by Katee Robert
He meant to stop when she came. He truly did. Dante would not see the path forward with Rose turn to scorched earth before he’d taken more than a few steps. Intentions didn’t mean shit when it came down to it, though.
She came with the sweetest cry and ground down on his cock, her pussy clamping around him. Between one breath and the next, he lost control. Pleasure overtook him, and he cursed as he came. Inside her.
Rose slumped down against his chest. It was the most natural thing in the world to wrap his arms around her and hold her as their breathing eased back to a more normal cadence. She was the type of woman who was larger than life when she moved and spoke, but right now, she felt all too human. All too breakable.
He would never do it. But others? Dante knew better. The sooner she agreed to be his and they made it public, the sooner he could ensure she was properly protected.
Rose stirred and pushed off his chest. It made him ache to release her, but he did it anyway. He had the long game in mind, and that meant holding her with a lighter hand right now. She blinked down at him, those hazel eyes holding things he didn’t fully understand. “Dante…we have to go to a pharmacy.”
Even though part of him knew she was right, a stronger, uglier voice took control. “Did you fuck me without a condom as a way out of this cabin?”
She jerked back as if he’d struck her. “You are such an asshole.” Rose scrambled off him. She was unsteady on her feet but quick, and she dodged his attempt to grab her wrist easily. “Do not touch me right now. I mean it.”
He flopped back onto the bed and watched her stride away from him. He knew better than to say some ridiculous shit like that. She wouldn’t put herself in danger simply to get free; not even Rose was that ruthless. But doubt had sown its seeds and he couldn’t entirely rule it out. One of the things he loved about this woman was the lengths she’d go. She fucking shot him. Twice. Risking pregnancy when there were so many options available was entirely within the realm of possibilities.
He’d fucked up.
If he kept her here and ignored her need to go to a pharmacy, he’d lose her for good. She wouldn’t let something like an unintended pregnancy derail her plans, and she sure as fuck wouldn’t marry him in some outdated belief that it was the right choice to make. She was like his mother in that, and he respected her for it even as he cursed himself for letting them get into this situation.
Losing her was an unacceptable consequence, so he sat up. He could hear the shower running, and her muttering to herself in Russian in the bathroom, so he ducked into the closet and made quick work of the latch into the safe room. If they were going back to civilization before planned, he needed to know what he was walking into.
He glanced at the cameras, but as expected, they were clear. The only person who knew the location of this cabin was Matteo, and his cousin wouldn’t betray him. He’d hidden it under half a dozen shell companies, none of them even remotely connected with the Verducci family. There was no reason to worry, but Dante hadn’t lived this long by ignoring his instincts.
Something felt…off. Not simply because of what had just happened.
He dialed his cousin, waiting impatiently while the line rang. Just when he thought it would go to voicemail, Matteo answered in Italian. “You have shit timing, cugino.” In the background, someone moaned.
Dante shook his head but wasted no time getting to the point. “Change of plans. We’re coming back.”
“She folded that fast?”
“No. We’re at an impasse, but the situation has become more complicated.”
“Hold on.” Matteo’s voice went muffled as he murmured to whoever he was in the middle of fucking. When he came back on the line, he sounded more focused. “Tell me.”
“There’s a chance she might be pregnant.” It didn’t happen that fast. He wasn’t a doctor, but even he knew that. Still, time was of the essence if they wanted to avoid that particular fate. Oh, there were still other options available, but better to do…whatever it was that Plan B did. Flush out the system? Dante honestly wasn’t sure.
All he knew was that when Rose was finally pregnant with his child, it would be because she chose it, because she chose him, and so the moment would be filled with joy and not this sick dread in his stomach at the thought that he was in danger of losing her for good.
Matteo laughed. “Good. Fuck her a few more times to be sure.”
His cousin’s attempt to be supportive fell significantly short of the mark. “It’s not that easy.”
“You always complicate things. Women are emotional creatures. If you’ve been fucking the past few days, she’s already half in love with you. She’ll come around. Just hold your ground.”
Matteo was brilliant in a number of ways, but romantic relationships didn’t number among them. “I’ll take advice from you when you’ve dated someone longer than a few months.”
“Si, si, you’re very superior.” Matteo laughed. “Look, my father is still fuming, so I wouldn’t come back here until you’ve married her. Take her back to the cabin after your little errand. It’s the safest place for both of you. He’s not the only thing you have to worry about right now, anyway.”
Dante tensed at the strange note in his brother’s voice. “What aren’t you telling me?”
“Our people reported Romanovs sniffing around the small towns in your area. Two sets of them, actually. Your girl’s family is better than you expected because they’re already close.”
He’d expected it, but not this quickly. They should have been chasing red herrings of those other pit stops for at least another week. But that wasn’t the most concerning part. Two sets of Romanovs? “I’m surprised Kirill’s stirred himself to offer even this much help.”
“They’re not his people. I don’t know these Russians. None of the usual suspects, they don’t seem to be cooperating with the New York Romanovs, and Kirill’s gone awfully quiet since they showed up.”
None of that was good news. He didn’t like the implications of the greater Russian branch of the Romanovs becoming involved in this. Dmitri Romanov would not have asked Jovan Romanov for help, not when doing so would give the old man an excuse to fuck with Dmitri’s territory and family. He’d been successfully fending off Jovan’s meddling for years, and Dante didn’t see that changing now. More, if Kirill was laying low in response to their presence, even though they were half a state away from LA, then…
It didn’t matter. No one was finding the cabin anytime soon. They just had to get into a pharmacy, get Rose the meds, and get out again without anyone seeing them. Considering how many options they had for towns around this area, it should be child’s play to avoid anyone seeing us for that duration.
Should.
“I’ll keep an eye out.”
“I could always send someone your way with the shit you need.”
Tempting, but he’d rather keep the information of their location between him and his cousin. Their people were mostly good and loyal, but all it took was a high enough price or long enough under the gentle care of one of their enemies’ wet workers and that information would be up for grabs. “No.”
“Suit yourself.” Matteo’s tone had gone distracted. “If that’s all?”
“Si, go back to having fun with your guest.”
“Oh, I plan on it. Stay safe, cugino.” His cousin hung up.
Dante checked the feeds one last time and ducked back out into the closet just as the water of the shower shut off. The smart thing to do would be to leave Rose here and retrieve the meds himself. He was reasonably certain she couldn’t escape in his absence, but the thought of her alone and essentially defenseless…
Maybe it was irrational. He couldn’t think his way around the problem. His fucking emotions were in the way for the first time in his life. He wanted her at his side, and he couldn’t figure out if it was truly the most logical solution or if he was compromising everything just because he didn’t want her out of his sight.
He p
ractically threw open the door to the bathroom, making Rose jump. “Get dressed. We’re going.” When all she did was stare, he cursed. “Time is of the essence, right? More time equals less chance of it working.”
“Da,” she said slowly.
“Then get dressed, Rosa. If you want these meds, we’ll get them for you.”
She tucked the towel more tightly around herself and gave him a wary look. “Why are you suddenly being so supportive?”
Frustration bloomed, but he fought it back down. He would not, under any circumstances, give her more ammunition to use against him. They’d made progress the past couple days, even though she’d deny it if he pointed it out. He forced himself to slow down, to cut all emotion from his tone. “My uncle tried to use an unplanned pregnancy to control my mother. I will do many unforgivable things, amata, but not that. Never that.”
“Oh,” she said softly.
“When you get pregnant with my child, it will be because we plan it.”
Rose blinked. Blinked again. The surprise faded from her face, replaced by indignation. “You’re really out of your goddamn mind. Do you know that?”
“You’ve said it before.” He preferred to think he was a man who knew what he wanted and wouldn’t be dissuaded from his path. It didn’t make him mad just because not everyone involved was on the same page. “Get dressed before I change my mind.”
This time, she didn’t argue. She scrambled past him and into the closet. He followed and pulled on a pair of jeans and T-shirt. Not his preferred clothing, but something inconspicuous. Whether or not Rose had the same thought, she ended up in dark jeans that hugged her like a second skin and a tank top that was simple enough but put her generous breasts on full display. A knitted cardigan did nothing to cover her up properly. She caught him staring. “What?”
“You’re going to cause a traffic accident dressed like that.”
She glanced down at her body and then up, amusement lighting up her eyes. “Dante, this is hardly cutting-edge fashion.”
It looked it on her, but he doubted he’d be happy taking her in public in anything she chose. Not while she still refused a future together. It was just one trip, though. It would be fine. Still, he’d take precautions.
Dante led her to the front door and pulled out the hood he’d stuffed in his pocket. Rose took one look at it and snarled. “Absolutely not.”
“You want to leave, you put on the hood.”
She cursed long and hard, violence seeping into every word of Russian. Finally, she switched back to English. “So help me, but if you put me in the trunk again, I will—”
“Kill me. Yes, we’ve gone over this.”
“No.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “If you put me in the trunk again, I will never forgive you.”
It was such a softer threat, but it hit harder than any of her others to date. It wasn’t that Dante didn’t believe Rose capable of murder. He knew for a fact she was. She would have killed him three months ago if his reflexes were any slower.
But this? By saying this, she’d all but stated that he hadn’t crossed the line of unforgivable actions to date. If he wanted Rose, he had to stay on the correct side of that line. He considered the hood in his hand. What did it really matter if Rose knew where they were? The door with the code was the main thing keeping her in place. Not to mention allowing her to see just how isolated they were might be beneficial.
With a shrug, he tossed the hood onto the couch. “Turn around.”
Rose considered him for a long moment but finally obeyed. He kept one eye on her and tapped in the code really quick. The door gave with a quiet snick sound. “Come on.” He held it open for her. “The quicker we get this done, the better.”
Chapter 15
Rose understood why Dante relented so easily within ten steps of the cabin. She’d expected nature to be quiet. It certainly looked peaceful when she sat on the couch in the early morning with her coffee and looked out over the view. Now that she was outside, all she could hear were strange sounds. The buzzing of insects. The trees shifting in the breeze. Something moving deeper in the woods just out of sight.
She inched closer to Dante. Not intentionally, of course, but this strange world was not her world. She didn’t know what to expect. She didn’t even know where they were. Did they have mountain lions in this area? When Sasha was younger, she’d gone through a big-cats phase, and as a result, Rose knew far more that was comfortable about one of the few big cats native to North America than she’d like. Sasha, sweet girl that she was, had several books about how to survive a cougar attack, and they were all filled with stories about hikers or joggers or campers being stalked and attacked by the cats.
“What are you doing?”
Rose stopped searching the branches above them, instantly feeling foolish. “Are there cougars around here?”
Dante gave her a long look. “Sometimes. They don’t usually come too close to the cabin, though.”
She expected him to laugh at her. In his place, she would have. Silly city girl, afraid of the woods. He just offered his hand. She shouldn’t take it. He’d look into the gesture and see it as a sign of her capitulating to his theoretical future.
Rose slipped her hand into his.
He led the way down a dirt path that was barely wide enough for him to walk, let alone both of them side by side. She told herself not to be foolish, but she couldn’t help continuing her search of the trees… At least until the space opened and she saw their destination. “I knew there was a car around here.”
“Si. Traveling by plane is quick but not convenient at times.”
“I suppose.” She followed him to the garage. It looked like a smaller version of the cabin, albeit with fewer windows. Rustic, but in the unique way only the ridiculously wealthy seemed to accomplish. She reluctantly turned away when Dante keyed in the code, straining her ears as he typed it in. Six digits instead of eight, but they weren’t tonal like so many devices, so she had no idea what the number combination was. Oh well. It wouldn’t matter soon enough.
She had absolutely no intention of letting him bring her back to the cabin.
Rose wished she could say the sex was all part of the plan, down to needing Plan B, but she’d be lying if she claimed that. She hadn’t been thinking about anything in that moment but getting as close to Dante as possible, with nothing between them, and how hot we shouldn’t was. The potential consequences only slapped her in the face after the high from her orgasm wore off.
There were times over the past three days when she forgot she was supposed to be looking for a way to escape.
He opened the door, stirring her from her thoughts, and stepped aside for her to precede him into the dark garage. Rose stepped in perhaps a little too willingly, but having all that nature at her back gave her the heebie-jeebies.
Inside, there was a spotless black SUV and nothing else. She eyed the empty walls. It made logical sense not to have a bunch of shit in here, especially when so many tools and outdoors type equipment could be used as weapons, but… “This really is a sex cabin, isn’t it?”
Dante pulled open the passenger door and looked at her expectantly. It wasn’t until she’d climbed in, and he went around to the driver’s seat that he answered. “How you feel about the trees? We’re of the same mind. I prefer the city to the country.”
She relaxed back into her seat and watched the garage door rise. “Then why have a cabin in the woods?”
“Sometimes the quiet is nice.”
She supposed she could see that, even if the tunnel of green they started down made her skin crawl. Getting to the cabin would be the stuff of nightmares, but she supposed the actual cabin itself was nice enough. “We don’t have anything like this back home. My grandparents on my mother’s side have a house out in Connecticut, but I’ve only been there a few times. My mother isn’t close to them, and my father hates them.” She frowned. “Though it’s definitely mutual.”
“Your grandparents are
cut from the same cloth my uncle is.”
“Da.” No use denying it. There was a reason they weren’t overly close with any of her aunts and uncles, and it had to do with how her grandfather attempted to move them around like chess pieces on a board only he had control of. Once her uncle Aiden took over the family business, things shifted, but no one forgot the bad old days. They didn’t seem overly inclined to forgive, either. She couldn’t blame them for that. “Not my parents though.”
“Aren’t they?”
She rolled her eyes. “No, Dante, they’re not. And if you quote the marriage to Romeo at me, I might throw myself from the moving vehicle. All leaders make sacrifices. I’m not special in that regard. I went into the choice with eyes wide open.”
“Would you have had to make the same choice if you were a man?”
She opened her mouth, but no words came. “That’s not fair.”
“It’s a valid fucking point, and you know it.” He picked up speed until they were bouncing along the dirt road leading from the cabin.
She’d planned on taking careful note of their surroundings in the event that the worst-case scenario played out and she ended up back here, but Rose quickly got bored of the unrelenting green. The dirt road turned to gravel and then pavement, and still the green persisted.
She hoped things were going okay back home. It had only been…four days? Less than a week for things to change so drastically. Except they hadn’t changed at all. Dante was still the enemy. She would still marry Romeo when she finally got back to New York. They would still have…
“Why would Jovan Romanov’s people be joining in the search for you? Is that something your father would have coordinated?”
Dante’s question jarred her out of her dark thoughts. “What?” She twisted to face him. “Why are you asking about Jovan Romanov?” He was another cousin of her father’s, though more distantly, and now the patriarch of the greater Romanov family. They all paid allegiance back to Russia, but those ties had spun out over the last generation. Something Jovan wasn’t too pleased about.
