Dimitri mentioned they’ve scared away several nannies. I doubt they’ll go easy on me just because their father married me. I’m a stranger to them, and I don’t know how to not be one beyond just spending time with them.
I force the bite of toast down my throat and take a sip of tea before meeting Dimitri’s gaze.
“Are we bringing your children here?” I ask.
“They are no longer only my children, Camilla. They are yours, too. Ours. And yes, we will stay here.”
“What do we need to prepare for them? Do they share rooms?”
“Da. The boys will sleep in the front room and Zoya will share a room with Nanny Olga. I have ordered furniture and supplies,” he says.
Uncertainty flows through me.
“What is wrong?”
He reads me too well. I shake my head.
“Do you not want to share a bed with me?” he asks.
I stiffen.
“I… Idowant to share a bed with you, but is it really okay for the nanny and Zoya to share a room?” I ask.
He props his elbow on the table and offers me his hand. I take it.
“It is common practice in Russia,” he says.
I nod. The idea doesn’t sit right with me, but I don’t want to cause issues, so I move on to my next concern.
“Can you still hunt Feliks from here without putting everyone in more danger? You can’t hide me away. I want to help.”
“Yes and yes. You will help. Yerik caught twomudaksyesterday. We will visit him this morning so you can confirm their involvement before we attend your self-defense lesson,” he says.
My stomach twists. I sip the last few drops of tea from the bottom of my mug, using the moment to center myself, and nod in agreement.
After tidying the kitchen and grabbing our bags, we exit the front door into the morning breeze and lock both the house door and the gate on our way to the car. A shiver races up my spine as Dimitri settles me into the back seat, but when he meets my stare in the rearview mirror, I push my dread away and relax against the backrest.
Nothing about my life over the past year has been easy, but the next few hours will be pure hell, even with Dimitri by my side. Hearing my attackers will bring it all back.
It doesn’t matter. Like I vowed before, I’ll rip myself to pieces a million times if it means keeping my family safe, but now, with my Russian husband protecting and nurturing me, I know it won’t take as long to pull myself back together afterward.
I’m not alone. I have Dimitri Volkov.
My angel of death, avenger, and future lover.
Because it’s no longer a question ofifI’ll be able to handle physical intimacy with him.
It’s a matter of when.
And by the way my panties dampen from a single glance from him, I hope it’s sooner rather than later.
Chapter 14
Dimitri Volkov
She grows more beautifulevery time I look at her, even though she changes nothing about her appearance. The stubborn set of her shoulders displays her determination to identify the men who hurt her despite the haunted look in her eyes.
She looks more than capable of destroying a meeting room full of New York City’s most business-savvy CEOs with both her hard expression and her suit. Somehow she still looks crisp and vicious despite wearing her clothes for the second day in a row.