Page 149 of Lethal Legacy

“Yes,” I whisper. The tears are coming now. I know I can’t hold them back. “That was... that used to be my name.”

“Your father is Sergei Petrovsky,pakhanof the Petrovsky bratva in Miami. Your brother is Alexei Petrovsky. Still living in your family home.Pakhanof your family, in name, if not in fact.”

“You’ve done your research.” It’s a feeble attempt at pride, but my shaking voice undermines it.

“Why did you come to Malaga?” His face is still hard, still closed. I wish he’d just let me go. I don’t have the energy for this fight.Not when I have to get ready to run.The dread rises up again, thick and choking.

“What does it matter now?” I turn away from him again. “Please, just let me go, Roman. I’ve got a lot to do—”

“Tell me why you came to Malaga.”

Bewildered, tired, and with wine still churning uneasily inside me, I throw my hands up in exasperation. “Because we didn’t have enough money to run any further, Roman, alright? Because by the time we made it from Morocco to Spain, my father was close to death and I was almost broken.” The dam breaks, tears spilling down my face. “That’s it, Roman. I don’t know what you expect me to say.”

“And the contract with me.” He steps closer, his eyes relentless on mine. “Why did you sign it, really? You told me once before that you knew what I was. What did you mean by that?”

“You’re bratva!” I stare at him, tears running down my face. “I knew what you were the moment I saw you, okay? Is that what you want me to say? Do you want me to admit that Iwantedyour protection? Then yes, Roman. I did. But I never would have asked you for it. I never would have asked you for a damn thing. Even after we... after what happened, that day in your office, I wouldn’t have asked for it. But then you sent me that contract. I know I shouldn’t have signed it, okay? I always knew it would end up like this. I know you can’t have me in your house, around your children. I tried to tell you. I did. I tried to warn you.” Now I’m sobbing, but I’m past caring. I’m so far past it that I can barely stand up.

I have nothing left to lose.

“But you were so sure,” I say brokenly. “Papa... he told me it was dangerous. He wanted to run. It was my fault, Roman. My fault that we stayed.”

“Wait.” His hands cup my face, his eyes searching mine. “Your father wanted to run, after he found out who I was?”

“Of course he did,” I say dully. “He knew it was dangerous for us to stay. For you, as well as for us. I think he’ll be... relieved that we’re going.”

Roman stares at me, his eyes almost black. There’s none of the fire and fury I’m used to seeing in them. He looks almost as tired as I feel. All I really want to do is reach for him. And every moment that I can’t is like another dagger to the heart. “Please,” I whisper. “Just let me go, Roman.”

But he doesn’t.

“Abby,” he says roughly. “She said you thought I was... tired of you.” His mouth curls in distaste. “Kicking you to the curbis the expression I believe she used.”

“That’s what I thought. Before I realized that you knew who I was. Abby doesn’t know about any of this,” I say, slightly defensively. “She doesn’t know my name, or where I come from, or even understand what you do. Don’t blame her.”

“I don’t give a fuck about Abby.” His thumbs stroke my cheeks, remarkably softly given his fierce expression. “What I do care about is why you could ever think that I would just... discard you.”

“But you are going to do that.” I lift my shoulders helplessly. “All we’re talking about is the reasonswhyyou’re going to do it.”

“No, Lucia, I’m not.” He shakes his head, holding my eyes. “And I’m going to keep calling you that, by the way, because I don’t know who the hell Darya Petrovsky is. But I do know Lucia Lopez.” He cradles my face. “I know the Lucia who came into my home and changed it overnight. Changedmeovernight. The girl who captured the hearts of my children the day they met her, and mine almost as quickly.” He draws me close to him and kisses me softly on the lips. “I didn’t pull away from you because I want you gone, Lucia. I pulled away... Well, some day I’ll tell you about the life I lived before I met you. It made me... hard. And made it hard for me to trust anyone. I thought that you’d found me deliberately. Targeted me, for some reason.”

I pull back from him, frowning through my tears. “Why would you think that?”

“It doesn’t matter now.” He laughs rather unsteadily. “I just... I was scared, Lucia. Fuck.” His thumbs wipe the tears from under my eyes. “Please don’t cry. You don’t know how much it breaks my heart to see you cry.”

“Why were you scared?” I can barely speak. I take his hands from my face and wrap them around my body, pressing myself close to him, trying to reassure myself that he’s actually here. That this horrible night isn’t going to end in me fleeing into the night, alone and afraid. “What could possibly scare Roman Stevanovsky?”

“Ha.” His laugh is choked. His head goes back, and he takes a deep breath before looking at me again. “The past leaves scars, Lucia. Loving you... I guess it felt like asking for another one. Especially when you wouldn’t trust me with your name. I guess I thought you were playing some kind of game with me.”

I stop his words with my mouth. The kiss is long and sweet, and by the time I pull away, my tears are gone and the familiar fire is starting to burn. “You saidlovingme,” I say softly. “Do you mean that, Roman?”

“Yes.” His answer comes immediately, without hesitation. “Yes, Lucia. Darya. Whatever name you use doesn’t matter. Whoever you are, I love you. I think I fell in love with you the day I saw you standing by that goddamn coffee machine. The ten minutes in the morning when I walked in and tried to make you blush were the best of my entire day. I spent hours thinking about how to get that blush from you, did you know that?”

I laugh shakily. “Not as long as I spent thinking about how to outsmart you. Did you know it took me an entire day on the phone to get bottles of Novoterskaya water in, after I heard you savage your assistant for not having it?”

He grins. “Do you know the only reason I savaged her was to see what you’d do?” His smile slowly fades. He touches his lips lightly to mine. “I don’t want to hide this anymore, Lucia. We can work out the details another time. But I don’t want these fears between us anymore. I want you here, in my house. In my bed. With my family. No contracts, no end date. I just want you here. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Roman.” He catches my mouth and it opens beneath his, my body melting into his embrace. “Yes, I can do that,” I murmur against his lips. “Because I’ve loved you just as long as you’ve loved me.” I pull back so he can see my eyes, and the naked need in his takes my breath away. “I love you so much it almost broke me tonight, when I thought you wanted me gone. I love you so much that I signed away my freedom and my body, because if that was the only way I could have you, then I’d take it. I’ve risked my father’s life and my own to be with you. And I’d do it all over again, if it meant I got to be here, with you and the children.”

“In that case,” Roman says roughly, “I think it’s time we’re done talking, don’t you?”

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