’s too late. He heard me.
He looks at me, not moving, not even blinking. “What did you just say?”
My pulse starts hammering. “Nothing,” I lie. “Let’s forget we ever had this conversation.”
I turn around to leave, but before I make it to the door, Leonid’s on his feet. His fingers wrap around my wrist, pulling me back.
The contact sends a shock straight through me, and heat explodes through my entire body, every nerve suddenly too aware of him.
Of the warmth of his skin, the strength in his grip, and how close he is.
