Page 87 of Brazen King

I look back at her, meeting her intelligent blue eyes, and I see a turmoil in them. A weight she didn’t have to bear until now.

“I’m in love with him, Ti,” I whisper. And perhaps that’s wrong because he’s my family’s enemy. But after tonight, I hardly can think of him that way. Not after everything he’s done for me. Not after the lengths he went to prove how much I mean to him.

“Natasha…” she warns, tilting her head. “You know how Papa felt about him. You can’t possibly think that I’ll support you marrying him. The Kings have been our enemies for toolong. I can’t entrust my baby sister to their leader right after we’ve just lost our parents.”

“Killian’s gravely injured because he risked his life to save us. To save me. Maybe he deserves more consideration than you’re giving him. Papa might have dug in his heels about Killian when it came to a marriage proposal. But I believe he would have reconsidered after today.”

I could see it in his eyes during that moment before he died. He saw Killian for the wonderful man he really is—the protector who would sacrifice his life for me. But I can’t say that to Tatiana, because just thinking about it puts a painful knot in my throat.

And the pain that follows as I relive the moment of my father’s death is almost soul crushing.

“Maybe you’re right,” Tatiana concedes. “But we won’t really know for sure, will we? And right now, I need you more than ever. The family needs you. We can think about your relationship with Killian after we’ve dealt with Don Agosti. Because I willnotlet him get away with this.”

Fiery determination floods my veins, my wrath momentarily burning away the agonizing grief. “You’re right. Lucian has to pay. But think about it, Ti. This isn’t just about me being in love with Killian—though that’s an unexpected benefit I honestly didn’t see coming—but marrying him would also create a good alliance between our families. He could help us get revenge on the Italians.”

Passion infuses my voice, and Tatiana turns contemplative.

Finally, she nods. “You’re right. If you’re really sure about this, I’ll give you my blessing to marry Killian.”

Relief seeps through my chest, and suddenly, I feel much lighter than I did before. I’m far from okay. I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the pain of losing both our parents in oneday. And my anger toward Lucian Agosti is unlike anything I’ve ever known before.

But at least the war is at an end between my love for Killian and my love for my family. And it seems like this will begin a new chapter of peace between the Kings and the Sokolovs if we can band together to punish Don Lucian.

“Thank you, Ti,” I murmur, pulling her in for a fierce hug.

She gives me a tight squeeze, holding on extra long. “You’re welcome. Let me know when you can come home. I really could use all the help I can get.”

“I know.” It’s going to be a long road ahead for Tatiana.

My father was still in the early stages of bringing the men around to having a woman for their leader. And while they have always shown us deep respect as Boris Sokolov’s daughters, I don’t know how they might take the news that Tatiana is to be theirpakhansha.

“I’ll let you know as soon as he’s awake.”

Stepping back, Tatiana cups my cheeks in her palms, and a rare display of vulnerability softens her beautiful face. “I love you, Natasha,” she whispers.

And I know it’s because we just lost two of the most important people in our lives. Which makes our connection to each other feel all the more precious.

“I love you too.” And I pull her in for another hug.

I watch my sister go, escorted by two King men who Lance assigned to get her not to our family home—Central Park Tower will be far too dangerous right now. She’ll go to our estate just outside of town. Where she can rally our troops in a far less public eye.

Then I tromp upstairs, my heart heavy and my body racked with exhaustion.

Lance and the men have settled Killian onto his bed, and he looks almost peaceful—if a bit too pale—in the comfort of his own room.

“I’ll keep an eye on him,” I assure Killian’s right-hand man because, regardless of the fact that he hasn’t said anything, I can see the deep concern written across his face.

No one who actually knows Killian wants to see anything bad happen to him.

Losing him would be a devastating blow.

Lance gives me a stoic smile, and he grips my shoulder, his massive hand swallowing the bare flesh whole as he gives it a grateful squeeze. Then he departs without a word.

Kicking off my high heels, I hike my dress up around my hips and settle onto the bed with Killian, snuggling close in the hopes of feeling his generous warmth. His familiar scent of leather and eucalyptus has been overwhelmed by the scent of antiseptic and the residual metallic hint of blood.

The men changed him into fresh joggers and left his chest bare except the bandage Quinn wrapped around his torso to stave off infection. But still, the truth of Killian’s injury lingers in the air, making it challenging to soak up his soothing familiarity.

“You promised, Killian,” I murmur, leaning carefully over his shoulder so I can peer down at his handsome face. “You promised you would come back to me.”

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