Page 73 of Savage Princess

The pilot backs up, towards the cockpit, and I turn to see Elena slumped in one of the seats, her hand pressed against her chest.

“Are you alright?” I look at her worriedly, shoving my gun back into my jacket as the plane’s engines start to roar. “Were you hit?”

“No.” She swallows hard, shaking her head. “Just rattled, that’s all. That was—”

“I know.” Against my better judgment, I lean down, smoothing my hand over her hair as I kiss the top of her head. “It’s over now. We’re going to Boston. You’re safe. We’re both safe.”

She tilts her head back as if to kiss me on the mouth, and I pull back, taking a step away from her. I see the instantaneous disappointment on her face, and my chest aches, but this has to stop now. I’d promised herone more night, and that night is over and gone.

We’re on our way to Boston, finally, and this is where it ends.

“Get some rest, if you can,” I tell her as the plane starts to taxi. “I know it’s going to be difficult, but there’s no one else on the plane but us. You won’t be hurt. And things will be a whirlwind when we get back.”

“Levin—”

“Rest,” I tell her firmly, turning away. And then I stride quickly down the aisle, away from her, and towards the bedroom at the back of the plane.

—

I knew she’d come after me. It wouldn’t be in her nature to sit there and not try to pursue what she wants, to just let things be. It never has been. In many ways, her stubbornness is one of the things I like best about her.

But just now, it would be better if she were less so.

“Levin?” She steps into the room, closing the door behind her, looking at me from across the room. I’m sitting on the bed, lost in thought, and I glance over at her.

“Elena, you should be—”

“Resting, I know. But I—”

She starts to walk towards the bed, and I have an instant memory of a night so very like this one, twelve years ago. A night when I got the thing I wanted most in the world, back then.

I’d gone to the room at the back of the plane, where I knew Lidiya was sleeping. I had no business crawling into bed with her, but I did. I laid down, curling my body around hers, and I just held her for a moment.

I had no idea how many of those moments I would get.

She breathed in, stirring in my arms—and then a moment later, she sat up, pulling away. I sat up with her, my hand stroking down her spine, and I felt her flinch away.

“Lidiya—”

She shook her head, her voice tight in her throat. “Don’t say my name like that. Like I’m the one in the wrong here. You said you’d keep me safe—”

I felt the ache in my chest, sharp and poignant. I had what I wanted—but at what cost? There was nothing keeping her with me. Nothing to make her remain my wife once the danger was past. But I’d done what I promised.

“I have, haven’t I? I married you to keep you safe.”

She shook her head again, refusing to look at me. “From one man. But another might want to kill you too—and probably me, just to tie up the loose end of Grisha and what he knew that I might know now, too.”

I knew who she was talking about. I knew what she was afraid of. I was, too, to some extent. But I also knew what I was worth to Vladimir. He wouldn’t kill me out of hand.

I sighed, still stroking my hand down her back. “I’ll deal with Vladimir, Lidiya. I just need time, to make sure I’m not walking into the wolf’s jaws when we go back to Moscow. Just a few days, and then we’ll go home. I swear it. And I know that you know nothing. That Grisha gave you very little and that you don’t care about any of it. I will keep you safe.”

I needed her to believe me. To know that I meant it. “I never planned to feel the way I do about you,” I said quietly, and she turned towards me finally.

“What do you mean?”

I felt sure she already knew. But I wanted to tell her, anyway.

“I never planned to fall in love with anyone. I never planned to marry. That’s not the life I’ve led. But I’m falling in love with you, Lidiya Petrovna. And I want this marriage to be real.”

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