Page 138 of Scarlet Promise

I fucking want himgone.

Now.

But I don’t.

Not in front of Alina.

Never in front of her.

Alina’s many things, but something like that would haunt her. Keep her up at night.

Hurt her in ways I don’t even guess at.

So I don’t.

Instead, I hand her my gun as I pull off my belt. “Train that on him. If he twitches, shoot.”

She lets out a small sound but presses her lips together and nods.

Alina’s not going to have to pull that trigger. The ass isn’t moving anytime soon.

With my belt, I use it to restrain Melor’s hands. Afterward, I kick him again for good measure.

Then I drop to search the motherfucker for the cuff keys, and I call Demyan.

“Alina’s fine, unharmed, and the coast is clear.”

“Thank fuck.” Demyan hangs up.

After I find the keys in Melor’s pocket, I unlock her and rub and kiss her bruised, red wrist.

“Don’t scare me like that again, Alina,” I whisper against her sweet-smelling hair.

I take the gun from her, tuck it away, and hold her, making sure I’ve got an eye on Melor.

Demyan arrives quickly. His eyes narrow as he kicks Melor, too. “Angel, are you good? Did he touch you?”

“No.” She swallows and looks at her brother.

“Take her down to her floor,” he says to me. “I’ll get this cleaned up.”

“Gladly.” I scoop Alina up, holding her close, carry her to the elevator, and press the button.

I want to strip her naked and fuck her. I want to hold her, worship her, wash her clean so she feels new again. And most of all, I just wanther. To have her with me safe and sound and mine.

“Let’s just go home,” she whispers. “You, me, and Albert.”

She kisses and nuzzles my neck.

“Nice try,” I say, “but I’m having you checked out first.”

The elevator doors ding open, and we get in. She makes no move to get down from my arms, hers looping around my neck.

“But I already got a clean bill of health.”

“We have our beautiful dividing cells to think about,malyshka. You’re pregnant, so you’ll be checked out again. Just in case.”

She groans into me, but I can feel her smile against my throat. “Okay.”