Page 120 of Mountain Daddy

My body tenses. “Ivan?”

“He came to the cabin.”

“What did he want?”

Nikolai's jaw tightens. “To warn me. To tell me to leave town.”

The words hit like a physical blow. “He can't just?—”

“He's trying to protect you. Both of you.” Nikolai's hands tighten on my waist. “He thinks if I'm gone, the Kozlovs will leave you alone.”

My throat closes. “And what do you think?”

“I think they know about Chleo now. They know he's my son.” His voice drops lower. “I think they'll use him to get to me whether I'm here or not.”

The fear that's lived in my stomach for days twists tighter. “So what do we do?”

“We have options.”

“Like what?”

“I could go back to Chicago. Deal with them directly.”

“You mean kill them.”

He doesn't deny it. “Or I could run. New name. New city. Start over.”

Stay and fight.

Run and hide.

Neither feels right.

“Whatever you decide,” I say, “we stick together. All of us.”

His eyes widen slightly. “Lilly?—”

“I'm serious. If you leave, we leave with you.” I clutch the front of his shirt. “I'm done running from this. From you.”

“It's dangerous.”

“Life's dangerous enough as is.” I meet his gaze steadily. “Five years, Nikolai. Five years I've been raising our son alone. I'm not losing you now that we've found each other.”

The words hang between us.

The admission.

The choice.

“I love you,” I whisper. “I've loved you since that first night.”

His hand comes up. Cups my cheek. Thumb brushing my lower lip. “Say it again.”

“I love you.”

His kiss is gentle at first. Soft. Reverent. Like he's afraid I might shatter.

But I don't want gentle. Not tonight.

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