Page 54 of Fiercely Protective

His brows arched. “Are you trying to get on my bad side first thing this morning? You are my wife, and as my wife, you will sleep with me. As far as the demons that haunt your dreams, I will relieve you of them too.”

“You know that you can’t protect me from everything, but right now if you could save me from hunger, I would appreciate it. Is there anything for breakfast?”

His smile made my stomach flip. He was stunningly handsome.

“I had someone deliver an assortment of pastries, fruit, and some crepes. I wasn’t sure what you would want, so I had them buy several things.”

“Do you always have people do everything for you?”

He moved closer to the bed and looked down at me seductively. “Not everything.” His gaze lingered on my breasts. “Some things I prefer to do myself.”

Just the way his eyes raked over me made the temperature in the room go up at least twenty degrees.

“I should get dressed.”

He leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. “No, you will stay right there. I’ll bring you breakfast and then after that, I will help you shower.”

“You don’t have to do that. I have taken care of myself since I was fourteen.”

For a second, I saw a hint of sadness, or was it pity come into his eyes? Whatever it was it was short-lived, replaced by the authoritarian look I had come to recognize when he was about to give an order.

“You are not alone anymore, Angel. You need to get used to the idea of me taking care of you.”

I blew out a short breath and nodded, unsure why I even felt the need to argue the point with him. It was a nice feeling having someone be so attentive. As he walked from the room, I couldn’t help but wonder if this could be real. Could this man truly be my savior, the one I had been waiting for to sweep me off my feet and rescue me from the fears and monsters that chase me? He was a monster himself, a criminal, a killer. How could he be my knight when he had so many flaws himself? Whatever he was, right now he was the only man I trusted, the only one to make me feel safe again. And if it didn’t last, if he decided after a time that I was just a passing fling, something to hold his interest for a time, I would deal with that when the time came. I had faced heartbreak before. What scared me the most was that I was beginning to imagine a future with him. I was beginning to think of this as a forever life for me. I shook the thoughts from my head. I couldn’t leave my heart open for that kind of hurt.

Rogue

“You are late,” Blaze said as he sat behind my desk at my office in the same building where my penthouse was located. He looked irritated, but then again, when did he not?

I strolled forward, ignoring the fact that his feet were propped up on my desk as if he owned it. “Did you have a nice chat with Sevan last night?”

“Nice? No, but I did find out what I needed to know, and I communicated the consequences of betrayal, just in case his loyalty was in question. There is something about him that I don’t trust.”

Blaze trusted few people in his life, so I was not surprised by his comment. “And Nik?”

“He knows but his overconfidence prevents him from being concerned.”

“That’s typical of the Bratva, but make no mistake, Nik will be prepared. He didn’t get where he is today by flagrantly disregarding threats.”

Blaze stood from behind my desk and walked toward me. “I hope you are taking them seriously. Where is the little one?”

“She is taking some much-needed time to relax, taking a hot bath, and lounging in bed. She had a restless night.”

“You trust her not to leave?”

I didn’t want to discuss my feelings on that matter with Blaze. While I felt that Bri was finally beginning to trust me, I had still taken precautions against her running away. “I didn’t come here to discuss her. I have been thinking that instead of waiting for Petros and his small gang of Armenian thugs to make their next move, we should be proactive and strike first.”

“Go on the offensive. I like it. You know I am always ready to start a fight but taking him out might not be as easy as you think. From what I gather, he doesn’t put himself in the line offire. He is a ghost. Sends his men into the fight while he hides like the scared pussy he is. You would have to provoke him to draw him out.”

“That’s exactly what I plan to do. Cut off the head of the snake before he can strike. From what Sevan told me, many other members of his family and the organization have no interest in seeking reprisal. They want him gone as much as we do.”

“Then they should have the balls to take him out themselves instead of letting him wage a war he can’t win and get his men killed for nothing. Pisses me off that he is our problem now.”

I understood Blaze’s frustration. “Trust me, there will be consequences for our involvement. I am not removing him from power for free. I will expect some sort of payment and a measure of allegiance to whatever deal we agree to. What are your thoughts?”

“I think we should provoke him into making a stupid mistake, then take advantage of his immaturity and incompetence.”

“And how do you suggest we do that? Any ideas other than just storming his house?”

---