The Bratva King's Kidnapped Bride - Page 65

He’d apologized a dozen times already, and I didn’t need to hear it again. He seemed to think it was his fault, because if he’d told me the truth sooner, I might have taken his worries more seriously and been more alert. But he hadn’t been in that elevator. Didn’t see how fast those two ordinary businessmen had transformed into cold-blooded killers. Sergei was a trained professional, but he was still caught off guard. I didn’t blame him for the kidnapping, not anymore.

“I feel stupid,” I whispered.

“What?” he asked, leaning closer.

“I believed everything you said,” I told him, tears threatening to leak out onto my breakfast. “And now I feel stupid for being so gullible. I mean, my father fooled me, too, but I was a kid. Anyone would think I’d have grown a brain in between then and now.”

His eyes grew stormy, and he reached out for my hand, not letting me pull it out of his grasp.

“Don’t ever think that. You’re far from stupid. You’re trusting, and that’s a gift. I wish I had a tenth of your ability to see the good in people. It’s just one of the reasons why I love you so much.”

He let up on his grip, and I slid my hand away to fiddle with the muffin wrapper. My cheeks burned at his heartfelt words, and I couldn’t look up again.

One of the reasons I love you so much.

“Tell me you’ll stop berating yourself,” he said harshly. “None of this was your fault.”

“Okay,” I said. “I’d like to eat by myself now, please.”

With a sigh, he stood up. At the door, he paused. “You’re mine, Katie. You and our baby are the most important things in my world.”

I didn’t look up until the door clicked behind him, then I swept the tray aside to jump out of bed and pace. It was my first burst of energy since before the kidnapping, and I needed to put it to good use.

But to do what?

He’d said it himself. I was his. And now that I was pregnant, he’d never let me go.

I was well and truly trapped.

Except, I didn’t feel trapped. He’d never told me I couldn’t leave the house. It was only my misery, and, yes, fear of the dangers that I now knew lurked outside that kept me stuck in this room. But the shock of the attack had slowly worn away, along with the shock of hearing the truth from Aleks.

He was still the same man as he was before I knew he was head of the Bratva. I pressed my hand to my chest to ease the feeling that it was overflowing. Aleks hadn’t changed. He had been a mafia kingpin when I fell in love with him. He was still the man I loved.

And he’d shown me hundreds of times how he felt about me. This morning was just the first time he’d let the words slip out.

I had been alternating between sweats and pajamas, but one of the maids kept bringing me different outfits from my own closet in the hopes that something cute would entice me to get dressed. I dug through the selection and picked out some comfortable jeans and a simple white top. Baby steps.

I found Aleks in his office, poring over a tablet, with papers stacked up on either side of him. He was talking to someone in Russian on speakerphone, but as soon as he saw me in the doorway, he ended the call without even saying goodbye.

“Katie,” he said, half wary, half hopeful. “What can I get for you?”

I smiled, actually remembering how. It felt right. “I think I feel well enough to go out,” I said, testing the waters. “Maybe get a facial and a pedicure.”

He beamed at me, transforming his ruggedly handsome face into breathtaking art. “Of course. I’ll cancel my afternoon and join you for a massage.”

His relief that I had left the room made me want to hug him, so I took a few steps to separate us. He held out his arms, and I walked into them, sighing as they closed around me, safe and warm. I still loved him, still loved being in his embrace.

I didn’t want to fight him, or live without him. I wanted to forgive and move on with the happy life we’d already started. I leaned back and looked at him, smiling again at the love pouring from his eyes.

“You need to teach me how to shoot. Maybe throw a punch, too.”

“Yes, absolutely. We can start as soon as you want. Just let me wind up a few things, and then I’ll take you to the spa.”

I shook my head, wanting to put my final worry to the test. “I want to face my fears of going out without clinging to you,” I said. “I want to be with you, not need to be with you. Can you understand?”

He frowned for a long moment, but I was ready to dig in my heels if he argued. I also didn’t want to feel like he was keeping tabs on me. The trust had to go both ways.

“I do understand, as long as you realize you’ll still have a guard.” When I flinched, thinking of Sergei, he squeezed my shoulders. “They are trained professionals, Katie. They know what they signed up for. I’ll always honor Sergei for his sacrifice. His family is well taken care of, and you should know he would have been proud to go out protecting you.”