The chest that serves as both my pillow and my anchor. The chest through which I can listen to his heartbeat.
I’ve known him for so long and he still causes my stomach to flutter upon seeing him. He’s still the most dangerously beautiful man alive.
I shake my head. “You’re being irrational.”
“Were you smiling at Yan in this way? With your eyes shining and your face brightening?”
“Adrian!”
“Were you?”
I release a sigh. “You’re seriously impossible sometimes.”
“Only sometimes?”
“I suppose.” I stare up at his unfairly handsome face—at the sharp features, hard lines, thick brows, and dark gray eyes.
A face so closed off that it used to frighten me but soon became my haven.
This man is both my calamity and my salvation.
His brows dip as he cups my face with his large palm. It always amazes me how a hard man like him only softens around me—and our children.
If anyone had come to the younger me and told her Adrian would be a family man, I would’ve laughed in their face.
But I’ve witnessed firsthand just how absolutely devoted he can be. Yes, he’s an important man in his organization, but nothing and no one comes before us for him.
“Is something the matter, Lenochka?”
It takes everything in me not to break down here and now. Just how can he be this attuned to my state of mind? Sometimes, more than I am.
“The kids left,” I choke out.
“Kolya told me. Want me to order the pilot to bring them back?”
That’s exactly what I want, but I’d be acting on paranoia as Yan said, so I shake my head. “I think we have a bigger problem.”
“Such as?”
“Anni…our daughter has a boyfriend.”
His expression darkens. “Jeremy informed me of that and mentioned he’s not to be trusted. I told him to keep them apart until I investigate the fucker who thinks he can have a relationship with my daughter.”
“You don’t have to. I saw his picture on her phone and he…he has familiar eyes.”
“Familiar eyes?”
“Richard Green’s eyes. Not the color, the look.”
He goes still, his muscles tightening against my hold. “What did you just say?”
“Richard, Adrian. I think…no, I’m sure he’s related to him somehow, probably his son. I thought we were done with that nightmare, but how come…how come it’s here again? How can that nightmare be unleashed on Anni this time? She’s so sweet and innocent and doesn’t deserve to suffer for any of our sins. She was devastated and absolutely disappointed in me when I told her to stop seeing him. What if…what if it’s too late to stop this?”
Adrian wraps an arm around my shoulder and half carries me to the sofa, where we sit down.
His hand strokes my shoulder slowly, soothingly, while his other hand wipes away the tears on my face. “Breathe, Lenochka, breathe…”
I dig my fingers into his shirt and stare up at him with blurry eyes. “Are we being punished? Is that why Anni fell for him of all people?”
“There’s nothing to be punished for. Richard was scum who deserved death, and we will not, under any circumstances, diverge the blame toward us.”
“How about Anni? I told her I’d cheer her on and back up any relationship she has, but I pulled the rug from beneath her feet at the first test.”
“I will talk to her. She’ll understand.”
“No.” I pull away from him. “You’ll just tell her that if she doesn’t stay away from him, you’ll hurt him.”
“Which is the right thing to do.”
“No, Adrian. She’ll just fall in love with him more. At this point, any coercion from our side will only push her in his arms and muddy our relationship with her.” I sigh. “I don’t know when she grew up enough to even know the meaning of love.”
“Let me have a talk with the bastard who dared to touch my baby daughter and we’ll find out.”
“You mean, let your fists talk to his face?”
“The only appropriate language under the circumstances.”
“Adrian, no. I’ll speak with her. We’ll have the talk we should’ve had last night when I saw that picture. She deserves the truth.”
His dark eyes watch me with so much care that I drown in it. “Will you be okay?”
“No, but I’ll do this for Anni.”
“Don’t have any misconceptions about the results. She won’t be happy.”
“But she’ll understand. Our daughter has grown up so much. She’s no longer that sheltered child who followed your and Jeremy’s orders like they were the holy scripts. She’s matured and become a little spitfire.”
“I don’t like that,” my husband grumbles.
Of course he doesn’t. Adrian has always been overprotective, so he doesn’t like knowing that his baby girl is growing wings that she’ll use to leave him.
But I’m proud of how far she’s come, and how she’s turned into her own person. Something tells me the change in her personality happened because of this Creighton.
Annika always wanted to spread her wings, but something held her back; whether it was apprehension or fear, I’m not sure. What I am certain about, however, is that she’s finally managed to live as her own person instead of what her last name suggests.
Adrian interlinks my fingers with his. “I’ll be right here.”
My heartbeat slows to a peaceful rhythm as I pull out my phone and FaceTime my daughter.
She picks up after a few beats, snuggling into what appears to be the plane’s seat with the face mask pushed up on her hair.
Annika has always been the life of the house. The sunshine, the joker, the bright light all of us looked forward to.
She’s Adrian’s little girl, which is why he vehemently refuses to admit she’s all grown up, the light to Jeremy’s shadows, and the girl after Ogla’s carefully-hidden heart.
This baby, who’s not a baby anymore, has had us all in a chokehold since the moment she was born.
So to see her downward expression and worn-out face squeezes my heart. She’s not even wearing one of her pretty purple dresses and has settled for an oversized hoodie and jeans instead.
“We still didn’t arrive yet, Mom. I’ll text when we do.”
“Anni, wait.” I swallow. “I wanted to talk to you.”
“If it’s about staying away from Creigh, then you can just forget about it. I already turned eighteen and I don’t need anyone’s approval to date whoever I like. I love you and Papa, but I won’t let you take the one thing I have of my own.”
Adrian tries to take the phone, but I keep it out of reach so that I’m the only one in the frame, then smooth my voice. “Can I tell you a story?”
She shrugs her shoulder. “If you want.”
“Remember when I used to tell you that a long time ago, I suffered mentally?” My voice chokes and Adrian squeezes my fingers.
The knowledge that he’s here gives me the courage to poke the demons from my past.
At Anni’s careful nod, I continue, “It was a lot worse than you could imagine. I was aimless, created a rift between me, your father, and your brother, and had the most hellish time in my life. Everyone has moments where they hit rock bottom, and that time was mine. As if that wasn’t enough, one of the power figures who was supposed to protect me—and people like me—used my circumstances to…try to sexually assault me as he’d done to several others before me.”