Page 137 of Stolen Empire
He finishes with my wrists and looks up at me.
"You're stronger than you think."
He makes me smile.
I reach out and touch his face again, needing the connection.
"I'm scared of what might happen. Of who else might come looking for me."
"I know."
He covers my hand with his and turns his face to press a kiss against my palm.
"But you're not alone in this. Whatever happens, we face it together."
His promise settles me, though doubt still lingers.
I lean forward and rest my forehead against his, breathing in the same air, sharing the same space.
We stay like that for a long moment, neither of us speaking, both of us holding on to something we can’t name but desperately need.
Finally, he pulls back and stands.
"Sleep. I’ll be here when you wake up."
I lie down and let him pull the covers over me.
My eyes are already closing as I hear him settle into the chair by the window.
The last thing I see before sleep takes me is his silhouette against the morning light and eyes that burn with indignation over everything that's happened to me.
22
DIMITRI
Isit at the long table in my brother's war room with my uncle on one side, my brother across from me, and a few more of our men seated in chairs around me.
A map of Moscow spreads between us, marked with a potential location for where the Morozov empire may have retreated.
Rolan taps his finger against the eastern district where the Radiches have been consolidating power for the past six months.
"So the girl is Morozov's daughter," Rolan says.
He doesn't look at me when he speaks, his eyes fixed on the map as if the answer to our current problem might be hidden in the streets and districts we control.
"Yes."
I keep my voice level and my hands relaxed on the table.
I've learned over the years that showing tension in these meetings only invites more questions.
"Ekaterina Morozova. She's been living under false names since her father died. Her mother kept her hidden."
"Smart woman."
Maxim leans back in his chair, the middle child who often gets overlooked.
But my brothers are wise men, and I trust them.
