I don’t think twice as I jump in front of Winter. Because I have no doubt that Adrian won’t hesitate to kill her if he sees that she’s posing a danger to me.
When the shot echoes in the air, I close my eyes, ready for the sting of pain.
Nothing comes.
My frantic gaze goes to Winter as I face her. Aside from the shaking and her pale skin, it doesn’t look as if she’s been hit either.
Strong arms hug me from behind, whirling me around, and I stare up at Adrian. His brow is furrowed and there’s dried blood on his lips. He’s rugged, hurt, and not his usual composed self, but he’s alive.
He’s back.
Oh, God. He’s back and he’s alive.
“Do you have a fucking death wish, Lia?” He shakes me, threat and what seems like pain creases his brows. “Why did you get in the way of the bullet? If I hadn’t changed the direction at the last second, you would’ve been shot.”
“I…I couldn’t let you harm Winter.”
“She has a fucking syringe.”
“She wasn’t going to hurt me.”
Kolya strides inside and snatches the syringe from her hand. She doesn’t fight, not that she could, and lets him confiscate her weapon. Tears roll down her cheeks as Adrian’s second-in-command yanks her arms behind her back, imprisoning her wrists with one hand.
“I didn’t mean to… Please don’t hurt me.” She shakes her head, eyes meeting mine. “Lia, please.”
I pull myself from Adrian’s hold and face them. “Kolya, let her go.”
He doesn’t make a move, his gaze meeting his boss’s. So I direct my attention to my husband.
“Adrian…tell him to let her go.”
His critical gaze studies Winter closely, obviously trying to figure out why she’s awake. “Not until I make sure she’s not a danger.”
“She isn’t.”
“You don’t know that.” My husband pulls me to his side with a firm hand around my waist and addresses Kolya. “Keep a close eye on her until further notice.”
He turns to leave, then throws over his shoulder, “And tell Yan and Boris to plan their fucking funerals.”
And with that, he drags me out of the room and the guest house. I squirm, trying to get away, but Adrian’s firm grip prevents me from doing anything significant.
When we walk inside the house, he releases me because of my constant wiggling about.
I plant my feet on the floor and place a hand at my hip. “What is the matter with you? Winter didn’t do anything wrong.”
“She thought she could take your place. That’s enough to be considered wrong in my dictionary.”
“I did it. I’m the one who convinced her, so if you want to punish someone, punish me.”
“Oh, I will punish you, Lia, and it has nothing to do with Winter.” He grabs me by the elbow. “What the fuck are you doing here? You should’ve stayed in Russia as I ordered you to.”
“And wait patiently for news of your death?” I jab a finger at his chest. “I would never do that. I won’t sit still when I can help you.”
“Help me by exposing yourself to Lazlo? Do you think he’ll leave you alone now?”
“I don’t care about any of that. The only thing I could think about was getting you back alive.” My voice cracks and the tears I resisted last night barge into my eyes. “How could you do that to me? How could you leave me behind as if I mean nothing?”
“Nothing?” His jaw and voice tighten. “If you meant nothing, I wouldn’t have walked toward death for you.”
“Who asked you to walk toward death for me? Since when are you a hero? You’re a villain, so act like one and take responsibility for your actions.”
“My actions?”
“You made me addicted to you and unable to function unless I get my fix, so don’t you dare think you can leave and expect me to let you go without a fight.” Tears cascade down my cheeks and my throat closes from the straining force behind my words.
“Lenochka…” He extends a hand to me and I step out of his reach.
“Don’t Lenochka me. I’m mad at you right now. Do you have any idea of the number of scenarios that went through my head when I ran after the car and couldn’t catch up? I thought it was the last time I’d see you, that I’d be widowed, that Jer would be orphaned. You would’ve killed me right along with you and ended the life you spent a lot of time and effort to save. Just what were you hoping for? That I’d get over you and pick up the pieces of my life as if you were never in it?”
“With time, yes. Isn’t that what you wanted all along? A life away from me?”
“Idiot. Fucking idiot. You think I can live away from you when you’re the one who gave meaning to my life?” I sniffle. “I only said those words because of my fears and never once meant them.”
His usually savage eyes soften, despite the map of bruises on his face. “No?”
“No! What about you, then? Did you really want me to move on? What if I found myself another man, huh?”
All softness disappears and his eyes rage with an intense gray as he clenches his jaw. “Kolya would kill him.”
“He couldn’t possibly kill all of them.”
“He could.”
“Then I would meet them behind Kolya’s back.”
“Lia…” he warns.
“What, Adrian? What? You’re the one who wanted me to move on.”
“Fuck that.” He wraps an arm around my waist and pulls me to him, flattening my front against his hard chest as he breathes harshly. “You think I would ever want you with another man? That’s like gutting myself with my own hands. You’re mine and I only ever want you to stay mine, not someone else’s.”
“Then don’t say you’ll leave me again. You’re my last stop and I plan to stay, not move on.”
“You’re my last stop, too.”
My heart flutters and my stomach churns at the tenderness and determination in his tone. We remain like that for a few seconds, soaking each other’s existences. I want to hug him and bawl in his chest like that time at the hospital after my career ended.
It’s been long years, but I still look back at that memory as the moment I started falling in love with him. Ballet was the only thing that made sense in my life and when I lost it, I was aimless and without purpose. Everything felt useless and empty.
He was the exception.
Not only did he slowly fill the hollow gaps, but he also disallowed me from running away. He became my shield and continued to even when I scratched the armor and attempted to destroy it.
A deep sigh leaves him. “You have to keep in mind that it’ll only get worse now.”
I blink, pulling myself out of my reverie. “Worse how?”
“Lazlo will obviously think that I hid your existence from him on purpose. Sergei and everyone in the brotherhood will keep a closer eye on both of us. And there’s still that fucker, Luca, and no one knows where he’s hiding.”
My palm lies on his chest and I stroke it lightly. I don’t want to stop touching him, feeling him, making sure he’s indeed here and not dead. “It can only get worse for so long before it gets better.”
He caresses my cheek with the tips of his fingers. “I wouldn’t be so optimistic if I were you, Lenochka.”
“I am. Everything you mentioned is scary, but none of it terrifies me as much as the thought of losing you. As long as we’re together, I can get through anything.”
“Is that so?”
“Absolutely.” I run my fingers over the cut in his lip and frown. “Does it hurt much?”
“Not as much as the thought of never seeing you again or leaving you unprotected.”
“Then don’t ever think about that again. I mean it, Adrian. You couldn’t get rid of me even if you tried. We took vows and I intend to keep them.”
“I thought you didn’t like those vows.”
“Who says I don’t?”
He raises a brow. “The fact that you begged me not to marry you.”
“I hated the way you forced me into it without talking to me about it while I was still mourning the end of my career, but I’ve never regretted marrying you. It was supposed to happen sooner or later.”
“Just as I told you. You’re finally coming back to my words.”
“Shut up.” I get on my tiptoes and he lowers his head so I can brush my lips against his.
Tears still cling to my lids, but they’re happy tears. Relief tears.
Because unlike yesterday, I can finally breathe. I finally have the air that I’ve been deprived of since the moment he left me behind in that snowstorm.
Now, I have my oxygen back.
And I intend to keep it that way, even if I have to resort to ways Adrian wouldn’t approve of.
What my husband doesn’t know is that he isn’t the only one bent on protecting me. I’d do the same.
With my life, if I have to.
