Page 57 of The Enemy Protector
“You don’t have time.”
“Your protection is marriage. I have to be your wife.”
“Yes.”
“Why can’t we just be allies?”
“I have allies. Marriage or nothing.”
She sucks in a breath. I can see her need to push back. I want to see it. Her fight is the only thing keeping her alive.
“You really know how to sell it.”
“I’m not trying to be romantic. This is business. For you, it’s your life. You will be dead soon, Sofia. He won’t miss again.”
She frowns. “Yuri?”
I don’t answer. “You’re out of time.”
She wraps her arms around herself. A defensive gesture. Vulnerable.
“I’ll consider your proposal.”
“That’s a yes.”
Her head snaps up. “I said I’ll consider?— “
“You called me,” I interrupt. “When you were in danger and you needed help, you didn’t call your father. You didn’t call your guards. You called me. That’s already a yes. You just haven’t admitted it to yourself yet.”
When she was scared, she called me. I don’t think she understands what that means to me. Maybe it’s better if she doesn’t.
That was a choice. She’s already made her decision.
I see the anger flash across her face. Good. I’d rather have her furious than frightened.
“You’re arrogant.”
“I’m realistic.” I push off the desk. “I’m leaving. You can come with me now, or I can have Nelson escort you. Either way, you’re going to accept my protection. It’s either that or you wait for him to finish what he started. And I guarantee you he will.”
“You’d let someone try to kill me just to prove a point?”
“My point has already been proven. How many more bodies will it take for you to see it?”
She’s quiet for a long moment. I watch her think. Watch her calculate. She’s running through options, looking for another way out.
She won’t find one.
“I’ll consider it,” she says finally.
I open the door. Kirill and Nelson are waiting.
“Take her to the safehouse.”
“No! You don’t get to decide where I go.”
I exhale slowly and turn back to face her. “You think your father is going to protect you?”
She considers that. “I can protect myself. I need to see if Gregor is there.”
