It’s going to be okay.
“I love you, Emily.”
I arched on the balls of my feet and kissed him. There was so much I wanted to confess but couldn’t, so I hoped my kiss relayed the words my heart was too scared to say. I was grateful for him. He understood me, even if I couldn’t understand myself. He accepted me, flaws and all. Serial killer past and fear of all forms of commitment. Stubborn headedness and my oddity for dark, underground places.
My eyes watered, but I would not cry. “I love you too.”
And then we focused on the eclipse.
And then a few tears left, but I wiped them away, fast.
It’s going to be okay. All of it.
Maybe this lunar eclipse had transformed us both because I was no longer scared. I was more than ready to seize our future, whatever it could be.
Tomorrow, I’ll end the debate. Pregnant or not, I’m ready to cons
Chapter 17
Kazimir
The moon turned blood red and my heart stopped cold. Doing my best to calm down, I held Emily closer to me than I ever had before. All my life, I hadn’t known much about fear. When it came along, I cut down whatever was causing it.
But now, as I held my mouse in my arms, I feared harder than I’d ever done in my life. I was slowly learning that with love, fear came, strong and hard with no relief in sight. Just terror for the one I adored. Stress to protect them.
She’ll be safe. There’s nothing to worry about. This blood moon means nothing.
I didn’t know how long we sipped champagne and looked at the sky.
As the hours passed, Emily fell asleep in my arms and I still didn’t want to leave the Eiffel Tower. We were above the city. Like in the plane, there was a peace to it knowing that no one could touch us, no matter how high they jumped or how much they raised their guns in the air.
When it was time to go, I relieved the staff and carried her down the Eiffel Tower’s elevator, wondering if I’d exhausted her with my life or was it the baby possibly growing inside her.
Pavel rode in the back of the limo with us as we traveled back to the Satin Butterfly. Emily continued to sleep in my arms.
I gazed out of the window. “How’s your leg? I never asked.”
“You ask every day because you love me.”
I rolled my eyes. “How’s the damn leg?”
“It’s fine.”
“When I talk to Misha, we’ll deal with him in regard to shooting you.”
Pavel widened his eyes.
“Or do you want to deal with him yourself?”
“My only focus is being at your side.”
“You’re not worried about Misha shooting you again?”
“No. His father died. He’s running from death and thinking he can find life with this ballerina. There was a desperation to him, when I saw him last. I don’t know what was going on, but I could tell he thought he was going to lose her.”
“But it appears he has her now.”
Pavel shook his head. “I’m not so sure. There was tension at the performance. He looked scared. Maxwell was helping him with something. Lots of whispering.”
“Hmmm.”
Paris sped by the windows.
“Abram called. He arrived in Prague this evening and said the castle has been in an uproar. Many rooms have been raided.”
Fuck. So many things have fallen to the side.
I turned to him. “And the vault?”
“His men are going through everything.”
“Have anything that’s valuable moved to Moscow, especially my babies.”
The nukes could never get in the wrong hands.
Damn you, Misha. This was all your responsibility. What could be more important than this?
Had he simply gone there and buried his father, perhaps chaos would not have ensued.
“There’s another problem in Prague.”
My temples ached. “Go ahead,”
“Igor’s body is missing. No one knows who took it. Abram has someone looking into it.”
With no one keeping watch, the castle had probably turned into a wild kingdom. Decisions needed to be made. Enough was enough.
What could they be doing with my uncle’s body? Probably some spell.
I studied Pavel. “You’re with me now. You’re officially on my side. I told you this earlier.”
“We both know it was all a test. You don’t offer anything that easy.”
“Good point.”
Pavel’s face brightened. “It’s a hard job, but I believe my place is here.”
“It’s hard?”
“Being by your side would be akin to standing next to God.”
Okay. Okay. Let’s not take my cock out and start sucking it.
I turned back out the window. “We’ll need to get you property and territory closer to Moscow. Give what you own to your men. What I’m giving you will be ten times that, and you’ll want to maintain strong relations with those you’ve left behind.”
He nodded, full of excitement. “Anything you need me to do?”
I leaned my head back and shut my eyes. “Yes. Make a doctor’s appointment for my mouse.”