Page 65 of Claimed By the Boss

“You have no idea what it’s like to live in my world,” he says finally, his voice lower now. “Everything is a threat. Everyone is a potential enemy.”

I take his hand and look at him. “That’s why I couldn’t tell you. I’ve been thinking about all of this every day since I found out who you are. Your life poses a serious risk and it’s not just me I have to think about now. I’m responsible for this fragile little life that’s barely begun.”

His eyes narrow slightly, but there is no sharpness in them now. There’s only sadness. “I would never hurt you,” he says quietly, his voice almost breaking.

“I believe that,” I answer firmly. “But your life could hurt me. It could hurt this baby. I needed to decide what that meant before I let you in.”

Something in his expression cracks then, just slightly, like a thin line running through glass.

He exhales and looks away, toward the dark window. “I didn’t choose this life, Lyra,” he says after a moment. “When I was a kid, my father was everything to me. He was strong and respected. He was always in control, but he was still kind. He kept his business separate from home. Or at least he tried to. Iwas too young to understand the politics back then, but I knew his name meant something to people.”

I stay quiet, letting him speak. His voice is steady, but there is a weight behind it that draws me in.

“He ran this organization for years,” he continues.

“One day my father was killed,” Damien continues. “The son of one of his rivals came after him. His name is Rurik Vasiliev.”

I don’t realize I’m crying until I feel the hot tears hit my lap. I swipe them away quickly, not wanting Damien to think I can’t handle this.

“I watched my mother break apart,” he goes on. “I buried him knowing who had killed him, and knowing the man would keep breathing because the timing was wrong for revenge. By the time I took over the bratva, Rurik had made himself untouchable. I have spent years waiting for the right moment to make him pay.”

His eyes meet mine then, and they’re darker than I have ever seen them.

“So you’re planning to kill him,” I say, feeling like the wind is being knocked out of me. “Because if you don’t kill him, he’s going to kill you.”

Suddenly, everything I heard on the recording clicks. The pieces fall into place. It doesn’t necessarily make any of it right, but at least now I can start to understand why Damien is like this.

“Yes,” he answers simply, staring me down.

He’s challenging me, I know. He wants to see if this information is going to scare me away. If it will break me. Honestly, I don’t know how to feel.

I swallow hard, my pulse pounding in my ears. This is the truth, stripped bare.

“I was scared to tell you about the baby,” I admit. “Scared that if I told you, you would either push me away or pull me in too close. Scared that I would lose the little bit of distance I had left, the part of my life that was still mine.”

Damien pulls me into him, closing the space between us. His anger is gone now, replaced by something much more intimate.

“I would never push you away,” he says as he strokes my hair. “But I need you to understand that being with me means living with this. The danger will always be there in some form. I can shield you from most of it, but I can’t erase it.”

I feel the sting of tears but keep my voice steady.

“I know,” I answer honestly. “And I’ve been trying to decide if I can live with that. Not just for me, but for our child. And the truth is, I don’t want our baby to grow up without you.”

His grip around me tightens slightly, and I can feel his heartbeat quickening.

“I don’t want that either,” he says. “But I need you to understand that this is who I am. And I have to kill a man to keep our baby safe. Do you think you can handle that?”

I nod slowly, the knot in my chest easing just a little.

“Only if you let me in. If we’re going to do this, then I have to be your partner. Not just in parenthood, but in everything. No more secrets.”

Damien pulls away just enough to search my eyes. For a long time, we sit there, staring at each other. Then he moves in to kiss me, and I let him.

“I think I can handle that,” he says, smiling against my lips.

22

DAMIEN