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"How far would you go for me?" she asked, her voice soft, her face glistening with tears under the moonlight.

I stared into her eyes, my eyes burning with something raw, primal, unguarded. All my walls were down, leaving only the fierce need to possess and protect her. My voice was calm, too calm, like the quiet before a storm, but my eyes blazed. "To the point I'd kill anyone who threatened you."

Her breath stopped, her pupils dilating with shock.

Then she kissed me again, her arms wrapping around my neck like it was her last chance.

My rose, accepting me—scars, danger, and all.

I kissed her back, giving her everything I had.

Even if it was just for this moment.

Chapter 12

Cassie

The next morning, I was back in my apartment, the familiar walls closing in around me. Gennady had offered to send a car, but I shot that down. I needed space, time to process the whirlwind of last night. To face a world that felt the same but wasn't.

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror, staring at my reflection. Same old Cassie, the kindergarten teacher with a quiet life. But I wasn't her anymore, not really. Last night's choice—to accept Gennady, his blood, his danger—had changed everything. I'd betrayed my father's memory. My principles. And yet, regret wouldn't come. My heart wouldn't let it.

Life went back to normal, or at least it pretended to. But everything was different now, like a filter had been slapped over my world. Gennady started texting me every morning—not his usual flirty, suggestive stuff, but sweet, simple things. A picture of a rose blooming in his estate's garden. A doodle of a bunny from Anya. Sometimes just a quick Miss you.

Those messages lit me up, made me feel warm and guilty all at once. I couldn't stop the stupid smile spreading across my face every time my phone buzzed.

"Cassie, you're glowing lately," Jennifer said, eyeing me in the break room at school, her curiosity practically sparkling. "Spill. What's the deal?"

I stirred my coffee, trying to keep my voice steady. "Nothing special."

"Oh, come on," she said, leaning in close, her voice dropping to a whisper. "I've known you forever, and I've never seen you like this. You're in love, aren't you? Tell me about this guy!"

What was Gennady like? He could make me forget the world in his arms, gentle as a summer breeze. He could also kill a man in a heartbeat, cold as ice.

"Maybe," I said, hesitating. "I mean, he's good."

Jennifer rolled her eyes. "Good? That's it? Is he hot? Loaded? Treats you right?"

My Gennady. Handsome as sin, with those green eyes that stole my breath every time they locked on me. Rich enough to own a sprawling estate with a small army of staff. And most importantly, he'd kill for me. Literally.

"He's… all of those," I mumbled, my cheeks heating up.

Jennifer studied me, then sighed, placing a hand on my shoulder like she was about to give me the talk. "Look, Cassie, I'm serious. You're new to this love thing, and you're way too soft. Don't fall for some guy's sweet talk without thinking. If anything feels off, you tell me, got it?"

Her concern warmed me, but there were things I could never tell her. Not about Gennady. Not about his world. I gave her a weak nod, guilt gnawing at me.

I thought my life would settle into this strange new normal, but a few days later, things started feeling… off. It started Tuesday after work. I was leaving school, heading for the busstop, when I caught a glimpse of a black sedan parked at the corner. Tinted windows, impossible to see inside. But I felt eyes on me. When I turned to look, it peeled away.

Just a coincidence, I told myself, brushing it off.

But on Wednesday, it was there again. Same spot, same car. My stomach twisted. Someone was watching me.

By Thursday, it wasn't just the car. There was a guy in a baseball cap at the coffee shop, always sitting where he could see me. A woman at the subway station, her eyes flicking my way too often. Strange faces loitering near my apartment, pretending to check their phones or wait for someone. Their attention was on me. I knew it.

Fear hit me like a bucket of ice water, soaking through every nerve. I thought of the shootout in the parking garage, Gennady's words echoing in my head: "People who want to hurt me, my family." Had his enemies turned their sights on me?

That night, I lay in bed, every creak and rustle making my heart race. The wind outside sounded like footsteps. A noise in the hallway felt like someone picking my lock. I clutched my phone, Gennady's number glowing on the screen, but I couldn't bring myself to call. I didn't want to be a burden, to prove I was weak. Most of all, I was terrified that calling him would mean admitting I was already too deep in his world to ever get out.

Finally, I set the phone down and went to the kitchen. I mixed up a bottle of pepper spray and tucked it in my bag. Whatever was going on with that car, I wasn't going down without a fight.