Page 41 of The Mafia's Fake Wife

I move toward the door, then pause. “Those men the FBI showed me... Were they all like Boris? Killers themselves?”

“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “I don’t harm innocents, Elena. Ever. That’s a promise I can make.”

I nod slowly, processing this. “I’m going to take a shower.”

As I walk away, I realize I’m not as horrified as I should be. Maybe it’s shock, or maybe it’s because deep down, I already knew of what Damir was capable. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.

The hot water does little to wash away the images in my mind—the crime scene photos, the surveillance timeline, and Damir’s calm confession. I stand under the spray until my skin turns pink, trying to make sense of it all. When I finally emerge, wrapped in a towel, he’s sitting on the edge of our bed.

“The FBI will come back. They’ll try again, maybe harder next time.”

“I know.”

“Are you afraid?”

I consider the question carefully. “Not of them. Not exactly.”

“What then?”

“Of making the wrong choice.” I sit beside him, keeping distance between us. “Of becoming someone I don’t recognize.”

He takes my hand, his touch gentle despite everything I now know about him. “I never wanted to drag you into this life.”

“You didn’t exactly give me much choice,” I remind him. “Marry me or lose your medical career wasn’t much of an option.”

“I know.” He looks genuinely regretful. “I saw a solution that benefited us both, and I took it. I’m not used to considering...feelings.”

“Clearly.”

A ghost of a smile touches his lips. “For what it’s worth, I’ve never regretted marrying you.”

I study our joined hands. “Even though I now know enough to potentially destroy you?”

“You won’t.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I trust you,” he says simply. “More than I’ve trusted anyone in a very long time.”

His words settles over me. Trust, in his world, must be incredibly rare. Precious. “I need to know something. Those securitymeasures, the bodyguards, all of it—is it really necessary? Am I really in danger?”

“Yes,” he says without hesitation. “Nikolai would use you against me in a heartbeat, and now that the FBI has approached you directly, they’ll be watching. Waiting for you to make a mistake they can exploit.”

I nod slowly. “So, this is my life now. Being watched, guarded, and interrogated.”

“For now, until Nikolai is dealt with and the federal investigation loses steam.”

“And how long will that take?”

“I don’t know. Months. Maybe longer.”

I stand, needing to move. “I should be horrified by all this. I should be running for the door.”

“Why aren’t you?”

It’s a good question I’ve been asking myself since the moment those FBI agents approached me. The answer comes to me suddenly, with startling clarity. “Because despite everything, I feel safer with you than I ever have before.” I turn to face him. “Is that crazy?”

“No,” he says, rising to meet me. “It’s human to want protection and security.”

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