Page 30 of Dangerous Refuge

“Then fucking ask questions but don’t be surprised if you don’t like what you hear.” I fall into step with her and drape her arm over mine so it looks like we’re together. Heads turn as we make our way toward the family row near the front. Allie doesn’t stop though. She speaks with a forced, tight smile on her face, out of the corner of her mouth.

“Are all of your relatives this rich? Or just you and your brother. This has something to do with what you do for a living?” Her tone isn’t just anger; it’s laced with fear too. She’s right to fear my family and what I do for a living.

“You’re in the business of criticizing how much money people have? Did it ever occur to you that my father is a wealthy man and raised us in that money?” It’s true, though most of what I have I got on my own by hard work. Dad never gave us a cent. We had to earn our keep.

We sit, and the wedding begins. Her body is rigid, filled with all the questions she wants to ask but every time she opens her mouth I glare at her. During my brother’s wedding is not the time to have this conversation.

Allie is an irritating woman at times, and today she is on my last nerve. When she tells me with conviction that she is going to work tonight, I instantly wonder what she’s been doing the past several nights. She’s been out with her friend Sarah, or that’s what she has told me. I firmly grip her elbow and lead her away from the crowd of folks filtering into the dining room to feast and have cake.

“I already told you it’s not safe,” I hiss, leaning down to speak right into her ear. I can barely control my temper as it is, but she has a way of pushing my buttons that no one else ever could. She’s my kryptonite, the thing that brings me to my knees. Outwardly, all I can express is anger, but inwardly I am feeling things for her. Things I haven’t felt for a woman in years. Things that make a man weak if his enemies find out he feels them.

“I don’t care, Sven. I want my freedom to live my life. Spouses are partners, not slaves. I want to have a job. I need interaction with people.” She whimpers as I pull her into the alcove in the hallway outside the dining room. “Besides, we're not even married yet. I don’t have to do everything you order me to do. I’m not a staff member.”

Something rises up inside me at that moment that I can’t control. I see the priest and then I see Tucker and I lose it. “You, and you—” I point at them and they look at me “—now.” Jerking my head in a gesture meant to indicate I wanted them to follow me, I march Allie across the foyer to Dominic’s office and she protests the whole way. She’s already made it clear she isn’t sure she wants to marry me, so rather than putting it off and allowing her more time to think about everything she’s afraid of, I want to do it now.

“What are you doing?” she asks, spinning around as the priest and Tucker walk in. Tucker shuts the door after glancing to see if we were followed and I stare down at Allie’s flustered face. Her cheeks are pink, matching the tint of her chest. She’s flushed and it’s incredibly sexy, but I’m not here to be aroused.

“Marry us now,” I tell the priest with my eyes locked on Allie’s.

“What!” she hisses.

“Sir, I’m not sure I can—”

I hear the grinding of metal as Tucker chambers a round and the priest stops short of finishing his sentence. “You have a hard time thinking that I can be a husband and provide for you everything you need. You insist you need your own job and human interaction, but you have no need of money. And I have more than enough staff for you to interact with. Fuck, start a garden club with Dominic’s new wife. If you can’t respect me now, then marry me now. Maybe then you’ll respect me.”

Allie backs away. Her hands are trembling, eyes flicking to the priest and then downward. “Sven…”

“You do as I say, or you get out of my house. Then who will protect you from Paul?” I am breathing down her neck, literally. I hover over her so close I can feel her shallow breathing on my face. I see fear in her eyes and I know it’s fear of her ex, not me. I hate that I have to use fear as an ultimatum for her returned obedience, but she leaves me no choice.

“I can’t imagine your brother will be happy with sharing his wedding anniversary.” Her tone is changed, more docile, but she isn’t truly complying with my wishes. I can see it in her eyes that she plans to rebel against me.

“Sir, if I may…” The priest’s voice shakes with emotion. I turn over my shoulder to look at him. “I have to bless the food for Mr. Gusev.” Tucker lowers his weapon and holsters it, and I nod at the priest who scurries away like a frightened cat.

“Leave us alone, Tuck.” At my word, my right-hand man steps out of Dominic’s office and I am alone with Allie. She slumps into a chair and buries her face in her hands, elbows planted firmly on her knees. “Allie, I’m doing my best to protect you, but if you don’t listen to what I’m telling you, you’re not going to be safe.”

“I just want a normal life.”

I pace, not even sure what a normal life is. My world isn’t normal, despite living in the same city and breathing the same air. Allie doesn’t get it. I’ve seen things that make grown men wet themselves. I’ve lived through things that changed me, shaped me into the killing machine this family needs—that Allie needs.

“I can’t have you getting hurt. I can’t allow it.”

“Sven, please. I’m not getting hurt. Why can’t you just send me a bodyguard or something?” She stands and walks toward me and I face her.

“The answer is no.”

She opens her mouth to speak and the door bursts open. Matty struts in grinning and his expression sobers. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.” He holds up his hands defensively, probably because I’m glaring at him in anger.

“No interruption,” Allie says, and walks toward the door. She is gone before I can stop her, and Matty continues his stride toward the liquor cabinet.

“What was that about? Dom asked for his good Scotch. I didn’t mean to bust something up.” He reaches into Dominic’s cabinet and pulls out a bottle of warm brown liquor.

I don’t even respond to him. I’m on the hunt, following Allie out the door and across the foyer. I have to keep her within arm’s reach at all times. I don’t mind if she learns my secret; I’d just rather have that on my terms, not because she is snooping.

17

ALLIE

Ihave been spending five nights a week out of the house and I can’t even believe it’s working. The first week I used Sarah as an excuse. Then at Dominic’s wedding when Sven tried to rush the wedding plans, I realized he was probably on to me, or at least following me. So I got careful. I planned two nights at the library—I lied. Sarah met me in the back room and took Rico to her place and I snuck out the back entrance and went to work. When my three-hour shift was over, I walked back into the library and out the front with Rico, courtesy of Sarah once again. So far my plan is working.

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