Chapter 26 - Ivan

The door slammed against the wall behind it as I ran into the room, my eyes searching for Adley's. I needed to see that soft blue color like I needed air.

"Adley?!"

As I rushed in, she looked up, her eyes finding mine, and relief like nothing I'd ever felt coursed through my veins. I was immediately intoxicated by the potency of it, and I hurried to Adley's bedside and wrapped my arms around her.

Pulling her against my chest, I breathed in the scent that was distinctly her and clutched her hard enough to make my fingers ache, the feeling of her long hair against my palm grounding.

"I-Ivan," she squeaked, "you're crushing me."

I relaxed my grip—only a hair—and then yanked Adley's face up to mine, crashing my lips against her mouth. She tasted like she always did, that sweetness I'd never get enough of, and I didn't give a single fuck that my hands shook as I held her or that my concern was as noticeable as a neon sign.

After a moment, I pulled back, resting my forehead on hers. "Don't fucking do that to me again."

Adley chuckled lightly, her hands coming up to my chest and gripping the fabric of my shirt. "I'll try not to. I promise."

Meeting her eyes, I held Adley's stare for several long moments. I couldn't look away. I needed to know that she was really here, safe and whole.

"I'm okay, Ivan. I swear. Parker did a good job." She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

My stomach clamped down, my pulse kicking up again. "What? Is it the baby? Is it—"

She shook her head, her brows raising. "No, no. It's fine. As far as they can tell, this early in the pregnancy, anyway."

Relaxing a bit, I cupped Adley's face, stroking my thumb across her cheek. "Then what? I can see you're upset. Is it just…all fucking this ?"

I gestured around us with my head as I asked. It would make sense if Adley was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. I was, and I hadn't been the one to get shot, for fuck's sake.

"A bit, yeah." She nodded slowly. "I'm…shit, Ivan. I'm bad at talking about my feelings on a good day. This? This is…"

The words drifted off, and a profound ache set up shop behind my ribs. She wanted to leave. This was too much. Fucking hell. I couldn't blame her. I'd want out if it were me. Between nearly getting killed and enjoying my sunshiney presence on the regular, I'd understand if Adley was over all this.

And I wouldn't stop here. I…couldn't.

Slipping back, I looked down at the bed before raising my eyes to her face again. I kept my expression neutral, relying on my years of experience to school my features into something that didn't reflect the massive crack that had formed inside me.

"It's fine, Adley. Just say it."

Cocking her head, Adley's brows knitted together, her lips parting gently. She just stared at me for a moment, but then she shook herself, waving a hand like she was done with whatever we'd been talking about.

"No, wait. Hold on. I think you're getting ahead of yourself. Just sit."

I wasn't one to take orders from just anyone. I listened to Lev and Sergei only as much as I needed to, and this was a civilian talking to me like this. But who was I kidding? She was my civilian, my wife . I'd do anything this woman asked of me.

Walking over, I took a spot on the bed near her bent leg, trying to breathe evenly even though I was itching to get out of the room. I'd never been dumped before, and you know what? It fucking sucked.

Adley smiled, her brows up like she hadn't expected me to listen. "Thank you."

I just nodded.

"Ivan," she began, reaching for my hands, "first off, thank you. Again. You saved my life, and I will never not be grateful for that."

When I tried to reply, Adley silenced me with a look, and I gestured with our joined hands that the floor was hers, rolling my eyes slightly.

"Truthfully, no one has ever put themselves in harm's way like that for me. It was…fearless, and if I didn't think you cared before, I certainly do now." Adley let out a nervous chuckle, and I could see her eyes go glassy. "I had no idea if I was going to survive that. God, I was terrified. I'm still so worried about the baby, and I need you to be okay with me going to see a doctor as much as necessary to ensure this pregnancy goes okay."

Wait. Is she…

My mind spun, and I was left there perched on the edge of my seat, as sharp as a blade and ready for it to slice right through me. But if Adley was saying what I thought she was, then maybe we—

"I'm going to take the silence as a yes. So, good. I need something else from you, too. I…" I could hear the shake in Adley's voice, and her hands trembled in my grip, so I squeezed them back. "I don't want to just be some…trophy. I'm your wife now, and…I want that to mean something. I know I promised you I'd stay—to take care of my family. And I don't want to break that promise, but I…I need to hear you say it, Ivan. Can you tell me what I mean to—"

"I love you, Adley." I cut in. "I love you more than I've ever fucking loved anything on the face of this earth, and I promise to be there for you and the baby. I meant that shit at the courthouse. You're mine."

Adley's eyes flared, looking like saucers in her face, and my fingers actually stung from how tightly she gripped them. She pulled me forward before I could say another word, forcing my lips to meet hers in a feverish kiss. Her arms went around my neck, and I put one of my hands on her face as the other reached for her lower belly.

Solid, real, and mine. Adley was here, right fucking here, in my arms, and I was never going to let her go. Ever .

Her lips left mine with a sniffle, and I looked down into her eyes as she grinned from ear to ear.

"I love you, Ivan. I don't care about any of the other stuff. I love you and want to make this work—for real."

Nodding, I held her in my arms, stroking down her long hair and thinking very strongly that the first thing I was going to do for her when she was released was run her a bath. Having her wet and glistening for me was just a bonus.

"For real."

A minute later, the door clicked open, and I looked up from still holding Adley to see Lev. I was fucking indebted to the guy now, and even though the odds of me taking my skills elsewhere had always been slim, they were nonexistent now.

"Hello, Adley. Glad to see you're doing better. Ivan." Lev regarded me, a slight smirk touching the corner of his mouth. "I thought you would like to know that we found more details of Donovan's dealings in his car. He's currently being held downstairs."

Renewed anger boiled in my guts, twisting them until I reflexively clenched my jaw so hard that it actually cracked.

"I want time with him." I stared directly into Lev's eyes. "Alone."

He nodded once. "I expected as much, but he's not going anywhere, and my men have strict orders to be ‘gentle' with him. Take your time here. When you're ready, just come find me."

"I will." I swallowed hard, old habits dying hard, but after a beat, I nodded. "Thanks."

Lev smirked, his brows rising. "Well, well. How ‘bout that. You're welcome, Ivan. We have quite a bit to discuss later, and your brothers have been detailing the event. Interesting how Donovan managed to find you. Looks like we may have a few loose ends to tie up."

I offered another nod, narrowing my eyes. I'd wondered that very thing myself, and the thought that there was a mole somewhere in our network sat really fucking bad with me.

"Sounds like."

With a head tilt toward Adley, Lev went to leave. "Like I said. Come find me."

When he was gone, I was left alone with my wife once more, and I stretched out on the bed next to her, pulling her into my arms as gently as I could.

"Get some rest, sweetheart. I need you healthy—and fast."

"Oh?" She regarded me, her mouth tilting into a soft smile.

"Damn straight. As much as I like Lev's, it's not the house. Getting you back home and in our bed is my top priority."

She hummed gently, closing her eyes. "Hmm, I like that. Being your main concern. I'm definitely going to milk that for all it's worth."

"You do that, love. You do that."

***

We'd finally been allowed to go home, and as promised, the first thing I did for Adley when I got her upstairs to our room was run her a bath.

She had to be careful with the bandages and still wasn't cleared for vigorous physical activity. Still, Parker seemed to know exactly what my actual plans were, and she'd instructed me very sternly to make sure Adley didn't hurt herself because I was desperate to have her.

As long as I can taste her again, feel her around me, I'll be more than satisfied.

With Adley comfortable in the bath, I grabbed the old-fashioned sponge from the ledge and dipped it into the warm water. I ran the rough, tan surface over Adley's arms and legs, soaking it over and over again in the hot water.

"Goddamn, Ivan. That feels incredible. Thank you for taking care of me."

"Anytime, sweetheart."

She turned, laying her forehead on the small towel hanging on the ledge and sitting cross-legged in the bath. The low light gleamed against the droplets that ran down her back, and my chest squeezed.

The vulnerability we'd both shown in the past few days had me reeling in ways I'd been unprepared for. Still, I wouldn't change it, and Adley—naked and under my care—had my heart swelling.

The ache for her was beyond intense; the sensation felt like I could die without her still ringing in my brain even now that I knew she was safe. My rational mind balked at how strong the feelings were, but I was learning to let go of my usual distancing reflex.

Life had always been a strange tumble of events. There was never a way to predict how or when something would start—or end.

Adley adjusted in the tub, sitting up with a gentle smile. The water trickled down her skin, the sight going straight to my cock.

"Happy to be home?"

She grinned, her lips finding mine as she leaned over the ledge. Her soft, full lips—the ones I'd been obsessed with the moment I saw her—felt like heaven against my skin, and I could still feel the fear of losing her too real in my veins.

I needed to feel her, to remember that she was safe.

That she was mine.

Slipping my tongue past the seam of her lips, I massaged Adley's, and she pulled me closer, wrapping her wet arms around my neck. I gripped the roots of her long blonde hair, which had been piled on top of her head, and our kiss became a frenzy—a dance of mutual desperation to lose ourselves in each other.

Sitting back only slightly, Adley looked up at me. "Get in here."