Page 71 of Born into Blood

“You don’t need to thank me, kisa. Taking care of you isn’t an option. It’s not even a want, although I do want to do it, but it’s really more of a need.” He thinks for a second while his fingers run through my hair. “It’s hard to explain because I’ve never felt anything like it, but I have to take care of you. Nothing else is even an option. I don’t think I could back off even if you asked me to,” he admits with a soft laugh. “I’m going to be overbearing, sweetheart. I hope you can handle it.”

“I’m sure I’ll manage somehow,” I say, giving a dramatic sigh.

“Good. By the way, I’m going to be assigning you a bodyguard soon.”

I pull back and look up at him. “You aren’t.” I search his face for any sign that he’s joking, but those green eyes are giving nothing away. “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

He smiles and bops the tip of my nose with his finger. “Overbearing, sweetheart, I did warn you.”

“I don’t need a bodyguard. No one even knows who I am.”

“They will, though, and I’m not taking any chances. I’m sorry, kisa, but this is nonnegotiable. You will be protected at all times. It’s the only way I’ll be able to leave you alone and do my job. You’ll never know he’s watching. Arkady is a good man. He’ll make sure you’re safe when I’m not around to watch over you myself.”

“Arkady is going to be bored out of his mind,” I say, making him laugh.

He cups my face and kisses me. “Good. I want him bored. Bored is a good thing. I hope Arkady’s future working hours are dull and completely lacking excitement.”

“Poor Arkady,” I murmur, already feeling sorry for the guy.

“He’ll live, and he’ll be making a small fortune while he does it.”

“Not such a bad gig,” I admit, because it’s not like I’m hoping he’ll have an exciting time of watching me. I’m more than happy to live a quiet life where people aren’t trying to hurt me to get to Luka. “My mom will be thrilled to know I’m about to have my own personal bodyguard. She may not love the irony of a Melnikov man providing it, though.”

“She’ll learn to love us.”

I appreciate the confidence in his tone, but I’m still not convinced we’ll be able to get my mom to understand how wrong her thinking has been over the years. Turning my head, I kiss the palm of his hand, wishing like hell we could just go back to his apartment, but instead of suggesting that, I say, “We should leave. I need to go home.”

“Not home, kisa. Your home is with me. You’re going to your mom’s apartment for the night, and then you’re going to meet my family tomorrow. After that, I’m going with you to meet your mom, and then I’m taking you and Pip home.”

When he sees the surprise on my face, he smiles and runs his thumb along my cheek. “Did you really think I’d make you leave him behind? We adopted him together, kisa, remember? Besides, I already have everything set up for him. I even put a litter box in the laundry room.”

A stab of guilt hits me at leaving my mom and taking the cat she’s quickly fallen in love with. “Maybe I should leave Pip. Is it mean to take him? She’s gotten really attached to him.”

“Do you want to keep Pip?” He leans down a bit so he can see me better. “Forget about feeling guilty and really think about it. Do you want him?”

I think about the adorable, tiny ball of fur, and all the memories from the night I’d found him, and my answer is an immediate yes. He belongs with us. He’s our little kitten, and I love that we adopted him together. I don’t even need to voice my answer because Luka sees it written all over my face. He smiles and kisses my forehead.

“Then we’re keeping him, baby. We’ll adopt another cat for your mom. There are lots of animals who need a good home and someone to love them, but Pip is ours.”

I like the idea of adopting another kitten for my mom, so when I smile up at him and nod my head, he smiles even bigger and gives me another kiss.

“Perfect. After we talk with her tomorrow, we can bring her to one of the animal shelters and she can pick out as many kittens as she wants.”

Wrapping his hand around mine, he smiles and leads me down the hall and to the back exit. The same guard is on duty, and he steps aside and nods to Luka as we leave the building. On the ride back, I cling to him even tighter than usual, and he keeps a hand on some part of me every chance he gets. We both know our time together is almost at an end, and we’re both resisting it.

Pulling to a stop near the elevator in the parking garage, we both pull our helmets off, but as soon as we’re standing, my arms are wrapping tightly around him again. I don’t want to leave him. I want to park my ass right back on his bike and have him drive me home, because my home is with him now, and walking up to my mom’s apartment doesn’t feel right any longer.

“I won’t do this again,” he says, wrapping his arms around me in a big hug while speaking the exact thoughts I’m having. “This is the last time I’m dropping you off and leaving you behind. I can’t do it again, kisa.”

“Good,” I whisper against his chest, “because I don’t want you to.”

He pulls back and cups my face, his green eyes searching mine. “Then come home with me tonight. We can go talk to her now if you want, and then you can come back with me.”

I so badly want to say yes, but the thought of springing all this on my mom tonight is more than I can take. Waiting until tomorrow gives me a chance to convince her to take the damn foil off the windows. Even though I’ve told Luka how she can get, hearing it and seeing it are two very different things. Plus, this will give me a chance to go through my things. I can sort everything into a donation pile and an I can’t live without this pile. I don’t want to just rush through things tomorrow. I don’t want to drop this on my mom and then pack a quick bag.

“I need this time,” I tell Luka. “I want to get everything ready, but I promise this will be the last night we’ll be apart.”

He doesn’t look thrilled, but he kisses my forehead and gives me a smile. “Okay, baby, one more night.”

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