Marina #2
I sink into the chair, covering my face and crying.
When I bend forward, all I want to feel is his hand on my back, but he continues to drive without acknowledging what I've said to him.
It wasn't the way I thought I'd tell him and I want more than anything to take it back and help him understand I never wanted to hide it from him, but all I can do is sob.
After several more long minutes, the car slows, then comes to a stop. He puts it in gear, and I sit up, using the hem of my T-shirt to wipe my face. He isn't looking at me. He's staring out the windshield with one hand over his mouth, unblinking.
I have no clue where we are. I look around and see only more parked cars and dark houses.
I don't know if he even knows where we are.
The houses are huge, gated monstrosities like you'd expect wealthy people to possess.
Fancy lights shine upward on the fronts of them, and every single one has meticulous landscaping.
It's so quiet, I start to get afraid that he may never speak to me again. I've screwed everything up so badly, I'm not sure how to fix it. When I touch his elbow, he still doesn't move. He keeps staring blankly, and his jaw works as he grits his teeth and then relaxes.
"Say something," I mumble, but I'm scared of what he may say.
When he lowers his hand and turns to face me slowly, I shudder and pull my hand back, hugging my arms over my chest. I don't want him to be angry with me. I never wanted anyone to be angry with me. My selfishness got me into this, and I’ve hurt so many people. Maksim is dead because of me.
"You're what?" he asks cautiously, shaking his head.
"I'm so sorry, Stepan. I should've told you but my father... and Maksim..."
"Stop." The word feels like a slap, but I don’t think he means to make me feel that way. "We're about to go in and talk to my cousin and there is a hell of a lot of stuff I need to know before I do that."
I cower against the door, but my body is starting to lose some of the tension.
Every moment we've spent together up until this point flashes through my mind.
His hands on my body, the way he pleaded with me to marry him.
He loves me. He's said it himself more than once, and I told him last night that I love him too.
He has to know I'm being honest when I say that.
I may be conflicted, but I'd never outright lie to him.
"Tell me what's going on. Tell me everything now."
When he sits back and turns the full weight of his gaze on me, I melt.
I break down and tell him about Maksim being pushy, and how when I found out I was pregnant, what Elira told me to do.
Then I tell him about both my father and Maksim threatening to force me to have an abortion, and when I get to the part about being afraid to go home for fear they will follow through, I can't finish.
I cry so hard, he reaches across the center console to cradle my cheek.
"Hey, shh... I'm not mad, okay? I'm sorry I scared you." Stepan's voice and touch are so gentle, I cling to him, pressing my hand against his on my cheek.
"I'm so scared. He's going to make me abort the baby. He threatened to do a mercy killing, Stepan. I don't know what to do." I'm shaking, so scared I might pee myself, and he climbs out of the car and walks around, opening my door.
When he pulls me out and into his arms, I instantly feel safe.
I've never been more at home than when I'm here against his chest, knowing he will fight for me.
And after seeing him with that gun chasing down armed men who invaded his home, I have no doubt he can protect me.
He killed Maksim. Nothing else would ever be as difficult.
"Look, we have to go in and talk to my cousin.
" He presses kisses to my forehead, then continues.
"You're gonna see stuff and hear stuff, but I need you to trust me.
I don't have time to explain everything right now.
" Now he's the one who sounds uncertain, but after he just accepted my whole mess without judging me, I have no reason to doubt him.
"Okay?" I say, sniffling. He takes my hand and walks with me, leading me through a side gate where he has to enter a code.
"And you're safe here, okay? No one will ever get into this place and if they tried, there would be a dozen guards on them in less than ten seconds." He's so sure now, walking so fast, I can't keep up. "I just need you to promise me something."
He stops short of a door on the side of the house, and I look up at him, worried about what might be on the other side of that wall. "Anything," I tell him softly.
"Promise me, no matter what you see inside this home, you'll remember that I love you with every shred of my being.
Promise me that you will trust that I have your best interests at heart, and that I know you.
" His hands cup both of my cheeks and he squeezes, shaking me gently.
I have no clue why he's being so serious all of a sudden, but it scares me again.
"I promise, Stepan. I love you." My words come out as a whimper, sealed in a heated kiss before he pulls away and opens the door.
And I'm two steps into what appears to be a well-lit garage before I realize how stupid I really am. Stepan moves to the side, revealing me to a room full of men, and I see Darius Radin standing next to a man I don't recognize, but it all clicks into place.
"Stepan?" I look up at his profile and my stomach rolls.
He's a Radin?
Or at the very least, he works with them.
And my father really will kill me now. I'm having the enemy's baby.