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“Thank you for coming back,” Anastasia whispers against my neck.
“I’m always here,” I say softly, catching sight of my phone lighting up with a message on the floor. “You’re not alone, Anastasia. I’m here.”
38
ANASTASIA
We fuck all night.
We sleep all day.
And fuck the next night.
It feels like a dream, like I’ve died and joined Erik in heaven, away from all the stress and pain of the past year. For the first time in a long time, I feel safe.
The day after, we talk.
We talk about Viktor and everything Erik did for him, right down to investigating me for clues as to whether or not I killed my father. Erik lays out every moment of doubt he had, as well as how quickly he fell in love with me. He describes how often he spoke up for me and tried to balance what he thought was Viktor’s grief. Knowing now that it was pure greed and malice doesn’t change how Erik did what he thought was best for both of us.
Then, I forgive him.
Trust will take time to rebuild, but watching Erik fly off the roof with Viktor cemented one truth in my heart that I never thought I would get to voice.
I love him.
Everything about him.
Erik’s working for Viktor didn’t change all the things he did for me as my bodyguard. It didn’t change how he protected me, how he cared for me or how sweet he was each time I needed him. All of that was still real.
Telling Erik I loved him was overwhelming, and I cried more than I should have. It had to be hormones. Then, for the first time since the gala, I felt like I could breathe.
Like air had returned to the halls of the Remizova estate.
Erik clasps my hand in his and leads me toward the lounge, where sunlight pours in through the bay windows. Life has returned to the estate a little, with some of the guards returning and Erik ensuring the entire place is cleaned from top to bottom, and child-proofed with the impending arrival of our little one. He’s really taking it upon himself to make sure everything is perfect, and I finally feel like I can take a moment to enjoy being pregnant.
Until I step into the lounge and am met with a sea of faces staring at me.
My stomach immediately somersaults and my heart begins to race as I take in each familiar face. Rocky stands near the window with a drink in hand. Tatiana is on the couch with a magazine in her hand while she lounges back against thecushions. Faina is next to her, Cormac stands by the fireplace on a phone call, and even Hazel from The Black Ox is here.
“Erik,” I say in a strained voice. “What is going on?”
“Do you trust me?” he asks softly, looking back at me with warmth flooding his gorgeous eyes.
It feels like a trick question considering everything we’ve been through, but after a moment of staring up at him, I nod cautiously. “Yes.”
“Then trust me when I say you’re not alone.” He tightens his grip with a comforting squeeze and leads me toward everyone.
Cormac is the first to react. “Love you too, Evelyn,” he says into the phone, then he smiles brightly at me. “Anastasia.”
Everyone looks up and my heart stops. Sweat prickles down my spine, sending a sweeping rush of heat through my body, and I clutch tighter at Erik as my heart beats wildly. “Cormac.”
“It’s good to see you up and about,” he says, walking forward. “After the gala explosions, we were concerned.”
“Why?” I ask without thinking.
Cormac looks confused. “Did you really think that after what happened with Brenden, and our drug deal, that I wouldn’t be concerned about what was going on with you?”
I have no answer.