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Curses littered the air, and they followed me over. Kirill pumped into my throat, and I swallowed him down. Roman and Maksim shuddered inside me, their cocks thickening and pulsing so hot and filling me with such exquisite tightness that I came again, harder and faster, my pussy milking them in a series of spasms. When it was over, Roman stood, lifting me up with him and carrying me into the bathroom, where they took turns washing me before we tumbled into bed after slipping into silk pajamas.

17

MAKSIM

The door creaked open, jolting me awake with my hand diving beneath the pillow, searching for a gun that was no longer there. Anika had made me lock every weapon in the adjoining room before we went to bed, an order I’d accepted because she’d stared at the nightstand where she’d seen them and asked if I’d lost my damned mind.

Nora bolted into the room, crawling over Kirill, who slept through the attack, then wedged herself into the narrow space between Anika and me. Her curls covered half her face, and her breath caught on a quiet hiccup.

“What happened?” I pushed upright and checked the open bedroom door. Miss Helen stood there wearing a robe over her nightgown.

“Nightmare.” The older woman gave me a tired smile. “She wanted her mother.”

Anika stirred as Nora burrowed under the covers. “Baby?”

“You didn’t come back.” Nora shoved her face against Anika’s shoulder. “I waited and waited.”

Anika closed her arms around Nora, and my chest ached. For several days, Nora had gone to sleep without knowing where her mother was or whether she’d return. We’d done that to her.

Sokolov’s men had taken Anika, but we’d bought her, restrained her, and refused to let her call home while we decided whether she deserved to live. There was no apology large enough to make this better.

“I’m here.” Anika kissed Nora’s hair. “I’m not going anywhere.”

Nora twisted until she could see me. “You have guards?”

“Yes. Lots of them.” I kept my voice quiet and tucked her curls away from her face.

Her chin trembled. “Can you make sure Mommy always comes back?”

Fuck. My eyes burned, and an uncomfortable weight lodged deep in my chest, blocking my ability to breathe for several seconds. I could promise no one would ever take Anika from the estate. The answer sat there, ready, but then Anika met my gaze over Nora’s head, and I remembered that keeping her here against her will wasn’t the same thing as keeping her safe.

I used one of Nora’s curls to tickle under her nose. “I’ll protect her wherever she chooses to be. Always.”

Anika softened, her body going pliant beneath the covers. She snuggled Nora close, and Nora giggled before flipping onto her back, kicking Roman in the thigh. She fell asleep within a minute, leaving us there staring at each other.

Roman grunted without opening his eyes. “We need a bigger bed.”

Kirill lifted his head from the far pillow. “Little one needs a bell. She moves like an assassin.”

“Quiet.” Anika reached over Nora and slapped his chest. “She just went to sleep, and unless you want to answer what an assassin is, you’d better keep it down.”

Kirill caught her hand and kissed her fingers, then lowered his head. Nora’s foot remained planted against Roman, one arm sprawled over Anika, while her knee gouged my ribs. I didn’t dare move. I’d spent my life sleeping lightly enough to wake when a door squeaked. For the next hour, I lay awake because Nora trusted me to keep her mother safe and I wanted nothing more than to be worthy of that trust.

Hours later, over a hearty breakfast of pancakes, strawberries, and bacon, with Nora talking through every bite, I realized I was one hundred percent okay with our sudden shift in circumstances.

I tapped out several text messages beneath the table.

Anika caught me and frowned. “What are you doing?”

“Preventing an architectural crisis.” I put the phone away before she could read the order authorizing the room beside Nora’s to be converted into a playroom. The reinforced windows and hidden safe area would require more time than the furniture, but crews would begin within the hour.

Kirill glanced at his phone when my message pinged. His grin nearly split his face, especially when Roman snorted.

Nora licked syrup from her thumb. “What’s arky-tectural mean?”

“It means Maksim is doing something expensive.” Anika shook her head, but her smile was the kind that said she wasn’t going to complain.

“Are castles expensive?” Nora stabbed her fork into her pancakes and lifted a dripping bite to her mouth.