Page 73 of Savage Surrender

As soon as I could, Irina would officially be a Baranov. As my wife.

“Oh, going to steal our thunder now?” Eva teased. “We got engaged first.”

“I haven’t proposed yet. And you guys make it sound like it’ll be a long engagement between you two.”

Eva shrugged, still watching Irina and Maxim sign and talk to each other excitedly. “I want to wait until Kelly talks to me. I want her to be a bridesmaid, and she’s so distant now.”

I’m sure Rurik can get a message to her.

Lev chuckled. “It’s as good as done, now. You and Irena.”

Yes, it is. Thankfully.

“How’s it feel to have a brother?” I asked her.

Lev huffed. “Talk about a twist.”

“You can say that again. I’m not sure it’s fully sunken in yet.”

But it would. We all had to adjust to another Baranov in the house. Maxim would receive the full benefits and privileges of our protection—forever.

“Igor is going to be furious when he finds out,” Lev said.

“I wonder if heletthe Ilyins capture Maxim, knowing he’s a Baranov,” I said.

“To set a war between our family and the Ilyins?” Eva asked.

“Again?” Lev quipped. He’d instigated plenty of drama by killing one of the Ilyin leaders, one that Igor had framed.

“We’ll figure it all out,” I said. My heart couldn’t feel any fuller seeing Irina so happy with Maxim.

We would. Irina would share all that she could with us. She would tell us what Igor had her spying on and why. Whatever trouble Igor was trying to start at the college and around it, we would remain one step ahead.

Deep down, she probably wouldn’t feel happy and complete until she killed her father. But maybe I could convince her to wait, to let us bring him down officially now. She and Maxim were safe, and with Igor trying to take a Baranov child and hide him, he’d earned the wrath of the entire family now.

Hugging Maxim again, Irina smiled so brightly, she blinded me. She held on to her brother, hugging him tightly as they took a break from signing and talking, overjoyed to be together again.

As she looked over Maxim’s shoulder, she caught my eye and mouthed something I would never tire of knowing.

I love you.

I looked forward to telling her that for the rest of our lives.

“Oh, dammit. I hate this cold!” Eva shivered, ushering us all to go inside. “Why are we standing around in this snow?”

We all hurried inside, and as I approached Irina, she reached out for my hand. She held Maxim’s in her other hand, and with a reach up to kiss me, she sighed happily and joined us in the house.

Before she could get too busy catching up with her brother, I leaned toward her ear and whispered, “I love you so much, sweetheart.”

She blushed a bit, squeezing my hand.

“Maxim,” Eva said, signing to him, “would you like to see your room?”

Maxim gaped at her and signed back, “You know ASL?”

“I’m still learning,” she replied.

The teen turned to Irina. “Are we staying here?” His brows shot up high in question.

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