Page 177 of Deceptive Vows


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“I love you.”

The branch breaks, and she screams. In that split of a second her hand flies out, I grab her, keeping my vow to myself to never let go.

I roar as I pull her up, lifting myself, too, and crawling backward with her in my arms.

She holds on to me as I press her to my heart, never letting go.

I won’t.

Not ever.

The nightmare is over.

52

Natalia

The house feels lighter now that we’re back.

Yesterday, as I drove back down the long winding driveway and set my eyes on the beautiful house that now feels like home, there was a difference about it I loved.

It felt like mine. Like somewhere I could start anew. Although I’m not really sure what’s happening yet.

I’m just glad Mikhail and I aren’t dead.

Since Mikhail took down Ivan, we’ve both seen doctors. We then left Mexico straightaway.

It’s morning now, and it feels like the nightmare fog has lifted from over our heads.

Mikhail still has funeral plans for his father, which he’s tending to now.

I wait patiently for him by the lake as I watch Snow chasing the ducks in the water.

When footsteps sound behind me, I turn and set eyes on the man of my dreams.

He looks like he’s ready to talk to me about what’s going to happen next.

I have my own speech ready for him.

He sits next to me on the bench and leans forward to kiss me briefly. “Are you okay?”

“I am. Are you?”

“Yes, I am.” He shuffles to face me. “We have to talk.”

“I’m not leaving you again,” I cut in. “I’m not doing it. Don’t you dare ask me to say goodbye to you again. The only way I’ll leave is if you don’t love me.”

He chuckles. The sound fills my heart with hope.

“Looks like you’re going to be stuck with me forever, then, Natalia.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. I can’t let you go. I don’t want to. I can’t do it. I don’t know if I could spend the rest of my life without you. I still think I’m not good for you, but that makes me want to try to be what you need. All I have to offer is my love for you, so I figured that’s a start.”

Nobody has ever looked at me with such heartfelt adoration.

“Mikhail, that’s all I need. I don’t need anything else. Just you.”