her beauty again because I wanted it all for myself. I didn’t want to share what was supposed to be only mine.
But as desperately as I wanted Lexi’s light to only shine in my direction, it would be a crime to not gift the rest of the world with it. There was already too much bad out there. You couldn’t prevent someone as good and pure as Lexi from casting her kindness and grace upon as many people as she could.
Yes, the world might need people like her in it.
But I needed her more.
So, I made my decision.
While watching her peaceful form breathe deeply and evenly in my bed, I decided that she wasn’t going anywhere. I was keeping her. Whatever I had to do, I would do in a heartbeat. She just had to promise that she wouldn’t leave.
If Sergei wanted to fight me on it, I’d sharpen my daggers and prepare for war.
If Lexi wanted to fight me on it, I’d just have to get her as addicted to me as I was to her.
And if Sergei wanted to renege on our deal…well, it wasn’t the end of the world. I would handle it. Owning the majority of shares in Kozlov Industries was supposed to keep my family financially comfortable for a long time, specifically my parents. I hadn’t been involved in family matters the way I should have been over the years, and I guess you could say this was a small way I was trying to make up for it. But I’d figure something else out if Sergei changed his mind.
The whole thing was Sergei’s fault anyway. He’d thrust Lexi upon me—thrown her at me. He’d made demands of her, played on her loyalties. The man had no one to blame but himself for forcing me to fall in love with his daughter.
Lexi suddenly jerked in her sleep.
Propping myself up on my elbow, I watched with growing concern as her face crumpled with strain, her forehead marred with creases. Her words from the night before came back to me as sweat broke out at her hairline. Then her entire body started shivering, like she was cold. It was slight at first, though the shaking became more violent with every second that passed.
I couldn’t take seeing her like that.
Whatever nightmare had her trapped in her own fear, I wanted to banish it from her mind forever.
Placing my hand on her shoulder, I gently shook her. “Hey, legs, wake up.”
She didn’t. As her body became wracked with shakes, she started murmuring incoherent words, her body flailing in distress. “Help,” she whispered, eyes still closed. “Please, help me.”
It was almost eerie how young she sounded. As if she actually were her seven-year-old self again, trapped inside a blazing building, pinned beneath a heavy wooden beam that was slowly burning her flesh. It enraged the fuck out of me and broke my heart in two all at the same time.
“Someone help me! Please! Anyone! I’m in here!”
She was screaming the words now, and I was at a loss for what to do. When she started sobbing uncontrollably, I’d had enough. I pulled her writhing body into mine and placed my mouth right at her ear.
“Lexi, wake up. It’s okay. You’re safe. You’re not back there. There’s no fire and no cold. You’re safe.”
Her body stilled, as if all the strength fled her limbs at the sound of my voice. Her back was to my front, so I couldn’t see her face, but I felt her body becoming more and more aware.
“Nico?”
“Yeah, legs.” Pushing hair off her neck, I kissed the feverish skin over her pounding pulse point. “It’s me. I’m here.”
She sucked in a breath. “I—I’m sorry. I tried to warn you.” She sounded humiliated.
That shit’s not going to fly.
“Hey,” I chided. “I told you I’d be here, didn’t I? I’m not going to let you suffer inside your own hell while I’m around.”
It took her a moment, but she eventually sank against me and pulled my arms tighter around her. I smiled like the biggest dork against her hair. Feeling so content in that moment made me an asshole, considering the fact that she had just woken from a terrifying nightmare. But I couldn’t help it.
Lexi needed me.
My woman needed her man to comfort her and make her feel safe. She welcomed my offer of protection—wanted it. It was actually helping her.
Maybe I’m not totally worthless in this life.
Maybe my entire existence hadn’t been such a waste. Because if