Page 29 of Jewel of the Assassin

“Were you the one who married us?”

A long pause. Then a nod. “Yes.”

I stop walking. “Am I…happy?” I ask, almost afraid of the answer.

He pauses, not losing his smile. “Yes. You test each other at every turn. Burn like oil and fire, some days. But no one can deny you’re well matched—in temperament, ambition, and passion.”

My heart skips a beat. “But what about love?”

He holds my gaze, unreadable. “I can’t answer that for you, Valentina. Perhaps what you have is stronger than love. Perhaps it transcends everyday definitions of love, even at its deepest.”

I nod, pondering. “Sasha says love just is. It can’t be explained.”

“Sasha?”

The name tickles my memory. Who is Sasha? He’s important. But I can’t recall why. And then…a sharp nip at my ankle has me yelping.

“Ugh…” I bend over and pick the feisty cat up by her scruff. She wiggles but only a little and bats at me with her paw. “You need a lesson in social skills.” Still, I can’t help but scoop her into a baby hold and scratch her cheeks.

Mikhail folds his hands behind his back. “Impressive. Poppy doesn’t usually take to most people.”

“But why would you be impressed? Wasn’t she like this before with me?”

He pauses, and I swear his face pales a little. He’s hiding something, judging by how he tugs at his collar. Shifting his weight, he shrugs and says, “A newer development, intriguing but maybe related to your accident.”

After a minute or two, I let the cat down. We arrive at the bedroom suite shortly. Just as I turn the knob, Mikhail stops me. “Valentina, while you may not know, Roman, I will share this. He doesn’t give himself lightly. And when he does…he doesn’t know how to let go.”

All I do is nod and enter the room without a farewell. Because I feel the gravity of those words. Like Roman has jaws, andthey’ve already sunk into me. The more I struggle, the more his teeth will cut. The more he will bleed me and break me.

And still…I know I will give him everything I’ve got.

I try to rest.I really do.

I lie on the bed—soft as a cloud, dressed in fresh sheets that smell faintly of cedar and something masculine. It’s not the dull pain from the crash that keeps me awake. It’s the words. Something else Mikhail said.

You burn like oil and fire. Well matched in passion…

I stare at the ceiling, breathing shallow.

What kind of man marries me, then hides me away like a state secret?

Ugh, I need to do something other than lie here with my racing thoughts. So, I slip from bed and pull on the soft slippers left by the footboard. The halls are quiet. I move slowly, carefully. No destination in mind. Just…listening. Feeling.

The sun has begun to set, so the hallway lamps flicker shadows along the walls, giving everything a darker but seductive energy.

Then I hear the faint but rhythmic clink of metal and a deep, controlled exhale. Drawn like a moth, I follow the sound through a side corridor that opens up to the wide, glass-walled gym.

I stop just short of the door left ajar, hiding behind a tall potted plant with fronds.

And there he is.

Roman strides out of the adjacent pool, water cascading down his body in shimmering sheets. He’s bare from the waist up, every muscle flexing as he wraps a towel around his neck. I freeze, unable to tear my gaze.

Slabbed, sculpted muscle bulges—his chest broad, his arms carved like weapons, his abdomen taut and relentless. And then,his back! For the first time, I reallyseeit: the thick, jaw-dropping muscle shifting like coiled rope. Pale silver scars riddle his flesh.

And what I first thought were tattoos are much darker.

They’rebrands.