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“Uh-huh. You know she’s going to come up swinging, Romanov. You don’t want a pissed-off assassin after you.”

“She tried to set my bed and me on fire; I think I can handle it.”

They say something else, but I’m already slipping into the darkness. Looks like my night just got a little more exciting.

43

ILYA

Iglance around the room one more time. I brought her to a room adjacent to mine, but I’ve reworked it. Every window is barred and screwed shut, absolutely nothing she can use as a weapon within reach, and a fire extinguisher every few feet.

Can’t be too careful after last time.

She’s still out cold, body lax, and her arms and legs are restrained to the bed. I’m not an idiot. She’s going to come up swinging after this, even if she did laugh. She’ll be rested enough to do it too. The lab’s calculations say she’ll be out for another eight hours, so I have plenty of time, but I can’t find it in me to leave her. Not yet.

A part of me wonders if I’m going to have to keep her here indefinitely.

Or at least until she realizes she can’t keep running away. Though something tells me that’s exactly what she’s planning. She’s never had to stay in one place for long. I also think the idea is that now that her grand plan is finished, she’s got to face exactly what that means.

Zakhar and Oleg are sure I’ve lost my damn mind since I still want her. I haven’t told them I brought her here, and I probably have lost my mind, but I don’t care. I’m going to figure out what I have to do to make this work.

I walk over to the bed and run my hand over her hair. I wonder what color her natural hair is? This blonde she’s sporting isn’t it, but she pulls it off. I brush her cheek with the back of my hand before I force myself to move away.

I can’t spend all day in here watching her. My men know not to leave their posts. No one in or out. They think she’s a prisoner, and I’m not going to dissuade them of that idea.

Still, I’m fucking glad to have her back here. I don’t know what it’s going to look like until we find our rhythm, but we’ll get there.

Leaning down, I press a gentle kiss to her forehead. “We’ll figure it out, lisichka. I just need you to trust me.”

Well, after I make her see the error of her ways, of course. She still has to pay for trying to set me on fire. Oh, and drugging me. Yeah, we have more than a few things she’ll need to atone for.

A hot thrill shoots straight to my balls.

I head to my office after barking orders to the guards. If she gets away, they know it will mean their lives.

I find Zakhar, Oleg, and Mila in the dining room. Mila and Zakhar glare at each other while Oleg looks on, amused as he eats his salmon.

“I said no, and that’s final,” Zakhar bites out through gritted teeth.

Mila crosses her arms. “You know, I always thought you were the cool dad, but lately I can see you’ve been manipulating me into thinking that. Rori and Lane have opened my eyes to the shit you pull.” Her eyes move to Oleg and then me. “That all of you pull.”

I take my seat at the head of the table. “And what have we been doing?” My dinner is brought over, my traditional fillet cooked exactly as I like it.

“You’ve been trying to manipulate me into thinking that you only have my interests at heart, but you don’t really. You’re only thinking about yourselves and how you’re going to make your lives easier. You didn’t send me away because you wanted to protect me. You sent me to that damn school to get me out of the way while you did whatever you wanted. Or I get upset, and you send me shopping because you think I’m so shallow that buying me pretty things is going to fix everything for you. Well, I’m done with that.” Her glare deepens at her father. “And whether you like it or not, I’m going to get a dog for protection. Rori will train it, or I can train it myself.”

“You’re going to a school that won’t allow dogs, so the point is moot,” I state.

“Dad already told me which one, and I know you’re lying. Whiteton⁠—”

“You won’t be attending Whiteton.” She freezes, and Zakhar’s head whips up. “You’ll be attending another school. No, I will not be telling you where or its name yet. Clearly, you can’t be trusted with that information. And Mila, I have been very patient with you the last few days because I understand it’s a lot for you, but the disrespect toward your father, myself, and Oleg will cease now. Do you understand?”

She stares at me, trying to figure out my angle. Then she looks at her father. Zakhar tries to hide his surprise, but not fast enough. “I see that Uncle is going to be the one making decisions from now on about my future. I hope it’s a decent school.”

“Darling, it’s one of the best.”

I whip my head up and toward the door as Lane strolls in, looking rested and cheerful. Her skin is red around her wrists, but other than that, she looks far too bright and chipper to have been drugged for the last four hours.

Damn the fucking lab.