Page 29

Aria

I don’t know what day it is anymore.

I haven’t left Daniil’s side since Leo brought me back to the safe house, with Rex right there with me, watching over his owner like the good boy he is.

It turns out we were in Manhattan Beach the entire time, right next to Brighton Beach and Coney Island. I suppose this isn’t a safe house anymore, since my family knows about it, but I feel safe here nonetheless. I love it here.

Daniil’s brothers are all here too, and they’ve been nothing but kind to me despite the fact that I’m the reason their brother is lying in this bed, unconscious and fighting for his life.

“You have to come back to me, Daniil. You promised me you wouldn’t die, remember?”

I hold his hand and smooth my fingers over his scarred knuckles.

He’s shirtless, with his abdomen bandaged, his chest dotted with electrodes, and his arm hooked up to an IV pump. I don’t like seeing him like this. Like he isn’t the invincible man I’m used to.

I’ve spent the countless hours I’ve been sitting here memorizing his tattoos inked up and down his arms. They stop at his shoulders, and I know that’s probably because he never wanted to take his shirt off and be seen as anything less than the threatening boss he is.

“This is all my fault. I’m sorry,”

I swipe an errant tear that escapes out the corner of my eye. I thought I cried them all out, but more seem to always come.

“Can I get you anything, Aria?”

Maksim asks me, and I shake my head.

“I’m okay, thank you.”

“This isn’t your fault, you know,”

he says, trying to comfort me.

“It is. I forgot to call my sister on Thursday to check in with her and tell her I was okay, and she called my brother. I was distracted.”

Maksim smiles.

“Whatever you were distracted by, I can almost be certain Daniil would argue it was worth getting shot over.”

My lips lift in my first smile since before Sav and Dante stormed into the house.

“Probably. Doesn’t mean I’m not to blame. I don’t know why you and your brothers aren’t mad at me and are even letting me be here.”

“Because Daniil would kick are asses if he found out we did that. He claimed you, Aria. He knew the risk when he took you. Trust me, we told him. But he thought you were worth it. And seeing how you came back here and have been by his side, we know you’re worth it. You’re a good woman, Aria. You’re good for him.”

“Thank you.”

I barely get the words past my clogged throat. My brother and father said such shitty things to me, that hearing Maksim say such kind words, it makes me feel like he’s more my brother than Sav right now. Things will work out with my brother eventually, but not right now.

Same with Gia. She apologized when I called her to tell her I was alive and well, and I forgave her because I always do, but she refused to believe that I was ever safe or okay with Daniil from the start. Now he’s lying in this bed, still not awake.

Standing, I rush over to Maksim and hug him, catching him by surprise.

“Oh!”

I laugh.

“Sorry. It’s just been a long couple of days and you’re being so nice to me. Like a brother. My own was so horrible to me.”

“It’s okay.”

He rubs soothing circles around my back.

“I never got to have a sister,”

he tells me, and it makes me cry all over again and hug him tighter.

“I know,”

I sob.

“I’m so sorry.”

Maksim hugs me back until a groggy voice says.

“Get your hands off my girl.”

“Oh my God!”

I exclaim and rush to Daniil’s side.

“You’re awake!”

His beautiful icy blue eyes are open and looking at me, and they’re even more beautiful than my memory could recall. I was terrified I wouldn’t get to see them again.

“You’re alive,”

I say softly, a fresh wave of tears filling my eyes.

“Why was my brother touching you?”

“He was comforting me, not touching me. Relax.”

Daniil looks at Maksim.

“Don’t hug her again. Now leave so I can talk with my girl.”

Maksim shakes his head with a grin.

“Good to see you’re alive, brother. I’ll go and tell the others and bring Rex in from outside. He hasn’t left your side either.”

I pour Daniil a glass of water and hand it to him. He drinks half of it and hands it back to me.

“Have you not left my side, beautiful girl?”

he asks, his voice smoother now.

I roll my lips between my teeth and shake my head, trying to keep my tears at bay, but failing miserably.

“I’m so sorry, Daniil. I’m so sorry Sav shot you. You could’ve died. You almost did.”

Sniffling, I swipe my cheeks.

“There was so much blood.”

“Baby,”

Daniil croons.

“come here.”

“Where?”

“Up here.”

“What? No. You need to rest.”

His eyes turn hard and I smile.

“I’m glad you can still do that.”

“Do what?”

“The controlling thing you do to me with your eyes. I missed it. I love it.”

Daniil’s eyes flare when I say the word love, and it makes me wonder if he heard me when I said I loved him.

“It’ll take more than a bullet to kill me, kukolka.”

“A bullet is exactly what can kill you and this better be the last time I have to go through this.”

“I can’t make that promise. I wouldn’t want to break it.”

“I know.”

He traces the dark circles under my eyes.

“You look like you haven’t slept.”

“I haven’t.”

“How did you get back here? Do they know you’re here?”

“Leo brought me back,”

I confess, and Daniil’s eyebrows raise.

“My brother and dad were adamant I shouldn’t be with you, but Leo came to our defense. I think he understands because of Abri. A lot of things are put into a better perspective now that he has her.”

“I can understand that.”

“Can you?”

He shifts and grunts in pain as he lifts a hand to cup my face.

“Yeah, Aria. I understand how a woman can change your perspective on the world. You’ve changed mine.”

He brushes his thumb over my bottom lip.

“I’ll have to talk to your family when I don’t look like I can’t fight for you.”

“You don’t have to fight for me. I’ve already chosen you.”

“I’d never ask you to choose between me and your family, kukolka.”

He strokes my cheek.

“But then again, if the answer wasn’t me, I’d just take you away again and be better at hiding us. I’m not letting you go, Aria. I’d take you hating me and fighting me so long as I had you with me.”

“I don’t think I could ever hate you, Daniil.”

“Then say it again, baby. Tell me.”

“What? That I don’t hate you?”

“No. You know what.”

My brows are pulled together as I think what he could possibly want me to say again…

Oh…

My eyes round in embarrassment and I try and pull away from him, but he’s not having it. He cups the back of my neck and brings me right back.

“You heard me?”

I ask softly, and his eyes turn into those hypnotic blue flames that can get me to admit anything.

If I tell him, then there’s no going back. Not that I want to go back to my life before Daniil, or go anywhere that isn’t with him, but this is different. This is the more we tried avoiding that has the power and momentum to send us straight off a cliff.

I know he can see the fear in my eyes, but his are pleading with me to say it again. He wants me to tell him what he never thought he’d have and what he thinks he doesn’t deserve.

He holds my gaze, letting me sort through what I need to in my head so that when I say the words, we’ll both know they’re real. They’re one hundred percent my heart finding its voice.

“I love you, Daniil.”

The emotionless veil he used to keep as a shield over his face and eyes hasn’t been in place since he woke up, and his eyes have been nothing short of expressive. Right now, they’re a brilliant blaze of warmth and life. A complete one eighty to the cold and lifeless stare I first met in the club.

His fingers around the back of my neck press harder into my flesh and the heart monitor he’s hooked up to speeds up, which has me smiling.

“I’m going to give you everything, Aria,”

he finally says, and I blink away tears.

“I’m going to give you everything so you understand how much I need you. You’re my lifeline. It’s you that’s keeping me afloat and giving me a life I didn’t know existed. I’ve never known a kind hand – a loving hand – before you touched me. I’ve never known anything good about life before you. I’m going to give you everything because I can’t lose you now that I’ve found you.”

Tears stream silently down my cheeks, my heart so full.

“You see me – all of me – and you don’t look at me like a monster. You look at me like you love me. I didn’t know that look before you, but I do now, and I’m not letting that go either.”

I can’t take being this far from him any longer, so I climb up onto the bed and he pulls me against his uninjured side so I’m half on top of him.

“That’s better,”

he says, tugging on the ends of my hair.

“You know, you’re the first woman I ever slept in the same bed with. It was the best sleep I’ve ever gotten. So, injured or not, you’re going to be in my bed, right on top of me, so I know where to find you.”

“I can do that.”

“No holding back and no lies. I want that rule for forever with you, kukolka.”

Forever? He wants forever with me?

“Can we include naked days and the other games we played?”

I ask shyly.

“Baby,”

he murmurs, lifting me up his body with a grunt of exertion.

“Don’t hurt yourself!”

I scold, and he chuckles darkly.

“You know I can take the pain, and you know you’re always my prey, kukolka. I won’t ever stop hunting you and fucking you until I out run the demons at my back.”

“Sounds good to me.”

I’m suddenly lightheaded as my body comes alive being near him like this.

“I know it does. I know exactly what you need.”

Daniil captures my lips in a kiss that has me losing every last piece of me I kept for myself in case he didn’t want me the way I want him. I wanted a morsel of my old self to cling to and rebuild with if I needed to.

I don’t need them now.

He can have every piece of me because now I know he’s going to give me everything in return.

“Aria,”

he says against my lips, licking my bottom lip and sucking it into his hot mouth.

“Yes?”

I pant, hooking my leg over his.

“Look at me, kukolka,”

he demands, the authority back in his voice. I blink my eyes open and focus on his.

“I’ve never said the words before. Not to anyone. Not even my mom. They could never come out. Like now. I’m not good at words, Aria. I’m used to keeping everything to myself.”

I slide my hand up his bare chest to cup his face.

“I know, and I love you,”

I tell him again, and he closes his eyes, savoring my words and letting them permeate into him.

When he opens his eyes again, there’s a determination in them that has my heart skipping a beat.

“I love you, too.”

Tears spring to my eyes again, and I throw myself at him, kissing him until I can’t breathe.

A knock at the door startles me and I pull away from Daniil, only for Rex to appear at the side of the bed a second later, barking and jumping in excitement.

“Come on up, Rexy,”

I tell him, and he jumps right up onto the bed.

“You take orders from her now?”

Daniil asks, and Rex circles his tail before finding a good spot to lie down, with his head on Daniil’s legs.

“Of course he does. He loves me. Right, Rexy?”

I reach down and scratch his head, and he perks up.

“You’re a good boy who deserves that steak I promised you for keeping me company while Daniil was sleeping.”

“I’m glad he did,”

Daniil says, tugging the ends of my hair.

“I won’t be leaving you alone again.”

“You better not. I need you, Daniil.”

“You have no idea how much I need you, Aria.”

I lie my head on his shoulder and close my eyes, finally able to relax now that I know my man is alive and loves me.