The next hour passed in a blur. Dmitri was likely in shock from his wounds, but he managed to keep it together on the ride back to the house and then listened to Alexei’s report. Mae’s body had been disposed of, along with Keira’s gun, and Alethea was missing. “Don’t worry about Alethea.”
“Sir?”
“We won’t be seeing her again.” He’d send someone after her to deliver his last message—to come back to New York was to sign her death warrant. She’d lost her heir and lost her territory. There was nothing for her in the city but a funeral. He took a shallow breath and tried to cover up how much it hurt. “They’re dropping Mikhail somewhere, but they might not have left yet. Find him.”
“Yes, sir.” Alexei jumped to his feet and strode out of the room.
“Come on. I think that’s enough for tonight.” Keira stayed under his arm and guided him to the master bedroom, and then to the stool he’d occupied just twenty-four short hours ago. She stripped him carefully out of his shirt and hissed out a breath. “Looks bad.”
“Looks worse than it is.”
“You’d say that even if you were bleeding internally.” Keira shook her head. “Don’t play the hero with me—you were unconscious an hour ago. Do you have a doctor on staff?”
“Da.” He didn’t want to deal with that right now. He was alive and Keira was alive, and Dmitri needed a few quiet moments to process the beauty of that. “I want a real ceremony, Keira. I want to marry you again.”
She crouched in front of him and began cleaning the blood from his skin. “I’d like that—but maybe we can try to get through the entire event without one of us being kidnapped?”
He laughed and winced when it pulled at something in his side. Definitely dislocated that rib. “I think we could manage that.”
“I would have thought so, too, but with our track record, I’m not optimistic.” She dabbed further up his chest. “We won today, but there was some time after she took you…” She shuddered. “I didn’t know if I’d see you again. It scared the shit out of me.”
“I’m sorry.” He let his head rest against the cool tile of the wall. “I didn’t know about Pavel. I was so sure he was trustworthy, I delivered you directly to the enemy.”
“Stop that.” She cupped his jaw with one hand, waiting until he met her gaze to continue. “He’s dead?”
No use hiding it from her. She’d always seen the truth of him—both the light and darkness. “Da. I shot him, and I expect my men will find his body stashed somewhere in that building.”
“Good.” Keira nodded as if to herself. “One less loose end to tie up.”
“Bloodthirsty woman.” He loved it. He loved her.
“Da,” she mimicked, and urged him forward so she could slide his ruined shirt off his shoulders. “I don’t care what his reasons were for betraying us. All the matters is that he did. He paid the price for that, and the others will remember that if they’re tempted to follow in his footsteps.”
“I love you.”
“I know.” She finally smiled, though her hazel eyes still held shadows.
“I’ve been thinking.”
“God forbid.”
Another laugh, though he regretted this one as much as the first. “You can choose Keira Romanov-O’Malley if that’s what you want. I won’t hold you to our earlier arrangement.”
“That’s sweet.” Keira sat back on her heels and dropped the washcloth. “You know, I was thinking, too.” She grinned, the last of the shadows fleeing her eyes. “Keira Romanov sounds pretty damn badass.”
His breath stilled in his lungs. “You’re sure?”
“I was an O’Malley—I’ll always be one in some ways—but I’m a Romanov now, of my own choice.” She ran her hands up his thighs and leaned forward to press a quick kiss to his mouth. “I choose the name. I choose you.”
* * *
The timer went off, jarring Keira back to the present. She blinked, noting the way the light had changed in her studio, and set down her brush. A quick glance at the clock confirmed that it had, in fact, been three hours. The painting in front of her had started to take form, the curve of the grays playing against the stark white and black. Tomorrow, she’d come back in with purple to accent in a few places.
Today was the first time in a week that she’d had the opportunity to check out the room on the second floor that Dmitri had ordered converted into a studio for her to paint in, and she’d instantly fallen in love.
Too in love. She’d lost track of time.
She grabbed her phone and typed out a quick text. Where are you? She was going to be late for dinner, but knowing Dmitri, he’d taken the opportunity to get a bit more work done.
The reply came back almost instantly. Office.
She grinned and stood, stretching her arms over her head and going up on her toes. Keira turned to the camera situated in the corner and slowly unbuttoned the oversized shirt she’d thrown on before starting to paint. Her phone trilled as a text came through, but she ignored it, arching a brow at the camera. Come and get me, Dima. She shrugged and the shirt hit the floor.
Less than thirty seconds later, footsteps pounded down the hallway to her room.
Gotcha. She turned as Dmitri stormed into the room. He kicked it shut behind him. “What did I tell you about playing these games?”
“Not sure. Guess you’ll have to refresh my memory.”
His gray eyes glinted with amusement and desire. “Gladly.” He stalked toward her.
She met him halfway, jumping up and wrapping her legs around his waist. It was only then that she realized she should probably be gentle with him. “Shit, I’m sorry. Your ribs.”
“I can handle it.” He laid her down on the couch situated under the window. The weight of his body against hers was the most intoxicating thing in the world. It buoyed her and steadied her at the same time. “I like seeing you in here,” he rasped in her ear. “You look happy. At peace.”
“I am.” It was the truth. Some days she still craved vodka so badly her hands shook, but she no longer wanted the numbness. Keira was living her life in vivid color, and it was in large part because of the man currently looking at her like she was a priceless treasure he was about to plunder. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, moya koroleva.” He stroked a hand down her body and kissed her. “Let me show you how much. It may take a few decades, but you’ll begin to get the idea.”
She laughed. “I can’t wait.”