Page 65 of The Russian's Revenge Bride
I felt the walls of my new world pressing in from all sides, the weight of constant vigilance and perpetual threat.
“What did you tell him?”
“I told him that you’re not the kind of woman who hides from a fight, but you’re also not the kind of woman who’s stupid about it. So you’ll accept reasonable security measures as long as they don’t interfere with your ability to run your business.”
“And he accepted that?”
“He didn’t have a choice. I may have mentioned that if he tries to lock you away, you’ll probably do something reckless just to prove a point.”
“You know me too well.”
“I knowhimtoo well. And I know that the more he tries to control the situation, the more likely you are to rebel against it. So, I negotiated a compromise.”
“Which is?”
“Enhanced security that doesn’t look like enhanced security. Your guards will be dressed like assistants and photographers. The bulletproof glass is tinted so no one can tell the difference. And you get to maintain the illusion of normal life while actually being protected by people who could probably take down a small army.”
It was a smart solution, one that acknowledged both my need for independence and Maxim’s need to keep me breathing. I was starting to understand why Anya was so good at managing complex situations.
“There’s one more thing,” she said, her tone shifting slightly.
“What?”
“Maxim asked me to tell you that he loves you.”
The words hit me like a physical blow, unexpected and overwhelming and absolutely perfect in their timing.
“He said that?”
“He said he should have said it last night and again this morning, and he’s planning to say it tonight when he gets home. But in case something happens or he doesn’t make it home, he wanted to make sure you knew.”
“In case something happens?”
“Eleanor.” Anya’s voice was gentle but firm. “We’re at war now. Not just with whoever tried to kill you, but with everyone who sees your survival as a challenge to their power. Every day Maxim leaves the house, there’s a chance he might not come back.”
“That’s how you live? With that constant fear?”
“That’s how we all live. That’s the price of belonging to this family.”
I thought about Maxim, somewhere in the city, dealing with whatever developments had emerged from yesterday’s investigation. Making decisions that could determine whether I lived or died, whether our marriage was a love story or a tragedy.
“I love him too,” I said.
“I know.”
“How do you know?”
“Because you’re here, working on your show instead of hiding in a safe house somewhere. Because you’re wearing that dress like armor instead of a costume. Because you looked at our world and decided to make it yours instead of running away from it.”
She was right. Every choice I’d made since Maxim had taken me from my office, every moment I’d chosen to fight instead of surrender, had been leading to this realization.
“Anya?”
“Yeah?”
“Thank you. For all of this.” I gestured at the organized chaos of my office, the evidence of her dedication to something that wasn’t even her dream. “You didn’t have to do any of this.”
“Yes, I did. Because you make my brother happy in a way I haven’t seen since our parents died. And because you’re the kind of woman who deserves to have her dreams come true, even when those dreams exist in the middle of a war zone.”
