Page 154 of The Enemy Protector
We sit like that for a long moment. Neither of us speaking. Just holding each other.
“I’m sorry,” I say finally. “For keeping secrets and not telling you about your mother sooner. I didn’t want to hurt you. You were so young and then you seemed to be moving forward. I didn’t want to bring you back down.”
“I know.” Her voice is muffled against my shirt. “I’m still angry about it. But I understand why you did it.”
I lean down and kiss her. Soft at first, then deeper. She responds immediately, her hands coming up to thread through my hair.
I need to feel her alive and warm and mine. She may not understand it yet, but I know I might not get the chance again.
I pull her onto my lap, my hands sliding under her shirt. She gasps against my mouth when my fingers find bare skin.
“Sergei,” she breathes.
“I need you,” I tell her. “Right now. I need to feel you.”
She doesn’t argue. She just pulls her shirt over her head and reaches for my belt.
I lay her down and strip off my clothes. She’s already working on her jeans, pushing them down her hips.
When we’re both naked, I cover her body with mine. Her eyes flutter closed, and her mouth falls open on a soft moan.
“Look at me,” I demand.
She does. Those blue eyes lock on mine.
"I love you. I know you're not ready to say it back. Take all the time you need. I've already waited eight years for you. A little longer won't kill me."
This is my goodbye. If I never get the chance to be with her again, I need her to know I loved her.
I make love to her slowly. I have spent years learning every pattern, every habit, every weakness. This is different. This I want to remember by heart for entirely different reasons.
This is my goodbye.
I don’t say it out loud.
I just make sure she feels it.
35
Sofia
I’m sitting across from two of Yuri’s lieutenants in the Baranov business conference room. I’m trying very hard to look like a woman who’s given up.
It’s not difficult. I’m exhausted. I haven’t been sleeping well. The nausea comes and goes in waves that have nothing to do with nerves and everything to do with the tiny life growing inside me.
The life I’m protecting.
That’s what this is about. Not just me anymore. Not just survival. I’m protecting my baby.
“Thank you for meeting with me,” I say, keeping my voice soft. Defeated. “I know this is...unexpected.”
One leans back in his chair. “Your message was very clear, Mrs. Sokolov. You wish to discuss terms.”
Mrs. Sokolov. Not Baranova. The title tastes like ash, but I don’t correct him. It’s a power move. I let him get away with it because it’s part of the story I’m trying to sell.
“I want to speak with Yuri,” I say. “Directly. I’m ready to hand over the business, but I have terms.”
The younger man’s eyes narrow slightly. “Why the change of heart?”
