Page 51 of Claimed in Sin
I know what she's saying, but her mess can't have been nearly as bad as mine. My own father wants me to abort my baby, and I'm positive once he learns Maksim is dead, he'll just find a different man to force me to marry. This one may not be as kind as Maksim even was.
"My father's angry," I say. "He sent armed men to Stepan's apartment tonight."
"I heard."
"He won't stop. If he finds out I'm in the Kuzin compound with no plans to come home, he'll think I'm betraying him. The Radins are our enemy."
Mila nods. "I believe you. I'm not going to tell you your father isn't dangerous. I don't know him and I don't know what he's capable of." She leans forward. "But I know Roman. And I know Stepan. If there's a way to do this without more people getting hurt, they'll find it."
Her words touch a place in my heart that's so tender and frightened. I blink and the tears spill over and run down my cheeks and drip into the bathwater. Mila stands and grabs a washcloth off the rack and hands it to me, and I press it against my face.
"You're safe here, Marina. I promise you that, and so is your baby. Okay?"
I lower the washcloth and look at her standing over me, hovering like a mother who wants to hug her child, but I'm grateful she keeps her distance at this precise moment. "Thank you," I say.
A knock on the bedroom door carries through the bathroom. Mila turns her head.
"Marina?" Stepan sounds tired and a bit emotional, and it makes my heart squeeze. I want him in here with me, and I want to know what he thinks of this baby.
Mila looks back at me and winks. "That's my cue. For what it's worth, he's a good man. Stubborn and reckless and terrible at communicating, but good."
She slips out of the bathroom. I hear her muffled voice saying a few words to Stepan I can't make out. Then the bedroom door opens and closes and his footsteps come closer.
He appears in the bathroom doorway with his hands in his pockets and his shoulders slumped, and the exhaustion on his face sits deep behind his eyes. I feel that same sting of guilt I've been carrying around with me as he stands there looking at me glumly. I made a huge mess for everyone by so stupidly wanting more than life offered me. I took where it wasn't permitted and the man I love carries this weight on his shoulders that's all my fault now.
"Hey," I say.
He crosses to the tub and drops to his knees beside it and rests his forearms on the rim. His face softens and he pushes a damp strand of hair off my forehead.
"I need to talk to you," he says softly. "Roman and I have a plan."
I'm a little nervous to hear this plan, but I trust him. He asked me to trust his love for me above all else, and that's what I'm choosing to do. "Okay?" I say cautiously.
"It might not be what you want to hear... and I swear if you go with this, you'll never have to be afraid again. I just?—"
"Just say it, Stepan." At this point, as long as it doesn't include killing my family or hurting anyone I love, I have to listen to him. I can’t do anything on my own and without his help, I'm just cattle ready to be shipped to market.
He grimaces and his eyes drop, like he can't look at me as he says it. "If you and I get married, and we can convince your father to agree to a new alliance, we can stop his attacks. Replace the Orlov deal with a Kuzin deal. Give him a reason to stand down that saves his pride and protects his business."
"Stepan..."
He keeps talking, as if saying more words will make this easier, but my choice is already made. "I know your father. I know he won't take a new deal easily when the old one fell apart, but it's the best play we've got. If it works, nobody else has to get hurt."
"Stepan," I say again, but he just keeps going.
"And I know that you already told me no twice, but that was when you were being forced into marriage with Maksim. But he's gone now, and there's no hope for your family. It means your father will?—"
"Yes," I say. "I'll marry you." There isn't even a tiny bit of doubt in my mind that this is what I want. This man, this baby, this life with him. What was supposed to be a fling turned into my greatest adventure and the love of my life, and I don't want to be that stupid woman who let him get away.
Stepan lifts his eyes to look at me and they're glassy and bright, but his whole body is still tense, like he's poised to keep arguing his point. "Yeah?"
"Yes." I put my wet hand on his then sit up and let the bubbles and water slosh around me. "My father is gonna hate you, but yes. I want to marry you."
His reaction is priceless. He leans forward, cupping both of my cheeks, and kisses me firmly on the lips, then presses his forehead to mine. "I was so afraid you'd say no again. God, Rina, I'm so in love with you... And now this baby."
"I love you too, Stepan, so much." It's more than I hoped for, the way he so easily accepts this baby and me, and it takes my breath away. I could get lost in him, and this time, I think I want to. Without fear of my father or Maksim getting in the way.
26
