Page 162 of Prey

She smiled a little, and I felt the constriction around my heart loosen marginally at the sight. “Just having you here helps.”

“Good,” I said, my voice gruff. “I don’t think I can let you go. You might get sick of me.”

She laughed softly, the sound was like music to my ears. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

I leaned down and kissed her softly.

“Roman?”

“Yeah, baby.”

“Do you think my parents love me?”

I pulled back in surprise. “Why would you ask that?”

“They knew about Brent taking me when I was fourteen. They let him get away with it because my dad wanted to keep his connection with the Mansen Brotherhood, and my mom wanted to avoid the scandal and keep her position in society.” Her bottom lip trembled. “If someone hurt my child, I would want to kill them.”

“But you wouldn’t have to because I would skin the bastard alive before you got the chance,” I said thickly.

I knew she wasn’t ready to have a kid anytime soon, but once she was, I would work to protect them with my fucking life. I would never let the darkness of this world touch them.

She blinked. “I know.”

I let my hand move down her body and settled it over her stomach, imagining it swelling with our child. The fucking image alone had the power to undo me.

“Your parents love you. In their own way, and I think you know that.”

“But—”

“Your dad put himself in front of flying bullets for you, and your mom was probably trying her best to protect you. She went about it the wrong way, but you know how she can get when it comes to you.”

I couldn’t believe I was defending those bastards to her, but I knew it was what she wanted to hear.

And perhaps I was right. That they loved her the wrong way, but they still loved her. And I didn’t want her to keep hurting because of them.

It was done.

Mayor Gallagher was going to prison for a long time—at least as long as the members of the Savkin Bratva would let him live.

It wasn’t our problem anymore, and there would be no more fuckers popping up to claim leadership of the Mansen Brotherhood. No one would dare, not when Micah had made it his personal mission to take out anyone who tried.

I was going to keep her safe for the rest of our lives.

I pulled her in closer to me.

“How much do you remember about that bastard taking you seven years ago?”

“Most of it,” she said.

“Do you remember a man showing up that day?”

She pulled back and looked at me with wide eyes. “I didn’t tell you about—”

I held in a smile, waiting for her to connect the dots.

“That was you?” she asked, her eyes widened with incredulity.

I still couldn’t believe it either.

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