Something in his tone makes my throat tighten. I want to scream at him but all I manage is, “What do you mean?”
His gaze flicks to me, sharp and unyielding. “They’re after you because I didn’t do my job right.”
The calm certainty of his answer ignites something in me. “And what is your job?”
“Not now.” The word is a growl, filled with heat.
We hit a sharp corner, the tires squealing as the car swerves. I grip the door handle, clenching my teeth. “Did you kill my parents?”
“What do you think?” His voice is like steel. “You think I’m a monster? Maybe I am. But I’m also your husband and you will obey me. So when I tell you to stop asking questions, you stop.”
I turn to the window, blinking hard, trying to process everything. Outside, the night blurs by, cold and dark and utterly unforgiving. Did he kill my family? All the evidence says yes but my heart still says no.
“You don’t get to act like you’re the boss of me,” I snap, unable to keep the edge out of my voice. “You killed someone. Right in front of me. How am I supposed to just be okay with that?”
His hands remain steady on the wheel, his voice maddeningly even. “You’re not supposed to be okay with it.”
“Well, mission accomplished.” My laugh is bitter, hollow. “I’m definitely not okay. I don’t even know what to think right now. One minute, I’m trying to figure out why I feel like this around you, and the next, I’m watching you take someone’s life like it’s nothing.”
“You’re not wrong to feel conflicted,” he says, his tone softer now, almost apologetic. “But this is my world, Elena. This is who I am.”
“Now I know the truth about who you are, I guess.”
For the first time, I see a flicker of something in his expression. Regret? Pain? It’s gone so quickly I’m not sure it was ever there.
“That’s why I’ve always avoided relationships,” he says quietly. “Anyone who gets close to me becomes a target. Thatincludes you. But you were a target before we even met. Either you stick with me or you die. That’s your choice to make.”
“Why would I ever choose this?” I demand, gesturing wildly around the car as if his life is something tangible I can point to. “Why would anyone want this?”
His jaw tightens, the muscle ticking as he clenches the steering wheel. “Because I’ll protect you. Because I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even from myself if that’s what you want.”
I turn away, staring out the window, my reflection ghostly in the dark glass. “You make it sound so simple,” I say.
“It’s not,” he replies. “It’s the furthest thing from simple. But I’m not going to lie to you.”
The car slows as we pull into a parking garage beneath a sleek, modern building. The lights cast harsh shadows, illuminating the grim set of his jaw and the unwavering intensity in his eyes.
“This is your idea of honesty?” I say, my voice trembling with anger and confusion.
He parks the car and turns to me, his gaze piercing. “No, Elena. This is my idea of survival.”
30
ELENA
The door to the apartment clicks shut behind us, the sound echoing in the expansive, modern space.
I take a step toward the windows, distancing myself from Dmitri, desperate for space to think. The room is stunning with a breathtaking view of the city but I can’t focus on anything other than the man behind me.
“Elena,” he says, his voice low and commanding.
I stop but don’t turn around. “Don’t. Not right now.”
“You don’t get to shut me out,” he counters, his tone hardening as his footsteps approach.
I spin around to face him, my emotions a tangled mess of anger, fear, and something I can’t name. “Tough shit. You just killed someone? How do I know you didn’t kill my family? Or that you won’t kill me when you get bored of me?”
His jaw clenches, and he steps closer, his presence overwhelming. “I’m telling you the truth. You don’t have to like it, but you damn well have to face it. This is who I am, Elena. And I’m not going to pretend to be something I’m not. If I wanted you dead, it would have happened by now.”