Page 67 of Shielded Secrets

They wouldn’t. We’d keep her here and safe.

Yet, as I looked at my wife again, I battled the intense curiosity of why she would be garnering so much attention after the fact.

Deep down, I knew it had to be related to whatever secret she still kept from me. I expected her to be honest with me as my partner in life.

It was past time to figure this out.

29

KELLY

“Ican’t wait for it to just be over,” Eva admitted.

I shot her a look. “Funny.”

“What?” She smiled. “I’m serious. Planning a wedding is stressful.”

“At least you have an actual wedding to plan,” I reminded her.

She frowned, nodding. “I know. I’m sorry. That wasn’t very considerate of me to say.”

I put my arm around her shoulders. “No, it’s all right. I’ll get over it one day. And honestly, now that some time has passed, I understand why it happened the way it did. Or why it had to happen like that.”

She watched me, sighing as though she knew what I’d say.

“Jerome identified me as a Mafia wife. As a Baranov.” I looked down at the table, pensive and searching for the right words. “It was both my saving grace because it meant I had a strong husband to protect me and his brothers to back him up. But itwas also my damning curse because they wanted to use my new Baranov name as a way to get intel.”

“That will always be a risk,” she admitted. “And over time, youwillget used to having security with you.”

I laughed, lightly at first, then louder. “Oh, now that’s rich.”

“What?”

“I recall with vivid clarity when you wantedmyhelp in sneaking away from Lev when he was your bodyguard. When you were so determined to lose your security detail that was assigned to you.”

She winced, then smiled sheepishly. “Well, I was young and stupid then.”

I cracked up. “It’s not like you’re much older now!”

“I know. I know.” She rolled her eyes.

“You’re still young. And just stupidly in love now.”

She sighed happily, glancing at Lev, who’d gone to talk with Rurik and Vik in the corner. “I am. And so are you. I’ll tell you what, though. The push and pull I had with Lev just made it all the more hotter. More… forbidden. Unlike you and Rurik. It’s like you were destined to meet and get together. A match made in heaven.”

“Eh, we have our moments. I’m getting fond of bickering with him because it means even better makeup sex.”

She smiled wider. “I wish you could’ve had a honeymoon.”

“Rurik says we will someday soon. I think he’ll try to plan it to be a surprise.”

“He’s so sweet on you and—” She stopped mid-sentence, frowning with a puzzled expression.

By now, the room had emptied out. Someone stopped the music that had been playing earlier too. It was less of a planning party and more of the last stretches of us talking.

Rurik, Lev, and Vik were all frowning and looking far too serious as another Baranov guard stood talking to them.

Something is wrong.I could tell just by the look on my husband’s face that he was trying so hard not to let me see how something was bothering him. But something was definitely wrong.

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