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“There is no leaving,” Viktor says, stretching his neck to the side and exhaling wearily.
“So, I’m a prisoner?”
“No, this is your home,” Lev rushes to assure me.
“Then I’m free to go?” I ask, pushing shakily up from the couch, my legs wobbly from however long I was knocked out for.
“There will be no going anywhere, Alena. You are my wife, your place is here with me,” Dimitri growls.
CHAPTER 8
dimitri
“Excuse me?” she gasps, shock and outrage etched across her face.
It’s the first strong reaction she’s shown since she woke up and, honestly, it’s a relief. The calm manner in which she’s handled herself since she opened her eyes and realized she wasn’t in Georgia anymore was starting to freak me out.
In all the time I’ve watched her, I’ve never felt like I knew her. I know Lev and Vik don’t feel that way. They both think that observing her has given them both enough insight into her that they could anticipate her reaction, but I knew different.
Alena is a chameleon capable of reacting to a situation and altering her behavior to fit. It’s one of the things I admire the most about her, but it’s also the thing that intrigues me the most too, because it makes her unpredictable.
A part of me had expected screaming, shouting, and maybe some tears, but the calm, firm denial had been a surprise I wasn’t expecting. The copies of the DNA tests that confirm she is Grigoriy’s daughter are still on the table, untouched and ignored. She’s barely glanced in their direction, even though the results prove unquestionably who she is.
“You are my wife,” I tell her again calmly, watching carefully as her expression morphs from shock to horror in the blink of an eye.
“I am not your wife. I’m not anyone’s wife,” she protests.
Turning, I nod to Lev, who reaches into the folder again and pulls out the wedding certificate that confirms that Alena and I are in fact man and wife. Taking it from him, I push it forward and into her hands.
“No.” She shakes her head emphatically. “This can’t be real.”
“But it is,” I say coldly,
“This says we got married two days ago. We hadn’t met two days ago.”
“We met three years ago,” I state coldly. “We started a long distance relationship that transcended you leaving your hometown and eventually moving to Columbus. Your roommate Monica, Lev, and of course Viktor were all witnesses at our wedding and then we left to have an extended Honeymoon on our island.” I say each word clearly, making sure she understands what I’m saying.
“You can’t do this. None of this is real,” she whispers, staring down at the paper in her hands.
“It’s all very real. Our marriage license was signed by a judge, and the ceremony was performed by a priest. In the eyes of the law and God himself, we are man and wife.”
“No,” she gasps, shaking her head.
“It is done,” I state, making sure she hears the finality in my tone.
“Why?”
“That is a story for another day. Come.” She flinches when I reach for her arm, stumbling forward to get away from me.
“I just want to go home,” she whispers, the calm façade finally cracking as her voice breaks.
“This is the only home you’ll know from now on,” I whisper, reaching for her again, but stopping short of touching her when she recoils. “Lev will lead the way.”
Stepping around her and giving her enough space so she doesn’t react to his proximity, Lev turns, motioning with his head for her to follow. It’s painful to watch her stiff steps, but as much as I want to, picking her up would not be a good idea right now.
Instead, Vik and I walk a step behind her as she hobbles from the living room and toward the stairs. The island itself is a triumph of nature and beauty, but the house we built here is surprisingly modest, four bed, four and half bath, with more outdoor space than inside, including a large pool and patio. Hidden behind the house are three bungalows that house the men we have living on the island with us and the housekeeper and groundskeepers who maintain everything for us.
It takes everything I have not to lift her off her feet as she slowly ascends the stairs, but I manage to restrain myself, keeping the distance between us until we step into the bedroom.
