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“Then how do you know?”

“I ran a background check on her, her husband, and her immediate family,” he says matter-of-factly. “I did the same for Katia and Anya.”

A cold prickle of dread spreads across my skin. “Before I went to lunch today?”

“Yes.”

“Without telling me.”

“Yes.”

I stare at him. His posture is composed and completely unmoved. He stands there, so much larger than me, so much more powerful, that I feel an old, deeply buried survival instinct flare up inside my chest.

Make yourself small. Don’t fight back. Keep the peace.

I force myself to push past the instinct.

“Zevran, Mila chose not to share her husband’s criminal history with me,” I say, my voice trembling slightly. “Why would you go digging through her private life like that?”

His jaw tightens, but instead of snapping back, his pale eyes drop to my lips. His gaze lingers there for a fraction of a second, filled with a sudden spike of protective heat.

He drags his eyes back up to mine. “It’s standard due diligence, Cora. I needed to ensure you were stepping into a secure environment.”

“I was having lunch in a public restaurant,” I remind him, my voice rising as the walls of the kitchen begin to feel claustrophobic. “I had two armed bodyguards sitting ten feet away at the next table. How much safer could I possibly have been?”

“I have to know you are safe,” he says, stepping closer until his shadow completely overwhelms me. “Do you understand me? I will not negotiate on your security. Not ever.”

His large hand lifts from the marble counter and cups my jaw, keeping my focus on him. It’s a stark reminder of his authority. His pale eyes burn down into mine, trapping me completely.

My heart hammers wildly against my ribs, but for the first time in my life, I refuse to shrink.

“You could have told me,” I say, my voice shaking. “You could have asked me. You can’t secretly vet every person I interact with for the rest of my life. What about the birthday party in two weeks?”

He waves a dismissive hand. “I already messaged Mila for the guest list and venue name. She sent it, and I’ve reviewed it. I have no concerns.”

I close my eyes, a wave of embarrassment crashing over me. He already messaged Mila. Which means Ruslan or Demyan reported the party to him the second they overheard us talking about it.

My stomach twists into knots as I picture Mila leaving the restaurant and reading the message from Zevran demanding her birthday guest list.

“Zevran, don’t you see how strange and uncomfortable that must seem to her?” I open my eyes to stare at him. “Mila is going to realize my security detail eavesdropped on our private lunch. She, Katia, and Anya shared the most traumatic moments of their lives with me today. Now she’s going to think I don’t trust her.”

“Mila won’t think that at all,” Zevran counters, his voice entirely reasonable. “She understands who I am and the threats we face. She knows I have good reason to be cautious.”

“Maybe,” I say, the fear and frustration spilling over. “But maybe not. Privacy matters, Zevran. Especially to women who have been controlled and held captive against their will.”

The word controlled hangs heavily in the air between us.

Zevran’s jaw is set. He moves until his chest is almost touching mine, and even through my anger, I am intensely aware of his sheer physical size and the lethal authority vibrating off him.

“I understand that it feels intrusive to you,” he says, his voice dark and low. “But you need to understand something, Cora. I cannot send you into any room that I haven’t cleared. If someone takes you from me again—”

He stops, his fists clenching hard at his sides, a thick vein pulsing along his neck.

“I will protect what is mine,” he growls. I can feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest. “That means I clear every single person who gets close to you when I am not there to hold you myself.”

I look at his tight, desperate expression, and the dark shadows under his eyes that haven’t gone away in days.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” I ask, my heart dropping into my stomach. “Is there a reason you’re this worried? Is it Troy?”