Page 72 of Forbidden Forget-Me-Not

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

N: If Dimitri sees it, she won’t be fine.

I stared at the screen longer than necessary.

G: He’s already seen it. Apparently, Titus told him off when he tried to call her.

N: Good. The fucker. I should’ve seen this coming. I honestly thought he would worry about Ronan before turning his attention to Kaylani. She is young. She should be having fun and exploring what she really wants out of life. Not worrying about marriage and shit.

My thumb brushed the ring on my hand.

G: She’s not a kid anymore, and she’s tough. Tougher than Dimitri gives her credit for.

N: Doesn’t matter. She shouldn’t be forced into a marriage she doesn’t want. Knowing her, she’ll do something reckless like run off and marry some random guy just to get under Dimitri’s skin. Keep an eye on her for me.

I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. She was way ahead of him on that. Although, I didn’t fall into the random guy category.

G: Always.

N: I knew I could count on you.

I dropped the phone in the cup holder and started the truck, swearing under my breath.

The drive to Dimitri’s estate was muscle memory. The guards waved me through the gates, and I grabbed the paperwork off the passenger seat. It wasn’t really for Dimitri, but the guys working tonight didn’t need to know that.

When I parked, I noticed there were far fewer on duty than normal. I hopped out and headed for the door. Geoff was working tonight, and we had always gotten along.

“Hey Geoff, what’s going on? Where is everyone?”

“Dimitri took most of the men with him. Not sure why.”

He was on the hunt, but that worked in my favor.

“Huh. Okay, well, I’ve got some things to drop off. But I’ll stick around and lend you a hand.”

He nodded. “Appreciate the help.”

Heading in, there was literally no one around. The gaps were glaring. Seriously, this man needed his head examined. In one breath, he had ranted about how important and precious Kaylani was, and in the next, he left town and stripped his own house of protection.

That told me what mattered most to him.

Jogging up the stairs, I headed for Kaylani’s room. I tried the handle and muttered more profanities under my breath when I found it unlocked.

I pushed it open just wide enough to slip inside, then locked it behind me.

She was sound asleep, curled on her side beneath the pink and white, flowery comforter that matched her personality. Bright, bold, and unapologetic. Her hair spilled across the pillow like golden silk, and her breathing was slow and steady.

I didn’t touch her. I just stood at the foot of the bed and watched. I cataloged and memorized every rise and fall of her chest, every tiny twitch of her body, and the flutter of her lashes as she dreamed. As if my presence kept all the monsters away. Including her father.

It was as much of an illusion as the dream itself.

Who the hell was I to keep Dimitri Mikhailov at bay?

This was my job and my curse. To watch and not touch. To love and never fully claim. I hoped that Nathaniel would be happy for Kaylani and me. That he would see me more than some guy looking to take advantage of his sister. But after tonight, I wasn’t so sure.

Unable to stay away, I moved to the side of the bed and leaned over my beautiful, sleeping wife.

My fucking wife.