Page 79 of Chain Me

Erik.

The sound of his voice breaks something inside me. All the fear, all the desperation, all the loneliness I’ve been drowning in for three days come crashing down at once. A sob tears from my throat before I can stop it.

“Erik?” My voice cracks like I’m twelve years old.

I scramble out from behind the bed, my legs shaking so badly I nearly fall. He’s standing in the doorway, tactical gear strapped across his broad chest, a rifle slung over his shoulder. There’s blood on his sleeve and soot streaking his jaw, but his dark eyes lock onto mine with an intensity that steals my breath.

Real. He’s real.

“You came.” The words tumble out between sobs I can’t control. “You actually came.”

I launch myself at him without thinking, my bare feet slipping on the hardwood. Erik catches me easily, his arms crushing me against his chest like he’s afraid I’ll disappear. His familiar scent fills my lungs.

“I wasn’t going to let him marry you off to that bastard.” His voice is rough against my ear.

I’m crying too hard to answer. Tears stream down my face, soaking into his tactical vest. Three days of being treated like property, of facing a future that terrified me, of believing I’d never see him again—it all pours out in ugly, gasping sobs.

“Hey.” Erik’s scarred hands frame my face, tilting it up so he can see me. His thumbs brush away my tears with surprising gentleness. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

“I thought—” Another sob cuts off my words. “My father said—the wedding?—”

“There’s not going to be a wedding.” His voice turns deadly, the soldier bleeding through. “Anton Petrov won’t be bothering you.”

I search his face, looking for any sign he’s lying, but all I see is absolute certainty. Erik Ivanov doesn’t make promises he can’t keep.

“How?” I whisper.

His mouth curves into something that’s not quite a smile. “Let’s just say the Petrov family is having a very bad day.”His thumb traces the tear tracks on my cheeks. “Katarina.” My name on his lips sounds like a prayer.

For a moment, we just stare at each other—him in full tactical gear, me in silk pajamas, both of us breathing hard in the aftermath of terror and relief.

Then he leans down and kisses me.

This kiss is sweet and full of everything we couldn’t say during those stolen moments in the compound. His lips are warm and gentle, moving against mine with a reverence that makes more tears spill down my cheeks.

I taste salt and smoke and something that might be blood, but I don’t care. He’s here. He came for me.

Erik groans against my mouth, the sound vibrating through both our bodies. For one perfect moment, I think he mightdeepen the kiss, pull me closer, and make me forget about everything except the way he makes me feel.

Instead, he forces his lips from mine, his breathing ragged.

“We need to go.” His voice is strained. “Before your father brings reinforcements. We planned to do this quietly.”

I blink up at him, still dazed by his kiss and the surreal situation. “What the hell happened then? Those explosions weren’t exactly quiet.”

A muscle in his jaw ticks. “I’ll explain once we’re away and safe.”

The distant sound of vehicles approaching cuts through the air—engines revving, tires squealing against asphalt. Erik’s whole body tenses, his soldier instincts taking over.

“Katarina.” His eyes lock onto mine, dark and urgent. “Do you trust me?”

The question should require thought. Logic. Careful consideration of the man who held me captive, who belongs to a family that’s been at war with mine for years.

But there’s no hesitation in my answer.

“Yes.”

“Then we go. Now.”

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