Page 51 of The Enemy's Defector

“ButIdon’t,” he retorted hotly. “AndIam the one marrying you.”

I cupped his face gently and caressed his cheek while not giving up my smirk. “Yes. But you are an Ivanov and are never separate from your family. Just as I will always carry the taint of my family name and?—”

“Until you take mine.” He dodged my tender touch to snake his arm around my waist and pull me close.

I collided with him, grunting at the force of being flush to him so quickly.

“Let’s get this done,” he growled to the officiant.

The older man blinked, perhaps startled at the impatience in my fiancé’s tone. I was used to it, though, and as the man had us recite a few lines of promising ourselves to each other in the name of matrimony, I gave up on this tension and relished the thrill.

I was doing this.

Wewere doing this, for real.

I was committing to standing by Nikolai Ivanov for the rest of my life. But as he grinned at me, cocky and stubborn, I realized it wouldn’t change who we were at heart.

Because I’d already stood by him. All my life, I’d aligned with him, and it felt like an afterthought to make it official now.

To quietly make him mine without much fanfare.

“I do,” I replied to the officiant as I stared deep into Nik’s dark-brown gaze.

I hoped he saw the love I held for him.

Then a moment later, he gave me hisI dowith a self-satisfied smile that could’ve otherwise looked arrogant.

Before I could adjust to the feel of the thin metal ring he’d placed on my finger, I braced for the impact of his hot lips brushing over mine. I sighed again—a happy one—as I closed my eyes and slid my fingers through his hair. Holding the back of his head to keep him with me as we kissed as husband and wife, I tried to commit this moment to memory. No matter how hurried it was, I would treasure this change forever.

I was no longer alone.

This baby was no longer unprotected.

I had a family now, not just a child to raise and love but a husband too.

Thiswassomething to celebrate. Eventually.

But not now.

As we broke the kiss and stared into each other’s eyes, letting so many emotions pass between us without a word, the guards who’d been so skeptical of my being here with Nik reacted.

They spun, guns up.

Their arms flung up to barricade us both.

“Get back!” one shouted as the door was kicked in and assassins filed inside to crash my wedding.

22

NIKOLAI

Ipulled Katerina back with me as the men filed into the apartment. Even though I had backup with the two soldiers here, I was on edge and anxious to protect her.

My wife.

She wasn’t just an old friend.

She was more than only a skilled hacker I counted on.