Page 23 of King of Shadows

It’s all too much. First, I find out I’m pregnant, and then, almost in the same breath, I find out my boyfriend doesn’t actually own and run a laundromat like he made me believe.

Okay, I’ve had my doubts. There were things about Kazimir that never quite added up, but I always found some way to explain them away. I never imagined the truth was this big. I never imagined the man I loved was part of the Bratva, with an entire world of wealth, power, and danger that I knew nothing about.

And now he’s telling me my life is in danger, and I have to marry him, whoa! I look at the man sitting in front of me, and despite everything I’ve just learned, one truth remains painfully clear, I love him.

God, I love this man. I love him so much that I would walk through fire if it meant walking through it with him. Nothing would make me happier than being Kazimir’s wife. I’ve already imagined what it would be like to build a life with him, to wake up beside him every morning and fall asleep in his arms every night.

But I want him to marry me because he loves me, because he wants me, because he sees a future with me. Not just because I’m carrying his baby. I let out a slow breath. “So being married is the only way you can guarantee my safety?” I ask.

“It’s the safest way,” he says. “If we’re married, you’re under my protection. You carry my name. Everyone knows exactly who you belong to, and they’ll know better than to come after you.”

“But the person who’s coming after you, he’ll come after me regardless, won’t he?”

Kazimir’s jaw tightens. “Yes. But if you’re living under my roof, you’re not alone anymore. You’ll have my men watching over you, you’ll have my protection, and because you’re my wife, everyone in my organization will know you’re someone they need to protect. I need to make sure that you and the baby are always protected.”

“Wow. So… is this proposal just because of the baby?”

His brows pull together.

“Is that why you want to marry me now? Because I’m pregnant?” My voice cracks slightly, and I hate that he can hear the hurt in it. “I know you said you were going to tell me the truth about yourself, but if I wasn’t pregnant, would you still want to marry me?”

Kazimir looks at me like I’ve just asked him the strangest question in the world. “No. Of course not.”

My heart sinks when I hear his answer, and then he leans closer. “I mean, of course I’d still want to marry you.”

“Kazimir—”

“I’m marrying you because I care about you, Chloe.” His voice is firm, almost offended that I could think otherwise.

“I’m marrying you because I love you. Because there isn’t another woman in this world I want to spend my life with. There is no one else I would choose to do this life with but you.”

Before I can say anything, he reaches into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and pulls out a small velvet box. My breath catches as he opens it, revealing the most beautiful ring I’ve ever seen. An oval-cut diamond sits in the center, surrounded by smaller stones that catch the light. Even with my limited knowledge of jewelry, I can tell it must have cost a fortune.

“I was going to do this tonight,” he says quietly. “Before we found out about the baby.”

The stone catches the light, sending little flashes across the room, and I stare at it in disbelief. “Kazimir…”

He was really going to do this. Even before we found out about the pregnancy, he had already planned to marry me because he wanted to spend his life with me, not because I was carrying his child.

I stare at him for another second, still trying to wrap my head around it. “Well…” I glance at the ring, then back at him. “Ask me.”

His eyebrow lifts. “Chloe, marry me.”

“That’s not a question.” I laugh despite the tears already gathering in my eyes. “Do it properly.”

His smirk widens as he stands, then lowers himself onto one knee in front of me. My heart gives a hard, painful thump as he takes my hand, his fingers warm around mine. He takes a deep breath before finally speaking.

“Chloe, these past few months with you have been the best months of my life.”

My eyes sting. “I wake up every morning looking forward to hearing your voice, to seeing you, talking to you. Even the little things I never thought would matter to me, matter when they come from you.”

His thumb brushes over the back of my hand. “You’ve changed my life in ways I never expected. Before you, I was content with what I had, I never thought I needed anything else.”

He pauses, his eyes never leaving mine. “Then you came into my life, and suddenly, all I can think about is having you in it.”

A tear slips down my cheek. “I want to wake up with you beside me every morning, come home to you, know how your day went, hear you complain about your patients, watch you fall asleep while watching your favorite TV show.” I let out a shaky laugh through my tears.

His voice softens. “I want all of it, I don’t want there to be a day when you’re not a part of my life, I don’t want us to be apart anymore. I love you Chloe, more than I knew I was capable of loving anyone.”