Page 70 of Obsession of the Bratva

My hands were shaking.

I hadn’t even realized it until then, but Nico noticed immediately. Of course he did. He noticed everything.

“Sit down, Vera,” he said, pulling out a chair for me while he remained standing. The room was simply decorated with white walls and minimal décor. A bed, a desk, and a wardrobe were the only items of furniture in the room. The room had been built for survival.

I sank onto the edge of a chair; my pulse was still racing. The room suddenly felt very small. Very real. Because this time, I knew none of this was just training or a practice drill for when things got difficult. This wasn’t a movie but a proper attack. And judging by Nico’s expression, this was worse than he might have expected.

“How could Adrian have reached us, Nico?” I asked, my head spinning. The safehouse was supposed to be hidden.

Nico didn’t reply as he continued to move around the room, checking monitors and weapons and exits. Every movement looked practiced and familiar, as though he’d done this a hundred times before. The realization hurt, because nobody should be that comfortable preparing for war.

Especially not Nico. My Nico.

The thought of his life being in danger hurt more than anything else.

“I underestimated him. The only way he could have found out so quickly is by having me followed or following me himself. That is the only plausible explanation.”

A loud impact rattled somewhere outside, and my stomach dropped, but Nico barely reacted. I watched him move. Watched the concentration on his face. Watched the tension in his shoulders. The beautiful man I’d fallen in love with. The dangerous man who had kidnapped me. The same person. Always the same person. I suddenly hated how fragile everything felt and how close we had come to something good. But all of this only reminded me of how quickly it could all disappear.

“Nico.”

He looked over, still appearing distracted. “What?”

The answer almost escaped before I could stop it because the truth was simple. Terrifyingly simple. I was scared.

Not of him. Not anymore.

I was scared for him. Scared something would happen to him before I managed to fix everything between us. Scared my father had finally delivered on his threat. Scared I was running out of time. Scared that this could potentially be the last time he was before me. The very thought of it all made my heart bleed.

“Nico.”

His gaze sharpened, and the second repetition caught his attention. I stood from the chair and slowly made my way towards him. He stopped checking the monitors and finally gave me all his attention. The room felt smaller with every step toward him, and his expression softened slightly, as if he could see the concern and fear in my expression.

“What is it, Vera?” he asked. “I have to go out there soon, my love.”

I swallowed.

“Do you have to? Can’t you stay here with me? You have trained soldiers to handle situations like these.” I knew I was being selfish, but I didn’t care. Letting Nico go back out there meant trouble, and I didn’t want anything to happen to him. I wouldn’t be able to take it. I knew that.

“I’m not weak, Vera. I cannot act like a coward and leave my men alone to fight my battles while I hide away. I would never be able to live with myself.”

He was right. I knew he was right. And the moral code he followed only made me fall for him even more. Nico Romanov was a brave man, and I knew that already. He was a man of his word and a man who cared about those he loved, and his soldiers and men were practically his family. I nodded in understanding, not knowing what else to do.

“Please be careful.”

Something changed in his face. Not dramatically. But just enough for me to see it. Enough for him to know I meant it. “I always am.”

I laughed softly. “You really aren’t.”

For a second, he looked almost amused, but then another distant explosion echoed through the structure, and the moment we were sharing vanished as reality crashed back on us. Nico reached for a rifle and loaded it, my chest tightening as I watched his precise movements. That meant he was leaving. Of course he was leaving.

He couldn’t stay here. People depended on him. Men were fighting for him. Possibly dying for him. But I hated it anyway.

“Nico.”

He paused. “Yes?”

The question slipped out before I could reconsider. “How bad is it?”