Chapter 19
ISABELLA
I wake up nauseous. I look around the room and pat the bed next to me as if to confirm what I already know—he’s gone.
While it isn’t outside the ordinary for me to wake up alone, after last night…
“Lev?” I ask, holding my breath while I wait for him to answer. My heart sinks. I look to where he normally plugs his phone in, but it’s gone.
My God, I was so tired last night. I sit up and sip from the cup beside me. It doesn’t help. I have a sour taste in my mouth, and my belly clenches.
“Lev?” I ask again, even though I know he isn’t here. I don’t know why I feel so alone. It’s so vast here, so empty and vacant. I rub my belly and, for the first time in my life, consider what it would be like if I did get pregnant.
Could I be? Birth control fails sometimes. I frown, wondering, as I head to the bathroom. But a few minutes later, after I’ve brushed my teeth and washed my face, I feel right as rain. Strange.
I bet it’s nerves.
I pick up my phone and text him.
Where r u
There’s no response. My gut tells me something is off. I’m staring at my phone, hoping for a response from him, when a notification of another text pops up.
Renata
Isabella, are you home?
I frown at my phone.
Yes. Why?
Home. This is home.
Renata
Carlos is gone. Javier is making his move. They are coming to you as planned. Do you trust Lev?
I hate that I have to think before I answer.
Yes.
But after last night… I am not so sure.
Renata
Do you know where he is right now?
I scowl at the phone. What is she doing? Renata is my best friend on the planet, but what the hell is she even doing right now?
No, why?
The little dots indicating she’s responding flick across the screen. They disappear. They come back, and I’m growing impatient.
What the hell is going on?
Renata
My sources tell me he’s with another woman. I know he is just a figurehead and a means to work with the Romanovs, but I wanted you to know. Be careful about trusting him.
Just a figurehead?
Just a means to work with the Romanovs?
He made love to me last night. He made me scream in ecstasy and marked my body with his teeth and hands.
I’ve memorized the details of his body, the way his eyes grow stormy or hopeful, depending on his mood.
I know exactly where he has the faintest glimmer of a dimple in his right cheek, a hint of a cleft in his chin, and how long his stubble gets when he doesn’t shave for a day.
I know the sound of his voice when he’s amused or angry or curious, or when he’s just at ease. I know the way he sleeps, with his arm tucked under his head and a gun on the bedside table because even in rest, he’s willing and able to defend me.
I know how he under-salts his food and over-butters his bread. I know how he tracks every penny that comes in and out of his bank account, even though he’s independently wealthy like all the Romanov men. He trusts no one and is always on alert.
I know what he wants. What he hopes. What he dreams, and how, most of all, he wants the normalcy of a family to come home to.
Just a figurehead?
Are we both being used by our families?
What woman?
Renata
I have no idea. Look into it.
Oh, I totally fucking will.
Okay, I will. Thank you. Are you alright?
Renata
I don’t know… Carlos is getting suspicious. He was wary last night. I spent the night at Gia’s.
I clench my jaw. If my best friend gets hurt because of this bullshit—
Stay safe.
I glance at the time. I have an hour before I’m supposed to be teaching another self-defense class at the Romanov family headquarters.
I might as well go early and do some investigative work. Ask some questions.
Woman.
He’s in touch with another woman?
My God, I will fucking castrate him with a steak knife.
I make coffee and pour it into a cup. When I open the door, I’m not surprised to find three guards standing like a barrier in my path.
“You can’t pass, Mrs. Romanova.”
Of course they’ll tell me this.
I make a sound of disgust. “First, my God, I’m no Mrs. Romanova. There are plenty of those to go around. I’m Isabella, thank you, though you can call me Miss.” I look down my nose, gathering up all the authority I can and funneling it into one withering look. “Have you seen my husband?”
“Not since last night, ma’am,” a tall, beefy guy with a shaved head says. “He said to keep you safe.”
Keep me safe, or keep me here? After what Renata said, I don’t know what the truth is.
I text him again, but it goes unanswered.
I told the girls I would give them their second class today, so whether he’s here or not is irrelevant. I’m going to keep my promise.
“Move,” I snap at the guard.
“No, ma’am.”
“My God, there’s a difference between miss and ma’am. I am hardly an old lady.” He gives me a once-over. “If my husband saw the way you just looked at me, you’d lose those fucking eyes.”
He whips his head away from me as quickly as he can. I’m not bluffing, though. Lev would kill him.
Would he?
Or has this all been part of an act?
Lev doesn’t act, though. That’s not part of his character. His bold honesty is one of the things I love best about him.
Love.
If he’s cheating on me, I’m going to kill him.
“Move,” I snap to the guard. “You do not want to block me right now.”
“If you go, I’ll have to tell Mr. Romanov.”
“Go! Do it. Maybe he’ll actually show his fucking face, then.”
I shove past the guard. He reaches for me, but I stop him by swiveling my camera on and capturing him on video. “Go ahead. Touch me again. Let’s see what my husband says when he sees this video I’ll send him.”
The guard tosses his hands in the air.
I stalk past him toward the small, silver Lexus Lev gave me when we came home after our honeymoon and head straight for the Romanovs.
I glance at my phone.
No response.
If he’s still alive, I might kill him.
When I arrive, my mother-in-law, Ekaterina, stands on the front step, waving to me adorably. Something catches in my throat, and I have to look away. I don’t want anyone to see me cry. I’ve never had anyone be so glad to see me before.
I quickly get myself together and exit.
“Morning!” she says. “I have pastry and coffee for everyone, but most of the girls are ready to dive right in. Did you want to grab something to eat?”
“Mom.” Polina steps outside wearing her workout leggings and a tank. “Look at the woman. Does she look like the type that eats pastry for breakfast?”
Her mother laughs out loud. “Definitely not.” She winks at me. “You and Lev are absolutely a match made in heaven. Do you two make protein shakes together?”
I can’t help but snort at that. “You have no idea.”
Match made in heaven? I stifle a sigh. We could be.
“Alright, girls,” I tell them all as we’re lined up outside.
“Last time, we went over how to disengage a wrist grab. We also discussed how to gain leverage by hitting the most vulnerable points. Most men are larger and stronger than most women, so relying on brute force or fighting in most cases won’t be helpful.
Let’s continue to go over techniques that might be. ”
I move to the center of the room, my eyes scanning over the eager faces of the women gathered in front of me.
Polina, slender and willowy and eager to learn.
Aria, glasses perched on her nose, alert and ready.
Harper, with her thick brown hair tied up in a ponytail, a gun in a holster by her side. Even Viktor’s Lydia has joined us.
“Today, we’ll learn how to escape a bear hug from behind. This is a common technique in a hostage situation, so it’s important to know how to react effectively.”
I motion for Polina to step forward, demonstrating how to position her hands. “If someone grabs you from behind in a bear hug, the first thing you want to do is drop your center of gravity. Bend your knees slightly and shift your hips down. This makes it harder for the attacker to lift you.”
She watches as I continue. “Next, create space. Use your elbows to strike backward into the attacker’s ribs or stomach so they loosen their grip. You can also stomp on a foot or use your heel to strike a shin.”
I step back. “Now pair up and practice.”
I walk between them, offering suggestions and encouragement.
“Good. Remember to keep your movements quick and forceful. You want to create pain and surprise so they release you. Always keep your head on straight so you have the advantage. Men will often rely on brute force when taking or hurting a woman. Be smarter.”
I watch them grow confident, their movements more fluid. I can’t help but feel a sense of pride alongside a growing sense of doom.
What will happen next? Are we prepared?
Where the hell is Lev? I have so many damn questions for him.
“Good job, ladies.” My heart thunders in my chest. I hold my breath, unable to look over my shoulder. I know that voice.
I don’t know what to think.
I turn and stare at Lev. He holds my gaze. A well of questions rises, bubbling to the surface. I have so much I need to ask him. So much I need to know.
Will he answer my questions?
I swallow hard and stare ahead, trying to control the shaking of my limbs.
“Good morning, beautiful,” he says, heading to me. My heart warms in spite of myself.
Maybe Renata was wrong. Maybe…
I hear the whistling sound at the same time he does. We stare at each other in a split second of recognition before he screams, “Go for cover!”
An explosion shatters the quiet. Screams erupt all around us as the stone bench in the garden explodes. Smoke billows in and clouds all around us. I fall to the ground, and it takes me a second to realize he’s on top of me, sheltering me beneath his heavy frame. I can’t see what’s happening.
“Stay down!” he thunders, not just to me but all of us. “We’re under attack.”
Smoke keeps coming and coming, and it finally dawns on me. “Lev, it was a detonation to distract, but the rest are smoke bombs. They’re coming. Let me up!”
He leaps off me, and we both grab our guns. I choke on the smoke all around us but keep my head like I told the girls. I fall to the ground so I can breathe better and swivel my gaze all around.