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“I’m the prince of the Bratva,” he growls. “But here, now, I’m just a man who wants to make sure his woman is safe.”

That phrase gives me the strength I need. I push myself away. “I’m not your woman, Nikolai. I’m just the woman you put in danger. Are we done for the night?”

“Let me give you a ride home,” he says fiercely.

“I don’t need that,” I reply. “I just need to hug my daughter. Is he going to come back at you for this?”

Nikolai grits his teeth. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll have something worth using in time. Or maybe I’ll have to get him first.”

“I did this for some extra cash. Now I’m part of… of this…” Organized crime. Dangerous, violent men. “Will Rafael come after me? Zoe? Rosa?”

I almost start panicking again.

“There’s a chance, isn’t there?” I say. “It was obvious all of that was for me. And it started with me insulting him. Publicly! He even said, All of this for you. Or something like that. I need to get Zoe and Rosa somewhere safe. Off the books. Crap.”

“I can find somewhere for you to stay whi⁠—”

“I can do that. I’ll rent us someplace. Far from our house. I’ll use the cash I made from the Owen Price deal. And let me tell you, I hope the keycard will net me a very nice bonus.”

He nods. “Yeah, fine. But I can help you. I’ve got properties. I can keep you safe.”

“I would’ve been safe if it wasn’t for you,” I say, turning away.

He grabs me and pulls me to him. Kisses me hard. I wish I could say it’s easy to resist him, but it’s the furthest thing from it. His hands go to my hips and squeeze possessively. He makes that hungry growling noise, like the same Nikolai from downstairs is bursting out of him. The man made of fire.

My body responds immediately. My sex growing slick, my nipples tingling, pressing firm against my bra. I want to give myself to him for becoming fierce. Protective. Primal even. But I have to think with my brain, not my heart, not… everywhere else.

I pull away, panting heavily. “I’m literally going to find a place I can pay cash right now,” I say. “And I’m going to have to make up some story to tell Rosa and Zoe. I don’t have time for this.”

“I fucking hate that you’re not letting me protect you,” he growls. “Other men like me would make you understand. They’d take you if it came to that.”

I step right up to him. Prod him in his firm chest. “What about you, mafia prince? Are you like them?”

He looks at me with that same flaming fury in his eyes, then shakes his head.

“But you tried to be once,” I murmur. “And it backfired. In DC, right? Before you came here?”

“If you have things to do, you should do them,” he grunts, avoiding the question. “And text me every hour so I know you’re safe. Keep me in the loop. Got it?”

I sigh, wanting to accept his help, knowing it would be easier. I’m going to have to call all around town trying to find a motel or something like that… and pay in cash. Because if Rafael does want to get revenge on me for turning Nikolai into a beast, he might be able to track my credit card. Rosa would tell me, “Silly girl, you like him, you trust him, so let him help you.”

I turn away.

“Do you understand?” he growls.

“I get it,” I tell him over my shoulder.

I leave, the taste of his lips still on mine, his image burned into my mind.

Powerful, strong, mine, ready to beat up a room full of men to keep me safe.

CHAPTER 16

NIKOLAI

Nikolai: Are you safe? Where are you? Let me know you’re okay.

Iknow how I sound. Possessive and needy. Fuck it. After tonight, I can’t risk anything happening to her. I’ve got Anton following her, and maybe that’s wrong. She wants to be independent. But there’s no way I’m going to let anything happen to her.