Page 24 of Sinful Bride

“You’re legally registered as Daphne Covington. That’s not a lie. Neither is the fact that your relationship with your parents is… How should I say it…”

“Toxic. Nonexistent. A thorn in my side.”

He smirks. “That and more. None of this is your fault.”

Relief washes over me. I lean into him, grateful for his physical support as much as his metaphorical. “And Mel… She didn’t…”

“I know.” He lets out a heavy sigh. “What I don’t know is how they found you here. Not just in this town, but in this room.”

My blood ices over, pooling deep in my stomach as the implication sets in.

“Are…” I swallow hard. I don’t like the thought; I hate voicing it even more. “Are we being followed?”

If I hate the notion, Pasha clearly despises it. With a vengeance. His whole face darkens and if I weren’t so confident in my status in his eyes as the mother of his child, I’d be scrambling for the door.

He is, in every sense of the word, dangerous.

“We shouldn’t be. I have people everywhere. But I can’t think of how else they’re pulling this shit off.” That vein in his jaw starts pulsing again. “It’s too perfectly timed. Too calculated.”

I stare at his hand holding mine. At the way his thumb caresses the backs of my fingers. I’m not sure he’s even aware he’s still doing it—just like I’m not sure he’s aware of how much he’s pulling me in right after shoving me away.

God help me, I want to be pulled in. I shouldn’t. But I want to feel safe for once in my life.

“I just want to go home,” is what comes out instead.

Pasha nods. “I’ll check with the nurse in the morning. The guest room isn’t ready, but my mother won’t mind?—”

“At your place?” I’m afraid to look at him; I’m afraid of the answer. Of the rejection I know is coming.

“At our place,” he corrects. “Of course. Home. Where else would home be?”

I shrug. “I don’t know. After everything… Shit, I don’t know.”

“It’d be a lot easier for me if my wife lived under the same roof.”

Is it possible to choke on your own spit? Because I think I just did.

“I’m sorry. Your what?”

Pasha blinks like I’m the one who’s saying crazy things. “You heard me. We’re getting married.”

10

DAPHNE

I think I’m reaching max capacity for dealing with overwhelming things. I’ve just given birth. Became a mother. Had my child kidnapped from me. And, yes, returned safe and sound, but there’s no getting rid of the nightmares for a while.

And now…

Married?

Married.

Pasha wants us to get married.

One thing at a time. I really need to just focus on and digest one massive lifetime milestone at a time. Breathe.

Pasha opens the door to the penthouse and ushers me inside. I try to ignore the way my heart squeezes as I pass him, or the way he holds Taty’s carrier with such ease.

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