Page 60 of Heart of a Devil

She plants her feet firmly and slaps my hand away. “Seb, talk to me. Don’t just push me around—we both know that won’t end well.”

Part of me wants to yell at her, drag her out of here, knock her out and hoist her over my shoulder if I need to. I take a deep breath and remind myself that she’s entitled to know. I want to protect her, but that doesn’t mean I own her.

“Volkov knows.”

She frowns. “Knows what, exactly?”

“Probably everything. About Caroline filing for divorce, about you representing her, about us helping, about Vladimir and Irina.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because they’re fucking dead, Lauren—Vladimir and Irina are dead. Sasha’s there right now, he saw the bodies. We have to assume they told him everything before he finished them off. Which means we’re not safe.”

“What about Caroline? Nicky?” Her face has gone pale. I’ve had time to think this through, but it’s all new to her. I love the fact that her first fear is for them, but I’m also getting frustrated by the delay. What if Volkov’s men know where she lives? There could be a hit squad on their way here right now.

“Sasha is looking for them, and I’ll help him. As soon as I have you safe. Please, babe, get what you need—you must know I’m useless unless I know you’re safe.”

She throws her arms around me and kisses me on the cheek. “I know. I’m sorry. Give me five minutes.”

She’s as good as her word, and I break the speed limit all the way to the cabin. After we drive through, I get out and double-check the gates and locks. Inside the house, she immediately heads for the kitchen and puts the kettle on. Looks like living in the UK has infected her already.

“What’s the plan?” she asks, leaning against the counter. She’s remarkably cool, and again I am reminded of her heritage. Montoyas don’t spook easily. “Should I contact my cousin, see if he can help?”

“That’s an interesting idea. If we need more boots on the ground, then yes. But for now, we don’t know where Volkov is, or where Caroline and Nicky are. We might be completely overreacting by stashing you here, but your name was on the court documents.”

She nods thoughtfully. “That could be where the leak came from, the court offices. The person I’ve been dealing with seems like a straight shooter, but there’s a whole world of bureaucracy in the legal system, people who might be vulnerable to bribes or threats.”

“It doesn’t much matter at this stage. Irina and Vladimir knew who you were. They knew about Archangel. We’ve got to assume that Volkov now knows everything. Look, I want to get back out there. Sasha’s dangling in the wind at Volkov’s place. He’s a sneaky sod and pretty good at taking care of himself, but I need to join him. See what we can find out about Caroline and Nicky. Now I know you’re safe here, I can concentrate on them.”

She nods once, all no-nonsense calm on the surface.

“I’m surprised you’re not arguing with me. You feeling okay, sweetheart?”

Laughing, she wraps her arms around my neck and pulls me in for a deep kiss that leaves me wanting more. “This isn’t my first crisis, big guy,” she says, rubbing against me and smiling when she feels I’m hard. “And I know you won’t be able to function if you’re worrying about me. Caroline and Nicky need you more than they need me right now, and the very best thing I can do for them is let you get out there and do your thing. So go. Find them. I’ll be waiting here for you at the end of the day. I’ll always be waiting for you. I love you.”

She looks up at me with those big brown eyes, that gorgeous smile, and the way I feel about this woman floors me. Fuck it. This isn’t the right time for it at all, but what if the right time never comes? Life is chaos, and none of us knows what happens next. We have to grab our moments whenever we find them.

I drop down to one knee, and initially she laughs. When I stay silent and raise an eyebrow at her, she realizes I’m serious, her hands moving to cover her mouth. “Seb! What are you doing?”

“What the fuck do you think I’m doing, sweetheart? I’m trying to be romantic—so shut up and let me get on with it.”

Her eyes are as big as the moon, and her fingers are visibly trembling. I’m not sure if it’s from excitement or horror, but either way, I need to do this. “Lauren Hayes,” I say. “I love you. I didn’t even know what loving a woman was until you walked into my world, and now I can’t imagine my life without you in it. Every minute I’m away from you is a minute wasted. Every minute we’re together is happier than the last. You challenge me, you thrill me, you fill me with joy.”

She’s full-on crying by this stage, her brown eyes shimmering behind the tears. “Not to mention, you have the juiciest ass in the known universe, and you suck my cock like you’ve been in training for it your whole life. Lauren, will you marry me?”

I offer up the open box, and she falls down to her knees in front of me. Her hands go to my shoulders to steady herself, and I gently wipe the tears from her skin. “That was quite the speech, Seb. Did you rehearse it in front of the mirror?”

“No. If I had, it would’ve been a damn sight better than that. That was all from the heart. I meant every word. So… are you going to keep me hanging on?”

She tilts her head to one side, her curls flowing over her shoulder, and I’m reminded of the night we first met. The way that one flash of her eyes, one glimpse of the curve of her neck, was enough to reduce me to rubble. I knew then she was trouble with a capital T, this woman. Thank god I didn’t listen to my own advice and avoid her.

She stares at the ring and releases a sigh. “It’s beautiful. Exactly the kind of ring I would have chosen for myself.”

I’m pleased she likes it, but it hasn’t escaped my attention that she hasn’t actually said yes. Shit. Have I made a terrible mistake? Is this all too soon? She knows my history, maybe she doesn’t fancy being fiancée number six.

“I’m curious, though—why now? Why when you’re about to go off to war?”

“What better time? I get the feeling our lives together are never going to be simple. There’s always going to be something to fight for, and we’re always going to be the kinds of people willing to fight for it. Waiting for a quiet time feels like waiting for hell to freeze over. I love you now, and I want to marry you now. More than anything.”

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