Page 76 of Righteous Enforcer
Of course, I was wrong.
Maksim killed my father anyway.
And now here I am, with Adriano, on the verge of having all my secrets revealed.
All that effort to protect myself and Mirabella was in vain.
If Adriano doesn’t kill me, surely, Alessandro will.
Perhaps it’s time to tell the truth. Maybe I’m not giving Adriano enough credit.
He knows I’m hiding something and yet he’s still wanting to build a family with me.
At least that’s how it seems with picnics, a night out at the theater, sensual nights in his bed.
I want to reach for him, but my hands remain frozen in my lap.
What could I possibly say that won’t destroy everything?
"You're going to tell me everything." Adriano's voice breaks the suffocating silence as we pull up to the compound. "Not tomorrow. Not when you're ready. Tonight."
The finality in his tone leaves no room for negotiation.
We enter the house, and Adriano carries our sleeping daughter upstairs while I trail behind. I feel like I’m walking to my execution.
"I'll take her," I say, wanting time away from him to think, but he shakes his head.
"Let me." The words are rough. I’m not sure if it’s due to his annoyance at me over Ivan or my attempt to take Mirabella from him.
I don’t fight him. Instead, I pull back the covers as he gently lays Mirabella down.
She stirs slightly. "Daddy?"
"I'm here, Princess." He brushes her curls from her forehead. "Sleep now."
She clutches her stuffed unicorn closer and drifts back to sleep.
I watch her face.
She’s so innocent, so perfect.
It breaks me when I consider all the blood and darkness in the world.
She doesn't understand all that threatens her fairy tale life.
I press a kiss to her forehead and straighten, meeting Adriano’s eyes. Something unspoken passes between us.
Something that doesn’t involve Ivan.
It’s just him, me, and Mirabella.
For a moment, we're just two parents admiring their child.
There are no lies between us, no Russians hunting us down, no brother waiting to pass judgment.
Just this tiny bubble of peace.
But as quickly as it’s there, it’s gone again, replaced by suspicion.
