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“I’m thrilled, sweetheart. I’m so…”

She shifted to indicate that she wanted to stand, so I lowered her so she could. “I’m excited, but I was so nervous that it would be too much, too soon, for you.”

Wrapping a towel around her, I lassoed her and pulled her in for another kiss. “It’s not too much, too soon.” I picked her up again and carried her out to the bedroom. “I’m shocked, but not in a bad way.”

“It’s just so much right now. With all the threats to the family and⁠—”

I silenced her with a deep kiss again, unable to hold back from tasting her sweet lips.

“No,” I stated confidently. “Never. It’s not too much to handle. I vow”—I sat with her on my lap and pressed her hand to my chest where my heart beat so wildly for her—“I vow to always protect you. To protect my family. At all costs.”

Even when it seemed like my soul would be tainted black from evil to do so.

“My family,” I said, cupping her face. “Which includes you. And Brady.” Thinking of how excited he had to be about this news—if she’d told him already—pushed another grin on my face. “My God. Sweetheart, I already feel like I’m a father to him. And now we’ll have another.”

“Oh, Nik.” She sniffled, curling against me to hug me as she cried. I didn’t worry. Feeling the rise of her cheek against my chest proved that she was smiling. These were happy tears.

When she lifted her face, I didn’t stop stroking my hand over her back, giving her however long she needed. She blinked those gorgeous blue eyes and stunned me with a huge smile. “I’m so relieved that everything is falling into place.”

It was. It always would.

I kissed her again, promising that this was how it would be for us forever.

No matter the danger or threats. And with every shocking good news we could encounter.

34

LOUISA

Held in Nikolai’s strong arms, I felt down to the bottom of my heart that he agreed with what I’d said.

“Everything is falling into place, sweetheart. And it will for as long as I live.”

I peered up at him, sinking in the warm intensity of his brown stare locked on me. He cupped my face, stroking his thumbs over my cheeks. I loved when he held me like this, framing my face. It proved that he was focusing on me, only me, like I was the center of his world. And it was such a possessive grip that I’d never forget how much he saw me as his.

“But Gregori⁠—”

He kissed me reverently. “I won’t let him hurt you. I will not allow anyone he hires or uses to harm you at all.”

I sighed, taking his words with all the merit he spoke them with. I knew this. Because he’d come home as a bloody mess from killing someone who had done just that. He’d killed Owen—likely with brutal force—in defense of me and all that had happened.

Nikolai Volkov wasn’t a man who hid behind false promises. He showed me, again and again, that he would do everything in his power to act in my best interests. In our mutual need for security.

“And we will move on, even before Gregori is handled once and for all. We have too much to look forward to.” His smile softened as he gazed at me. “We will make this our home, not just mine. You and Brady and this new one we can look forward to welcoming to the world.”

I smiled up at him, falling further in love with this tender side of him. He was such a walking contradiction, so full of the grisly violence when he needed to rely on it for safeguarding me and the Bratva. But this sweeter, gentler side evened him out.

“We can start on figuring out a nursery. And getting whatever you need. Whatever the baby will need.” His smile increased in wattage. “You couldn’t have told Paloma yet.”

I laughed lightly. “I haven’t. Because she would…” I mimed an explosion going off.

“She will be so thrilled. Before I had a chance to find you, she had practically given up hope on being what she called a ‘grand-godmother’.”

“You are her favorite, huh?” I teased.

“Oh, not anymore. You’ll be her favorite of the family. She will be…” He laughed once. “A force of nature. Brace yourself.”

“I can’t wait.”