Chapter 50
Chapter
Fifty
GORAN
Kaylani didn’t stir when we landed, and I didn’t have the heart to wake her. I picked her up and held her tight as we made our way to the waiting limos. I laid her on the long seat and sat down beside her so she could use my leg as a pillow.
It was only Kaylani, Nathaniel, and me in this car, giving us a chance to speak privately.
“That went surprisingly well.”
“I knew he would go for it. I’ve been slowly suffocating Mikailov Enterprises.” Nathaniel poured himself a glass of whiskey. “Want one?”
I shook my head.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this? I know you wanted to crush him.”
Nathaniel sipped his drink and remained silent for a few minutes.
“I will never trust him. I will never love him like a father again. But this war between us is hurting the people who mean the most to me. Titus made me see that a little while ago. This gave me the excuse to offer a truce.”
“I don’t know how to thank you. I know you would’ve saved your sister no matter what, but you didn’t need to support us being together. It means the world to me. I’m forever in your debt.”
He lifted his gaze, and our eyes locked.
“No.”
I blinked. “What?”
“I said, no.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Goran, you’re no longer my best friend and employee.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat and waited for him to continue.
“You’re officially my brother. It’s time you were treated like family, not a soldier.”
“But…I love my job.”
“Well, now you can love your job as the head of security for all my buildings worldwide. You will oversee the installation of any equipment, hiring, training…everything. You are no longer my personal bodyguard. You’re officially relieved from duty. Forever.”
He sank back into the leather seat, glass dangling between his fingers.
“This is non-negotiable. If you’re going to be married to my sister, you need a role within the family business.”
“You’re serious?”
“Have you ever known me to joke when it comes to business?”
“But you’ve already done far too much.”
“No. That is what you’re failing to understand.
When you are a part of this family, no amount of money is too much when one of us is in trouble.
We do whatever it takes to protect our own.
You’ve done that with shit pay and zero complaints for years.
It’s time. Not just for the two of you, but for your loyalty to be rewarded. ”
I pinched the bridge of my nose, closed my eyes, and tried not to cry in front of Nathaniel. For so many reasons, what he was doing was a blessing. After seeing my father treated like disposable garbage, I believed my fate would be the same.
“Your new position comes with a substantial pay raise, company cars, and a fifty percent stake in any business you choose under my umbrella.”
Tears fell silently onto my shirt despite my efforts to stop them.
“I don’t know what to say.”
Nathaniel’s lips curved.
“An answer would be a good place to start.”
I chuckled, then nodded.
“Yes. I would love to take the position.”
Nathaniel polished off his drink as we drove through the gates of his home.
“That’s a relief. I’d already notified HR. Make sure Ivan is up to the task of taking over your old duties. And if not, kick his ass into shape. That can be your parting gift.”
“You do know I’m still coming over every morning to annoy the crap out of you, right?”
He rolled his eyes. “I’d expect nothing less.
” Nathaniel glanced at Kaylani, still sleeping, her breathing slow and deep.
“I meant what I said before. There is no man I would want my sister with more than you. Never forget that. There will always be wolves testing you, saying you don’t belong.
How you respond is what makes the difference. ”
“I’d hug you, but I don’t want to disturb her.”
His face screwed up. “Thank God for small miracles.”
Nathaniel slipped out of the limo but paused right outside.
“Take the next few days off. You two deserve it.”
The door closed before I could thank him.
I didn’t take my eyes off Kaylani, resting peacefully, as we pulled away. I hit the buzzer, and Ivan lowered the divider, glancing at me from the passenger seat.
“Don’t go down my driveway. There’s not enough room to turn around.”
“You got it.”
“And Ivan…you’ll be Nathaniel’s head bodyguard going forward.”
“It’s about time Nathaniel upgraded to me,” he teased. “Are you leaving us?”
“No, just changing job titles. We’ll talk about it later.”
We slowed to a stop at the top of my driveway, and I shook Kaylani’s arm. I hated to wake her, but there was no other way.
“Lani, we’re here.”
Blinking, she sat up, yawned, and stretched, taking in her surroundings. Her forehead crinkled as she stared out at the dark road, trees lining either side.
“Where is here?”
“My place…I mean, our place. It’s too tight for the limo to turn around.”
We exited the car, and I knocked on the roof, signaling the driver to head on.
As the taillights faded into the night, we were left in the dark on the empty road.
“I think I saw a horror movie that started this way,” Kaylani said, and I couldn’t help the grin that tugged at my lips.
“Did it have a hot husband in it, too?”
She squealed when I swung her up into my arms, then gave me a smile that could light up the darkest room.
“Secret lover, actually.”
“Is that so? Well, technically—I’m both.”
“You’re right. That’s twice as hot.” She kissed me, and I held her tighter.
Reality sank in. This was real. We were free. No more hiding our relationship.
Kaylani broke the kiss and nestled her head against my neck as I walked up the driveway.
“I can walk.”
“You can walk tomorrow. Tonight, you’re staying right where you are.”
The covered porch came into view.
“Did you really mean what you said?”
“That I want to carry you? Yes, of course.”
Kaylani kissed my cheek.
“No. That this is our home.”
“Yes, but we’ll move wherever you want. I know this isn’t exactly what you’re used to.”
“And that is exactly why it’s perfect. We’ll need to add some extra bedrooms, but I love it here. And I love being so close to Nathaniel and Savannah.”
We reached the front door, and I set her down on her bare feet.
Fishing out my keys, I glanced at her.
“You sure? I just got a fancy new job title while you were asleep. So we can afford a bigger place.”
She grabbed my hand, stopping me from unlocking the door. I looked down at her.
“When I left with my father to keep you and Atlas safe, my heart broke. I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. Then I arrived at the Harringtons’ estate. It was stunning, made for magazines and movies. But it was never going to be home, because my home is with you.”
She placed my hand on her stomach, and my heart swelled.
“It’s where our family is.”
For a second, I couldn’t breathe. The weight of everything that had happened tonight crashed into me. The gunfire. The blood. The fear of losing her.
Kaylani wasn’t just choosing me. She was trusting me with everything. My throat tightened as I looked at her in the dim porch light. Her hair was messy from sleep and chaos, her eyes tired, yet she had never looked more beautiful.
“You don’t seem surprised.”
“I found the box in the trash.” I lifted my eyes to hers. “I was always coming for you, but if anyone had hurt you or our unborn child, they would’ve been skinned alive.”
She cupped my face.
“I knew you would. I knew you’d find a way.”
“Lani,” I murmured, my voice rougher than I intended.
I slid my hand from her stomach up to her jaw, my thumb brushing over her cheek. She leaned into the touch as if she needed it as much as I did.
God, I loved her.
Not the quiet kind of love people wrote poems about. The violent kind. The kind that made a man ready to tear the world apart if it dared touch what was his.
Every instinct in me, every lesson about survival, loyalty, and blood boiled down to one single truth.
She was mine to protect. Mine to fight for. Mine to build a life with.
I dropped my lips to hers and lost myself in the moment. Her hands tangled in my hair, drawing me closer, deepening the kiss until the world outside the front porch ceased to exist. The trees and road faded until there was only her.
Only us.
When we finally broke apart, she rested her forehead against mine, breathing fast. I unlocked the door without letting go of her.
Home. We were home.
Before she could speak, I scooped her up again. She laughed, and hugged my neck.
The bathroom light flicked on as I set her gently on the counter. I turned the shower to the hottest setting and steam curled into the air.
The night had left its marks on both of us. And none of it was coming into our bed.
I stepped closer, resting my hands on her hips.
Kaylani looked at me like I was her whole world, like she needed to memorize every detail. I would do anything to keep that expression on her face. Anything to ensure she never had a reason to doubt that truth.
“You’re staring,” she whispered.
“Because I plan on spending the rest of my life making sure the world never forgets exactly who you belong to.” I opened the clip holding her hair, letting it spill around her shoulders in golden waves. “And who I belong to.”
Her cheeks pinked, a blush that left me aching to get her naked. As the steam filled the room, only one thought echoed through my mind.
Anyone who came for her again wouldn’t just start a war. They would unleash a reckoning. I was done standing in the shadows.
If they dared, death would meet them first.