Page 156 of Wicked Refusal

“Why?”

“Because I thought I was going to die, and all I could think about was you.” He touches his forehead to mine. Our breaths mingle together. “You’re already my family, Mia Winters. You, Eli, and our baby. I wouldn’t change that for the world. And I don’t want any more lies between us.”

I start shaking. I can’t help it. It’s all I’ve ever wanted to hear—all I never thought I’d ever, ever hear.

After this, I’ll tell him.That quiet promise to myself burns a hole in my heart.I’ll tell him everything.

All this time, I didn’t feel safe coming clean to him because I had no idea what he’d do. But that’s what trust is, isn’t it? Believing the other person will do the right thing. That he won’t trample over your wishes just because he can. The only example I ever had was Brad, and well, look how that turned out.

But Yulian’s willing to try. He’s willing to beat his past and make room for me.

And…

“You were going to die for us,” I say. “To protect us.”

“I was,” he confesses. “But that means nothing if I’m not willing to live for you, too.”

He kisses me. It’s a slow, tender thing—a brush of lips and nothing more. I can taste the salt of my tears in it, the iron of his blood. Everything we’ve ever shed for each other.

“This would be the part where I get down on one knee,” he murmurs. “But you’re gonna have to take this IV out first.”

The absurdity makes me laugh. “No way. You’ll get better, andthenyou’ll get down on one knee.”

“And when I do?” For the first time, I hear hesitation in his voice. “What will you say?”

For once, the answer’s easy. For once, it’s the easiest thing in the world.

“I’ll say yes.”

His next kiss is nothing like the first. It’s fire, and passion, and everything he’s been pushing down since the day we met.

I’m about to lose myself to it when?—

“Yulian!”

The door slams open. We both turn to see Maksim, all bandaged up, breathing hard in the doorway.

“He took her,” he wheezes. “Kalinda’s gone.”

54

YULIAN

Moving around hurts like hell and a half, but I force myself to stand.

The second I move, Mia darts towards me. “Yulian, you can’t?—”

“It’s alright.” I speak softly to her. Then I turn to Maksim. “Explain.”

It may seem harsh to her, but I know my second. Right now, Maksim doesn’t need his friend. He needs hispakhan.

And that’s exactly what I’ll give him.

He’s breathing hard, struggling to speak. I remember his punctured lung. In comparison, my flesh wound is a scratch, even with all of Desya’s kicking. It’s insane that he’s even standing.

“She was…” he gasps. “She was with me. At the hospital. In Brownsville.”

So she had him operated on there.Smart move. Manhattan General is unfamiliar territory. Never know who to trust, who tokeep an eye on. Plus, that surgeon Adams did a pretty good job patching up Zhenya. Shit fucking attitude, but hands of gold. No doubt Kazimir remembered, too.