Page 67 of Bound By Longing

“Easy,” he says. “You’re ok.”

“What happened?”

“You killed Vladimir and Dimitri. I killed Lev. Your sisters are all right. No one can hurt you anymore.”

“But I have blood on my hands now.”

He takes my hands in his. “You do. So do I. So do your sisters. Everyone in this world of the Bratva has some form of blood on their hands. You’re not alone in this, Mila. You don’t need to feel afraid.”

“It’s just a shock. I’ve taken a life. Two lives.”

“And you’ll get through it.” He pauses. “With me.”

I look at him more closely. “What do you mean?”

“What I mean, Mila, is I’ve realized I don’t want to lose you. I want you in my life.”

My heart begins to beat faster. “What are you saying, Damien?”

“This isn’t the most romantic place to do this, but I’m asking you to marry me. I don’t want to be without you. You said you couldn’t be with me if I couldn’t commit, and you’re right. You deserve a man who’ll commit to you, and I want to be that man. I’ve been putting my fears over you, but that isn’t right. My father has haunted me for most of my life, and I’m tired of it. I don’t want him to win anymore. I want to be with you, Mila. I want you to be my wife.”

My breathing slows down when I realize what he’s really telling me. “I don’t want you to marry me just because I’m forcing you.”

“You’re not forcing me to do anything. I’m choosing this willingly. I want you, Mila. I’ll gladly marry you if it means I get to have you in my life every day. That’s all I want. I’ve realized that now. When I saw you pass out in my arms, it terrified me. I thought you’d been hit. But you were ok. You were alive. It just made me realize how much I don’t want to lose you. Mikhail and I have put aside our differences. Those three bastards are dead and won’t hurt you anymore. There’s nothing keeping us apart. I want you to be my wife, Mila. What do you say?”

What do I say? Damien is giving me the chance to have everything I wanted. He might not have started as my prince charming, but he saved me multiple times, proving himself. And now, he wants to commit to me.

My answer is obvious. “Yes.”

He smiles and grabs my face, kissing me deeply. All the fear I faced earlier from killing Dimitri and Vlad has disappeared because I know I’ll be all right with Damien at my side. Why wouldn’t I be all right with my own prince charming?

“You look beautiful,” Sofiya says, taking in me wearing my wedding dress. It’s a perfect fit. Flowy, lacy, and just a hint of innocence. This dress is me. This is the dress that will lead me to my wedding, where my life will change completely.

I will no longer be a princess stuck in a tower. I’ll be a married woman with my prince charming at my side.

The wedding planning happened fast. Damien didn’t want to wait, and honestly, neither did I. We faced some temptations, but I held firm. I told him I wanted to wait for my wedding night, and nothing would change that. He respected my wish.

If I’m being fully honest, our wedding night is what I’m most looking forward to tonight. The chance to be with Damien without the fear or guilt of my father hanging over my head.

“You really do,” Vik says, wiping away a tear.

“Are you crying?” I ask. Vik never cries.

“No,” she mutters, which makes all three of us laugh.

“We’ll see you in there,” Sofiya says, running her hands down her belly. She’s still due in a few months, but it’s a reminder of our lives now. How much they’ve changed from just over a year ago. We’re all married women.

Well, I’ll be one in a few minutes.

Sofiya and Vik give me one last hug before leaving the hotel room to head to the ballroom where my wedding will take place.

Mikhail enters after they depart. He’ll be walking me down the aisle. “Are you sure about this?” he asks. “Last chance to change your mind.”

“No. I’m exactly where I want to be.”

Mikhail takes my arm and guides me downstairs. The ballroom doors open up to a large wedding ceremony where Damien waits for me at the end of the aisle. Everything feels like a dream as I walk to him. When Mikhail hands me to Damien, I gladly take his hand in mind. Unlike my sisters, who married men they didn’t know but later found love, I’m starting my marriage with a man I already love.

Damien smiles at me, not an ounce of fear in his eyes. I’m so grateful for him. For saving my life in more ways than one.

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