Page 124 of Savage Reign

Her thumb brushes a tear from my face. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that.”

I shake my head. “It’s behind us. That’s all that matters.” Although, from what Niko told me this morning, not everything is behind us. The Black Company is back on Russian soil, and they are targeting the Syndicate.

Before we can spill any more tears, Yelena sweeps into the room, directing the staff as they set the table with dish after dish—and, not surprisingly, many of my favorite foods. Then she crosses the room and wraps me in a hug that rivals my sister's chokehold.

“I’m so relieved,” Yelena says softly. “It’s over now.”

And it is.

Niko pulls out my chair, his hand briefly brushing mine as he helps me settle into my seat. He kisses the top of my head before sitting beside me. Across the table, Liza’s eyes are locked on us, wide and unblinking, as if she can’t quite believe what she’s seeing.

I arch an eyebrow. “Do you plan on staring at us through the whole meal?”

Liza blinks, caught off guard, her cheeks coloring. “Sorry! It’s just… weird. You two—like this. I’m still trying to process it.”

Niko smirks, leaning back in his chair. “You’ll get used to it.” His eyes dart to my finger. I’m wearing the ring he gave me weeks ago. I don’t mind the tattoo so much now. It’s not exactly a story for the grandkids, but it’s one I’ll cherish forever.

For now, his ring over the tattoo feels right.

Liza’s smile is soft but not entirely free of tension. I can tell she’s still struggling to reconcile the man who abducted me with the one I choose to call husband.

Roman notices it, too. He reaches out, his hand settling on the back of her neck. “If you saw what I saw last night, you’d understand.”

Pavel leans forward and grabs his third cheese Danish while Yelena looks on with hearts in her eyes. “It’s not exactly like these two were an obvious couple,” he says, nodding toward Liza and Roman. “Weird shit happens all the time.”

Eva clears her throat, her grin wicked. “It wouldn’t be surprising to you if you’d been here from the start. Even when they were hating each other, they were still… not quite hating each other, if you catch my drift.”

I roll my eyes but can’t help the laugh that escapes me. “That says a lot, considering I thought you were his girlfriend.”

Eva lets out a choked sound of disgust. “Even if I were into guys, it wouldn’t be him. He’s basically my brother.”

“The day Niko skipped a day of meetings to take Sofiya shopping was when we all knew he was a goner,” Vadim elbows my husband, who shoots him a glare. “Took him a while to figure it out, but we saw it plain as day.”

Niko sighs, rubbing a hand over his face. “Do I need to leave so you can finish roasting me?”

Vadim grins. “No need. It’s much more fun when you’re here for it.”

The teasing continues, but Niko turns toward me, a finger under my chin. “How do you explain falling in love with your captor, moya sladost?”

I release a huff of breath. “You’re a complicated man, Nikolai Zhukov. Manipulative at times, controlling, maddening—but also loyal, protective, and brave in ways no one else is. You don’t do anything halfway, including loving the people in your life. Even if that's scary after all you’ve been through.”

He flinches, not quite believing me, but I press on. “You think you’re too damaged, too dangerous, but I see the man who watchedScreamwith me because he knew I was bored and lonely. The man who bought me a dance school because he saw my real passion. You think you’re hard to love, but you’re wrong. I can’t not love you.”

His lips part, but no words come out. For once, Niko seems at a loss.

“I love you too, moya sladost, and that’s never going to change,” he declares, his voice unwavering. “You’re mine, for as long as you’ll have me. Even if the world burns to ash around us, I’ll fight through the flames to keep you by my side.”

My throat feels raw, and I have to hold back tears. He leans in, and the kiss he gives me makes it clear that he’s forgotten we’re at a table full of people. When we pull away, the room is still.

“Good,” Yelena’s voice reaches us across the table. “And now you have a baby.”

I throw my head back and groan while laughter breaks out around the table. “Give us a year or two,” I say as Niko grabs my hand under the table.

“It’s never too early to start trying,” he murmurs.

A few hours later, I’m curled up with Liza on a couch while everyone else talks Bratva business. A heavy blanket stretches across our laps as I carefully prop my feet up on the armrest.

Her head briefly rests on my shoulder, and she releases a weary sigh. “You look better than I thought you would.”

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