Page 76 of Shielded Secrets

KELLY

One week later…

Every time that I caught Rurik’s gaze on me at Eva and Lev’s wedding, I glanced over and noticed he was watching me with worry. This sexy man would always worry about me, and it felt so sweet and good in my soul to know we belonged with each other like that, always aware of what the other needed or wanted and trying to take care of them.

But here, when he gave me those sad puppy dog eyes, I had to sigh and roll my eyes.

“Rurik, it’s fine,” I reminded him again and again.

“But you didn’t get a wedding like this,” he argued as I sat on his lap at the head table. As a bridesmaid, I had a seat here already, but he wanted me on his lap as we all had our pieces of cake.

“Because I’m not a Mafia princess,” I reminded him.

“I will treat you like you are my princess. My queen.” He kissed my shoulder.

“I didn’t need a fancy wedding. I just needed you,” I told him.

“Aww,” Irina cooed.

“And here come the waterworks,” Vik joked.

“Oh, stop,” she shushed. “These pregnancy hormones are brutal. They’re making me sappy overeverything.”

Eva smiled at me. She was as gorgeous as ever, but truly looking like a princess in her wedding gown. “But Rurikissweet to her.”

Rurik sighed, putting his fork down and resting his hand on my thigh. This man always wanted to have his hands on me, and I would never complain about that. I loved how protective and possessive he was over me.

“As soon as we can ensure O’Malley is dead and out of the picture, we’ll at least go on our honeymoon, okay?” He smiled at me with hope in his eyes.

“We’ll see,” I replied.

He frowned.

“And that will hopefully be soon,” Vik said.

Lev nodded, grinning. “I finally got a contact established with him.”

As far as I could tell, Ben Warner was a hard hitman to get a hold of. Oleg was certain that he wanted an outsider to handle this job, though. He claimed that all his favorite men were too busy settling down at the moment.

But it wasn’t the threat of O’Malley that held me back from saying yes to a belated honeymoon as much as it was the big news I was waiting to announce until tonight.

“As soon as O’Malley is gone, then,” Rurik said.

“I think we should wait,” I argued gently.

“Youdon’twant a honeymoon?” Eva asked, incredulous. Of course she’d be shocked. She was excited to fly away with Lev tomorrow to start theirs.

“I do want a honeymoon,” I replied. “But at this rate, it won’t just be the two of us on that trip.” After picking up Rurik’s hand, I placed it on my stomach.

Recognition lit up immediately. His lips parted in surprise and his eyes opened wider with awe shining so brightly in them. “Are you…?”

I nodded, giggling and smiling as the rest of them caught on. Eva congratulated me, getting me off Rurik’s lap to hug me and dance. Irina did the same, but as she hugged me, her baby bump already noticeable, she sobbed happy tears. “Now we can be hormonal messes together!”

The men got up as well, congratulating Rurik, too.

By the time everyone was through with their reactions, I made my way back to my husband’s arms and hugged him tight.

“I told you we could make your dreams come true,” he murmured against my lips as we danced.

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