Page 8 of Samuel

“Yes, I mean, obviously I’d want to share those experiences with you,” she qualifies.

At this point, I’m pissed, shocked, and numerous other emotions that I can’t name. I just stare at the woman that I’m married to. I’m wishing we could’ve remained strangers.

“Go to your room. We’ll be leaving before the party starts,” I bark. If my voice is too stern, I don’t give a damn. I must rethink everything. I don’t need the Navarro alliance any longer. Perhaps I can talk with Daniel and offer to keep our pact in place but annul the marriage completely. I’ll call him later to discuss our options.

That’ll be the first thing on my list tomorrow morning.

6

natalia

“It’s about time you drag yourself home,” my brother growls when I walk into his office.

I collapse on the sofa, throwing my arms over my head, shielding my eyes. My head is pounding. It’s ten in the morning. I got excited when they agreed to let me work last night, not holding the week I missed against me—well, not too much. I will be jumping through hoops. I get the graveyard shift for at least the next month. I’m also scheduled alongside the grouchiest trauma surgeon around. No one wants to work with him. Still, they didn’t kick me to the curb, so I’ll deal.

“I worked all night. Cut me some slack.”

“I know. Tayko told me.”

“Tayko’s going to be pissed at you for putting him on me. He spent all night at the nurses’ station bored out of his mind.”

“I pay him very well. He’ll live,” Daniel dismisses. I’m glad I have my head covered so he can’t see me rolling my eyes.

“That wasn’t my point.”

He exhales. Even though I can’t see, I feel the weight of Daniel’s stare. I force my tired body to sit up. He’s pinching the bridge of his nose as he stares at me. I’m clearly annoying him. I do it often, so I recognize the look.

“You were kidnapped, Isabel. It’s my job to protect you. For some unknown reason, I love you.”

I can’t help but giggle. “I love you, too,” I reply. My brother is the only member of my family who has ever shown me warmth, acceptance, and care. Daniel has been everything to me. He’s the complete opposite of my father, and I amverythankful for that.

“Is that why you’re always giving me headaches?” he asks.

“That’s just an added bonus,” I joke. “I don’t see why I need a guard. I don’t believe Ivan or Sam would be sloppy enough to let any of my captors live.”

“You’re right, but there are others. They just took care of the belly of the snake—not the head.”

“Are you trying to tell me, brother dear, that you’re not already dealing with the snake?”

“You’re annoying, you know that?”

“It’s a family trait. Youaretaking care of them, correct?”

He curses under his breath, while leaning back in his chair. “I sent Ferry after them. It’ll be done by nightfall.”

I scrunch my nose at the mention of Ferry. His name is actually Ferrin. He’s an assassin for hire. I’ve never met him. I don’t want to. My job is to save lives, his is not. In fact, that’s why my brother calls him Ferry. It’s short for Ferryman—the Greek figure who delivered people to hell. Just the mention of him gives me the creeps. There are rumors he used to actually be a priest or something. Then, after his son was murdered, he took matters into his own hands, became a vigilante, hunted down the killer, and ended his life. Now he’s basically a murder-for-hire kind of guy.

“So, I’m all good. You should let Tayko have time off to pull wings off butterflies or something.”

“You’re not all good. I just received a very irritated phone call from Samuel Levkin.”

I ignore the sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when I hear that name. If Natalie screwed this up, I may just hire the Ferryman to come get her. “What does that have to do with me? Samuel was more than glad to say goodbye to me yesterday.”

“Oh, I figured that out on your phone call yesterday.”

I don’t bother to hide my chuckle. “Thanks for holding your tongue, by the way.”

“You realize if he finds out that you’re his actual wife, we’re going to have an irate lead of the Bratva on our doorstep?”

---