He must be able to see the confliction on my face because he walks over and pulls me against him. His palm flattens over my belly, and my pulse flutters when he examines me with a soft expression.
“I’ll do what I have to in order to protect the both of you, Sasha. And that does mean anything. But I want ye to know I’m not a monster. I’m trying to do what’s right. I’m trying to believe we can sort this out another way.”
“Can I talk to her?” I ask.
He frowns and almost immediately goes to shake his head. “This is mafia business.”
“But it isn’t just your business anymore,” I argue. “This involves me too. I want to know we can trust her. I want to protect you too.”
“I don’t need ye to protect me,” he huffs. “That’s my role, Sasha. Make no bones about that, it always will be.”
“I get that,” I say. “I really do. But just let me talk to her. Let me see for myself. Just so I can be at ease. Otherwise, I’ll be going out of my frigging mind wondering.”
Ronan quietly considers my words for several moments, his eyes searching mine. He sees the worry on my face. And I know how it is with these guys. They want to take on the burden of protecting us and never let us fret over a thing. But he needs to realize right now I’m not that kind of woman. And he better just get used to it. Because when it comes to Ronan, I’m always going to worry.
And he may not comprehend it just yet, but I think when it comes to him and what we have, I’d do anything in order to protect it too.
“I have to head on,” he says. “But Conor can take ye down to speak with her while Alexei is there. I don’t want ye speaking with her at any other time. Or getting attached.”
“I understand.” I reach up and graze his cheek with a kiss which he turns into and meets with his own lips.
When he finally pulls away, he’s even more reluctant to go. “Ye make it hard to leave you,” he says.
“Good,” I answer. “That’s the way I want it.”
I move to leave, but Ronan reaches out and grabs my arm.
“Sasha?”
“Yes?”
“You can tell her we’re keeping the dog, too.”
***
The girl in the basement isn’t what I expected.
At all.
She’s young, extremely thin, and can’t even be an inch over five feet. Judging from the way her toes are bouncing off the floor, she’s scared out of her mind.
She’s sitting in a chair with her hands folded in her lap while Alexei stares at her across the table. He isn’t speaking right now, only observing. And while I’ve only known him a short time, I’ve never seen his gaze so cold as it is right now. This right here is the mobster. The other side of the coin. These guys all have one, but his is admittedly a little scarier than some of the others.
And I don’t know whether to thank him or hate him for it. But in the end, my loyalty wins out, because I know he’s doing this to protect us. To protect Ronan. And this girl is a threat. Until she proves otherwise, she will need to be treated as such.
Her eyes fly to mine when she sees me standing in the corner of the room. Alexei turns a moment later as though he didn’t hear me come in. Conor is at my side, and he makes sure to tell him that Ronan gave me permission before he slips out the door. And then it’s just the three of us.
“I wanted to see her myself,” I explain to Alexei.
He nods and gestures at an empty seat at the table. I walk across the room and sit down, and the girl never takes her eyes from mine. She’s looking at me like I’m the one who holds her fate in her hands, though it couldn’t be farther from the truth.
“Hi,” I greet her. “I’m Sasha.”
“Hi,” she whispers.
The room is quiet for a moment, save for the harsh breaths coming from her chest. Her fingers are wrapped around each other so tightly they’re almost white. She’s so thin that at first glance, one might assume she’s a junkie. But her gray eyes are clear and I recognize the expression on her face all too well. That isn’t drugs, but stress.
“Look,” I begin. “We have a problem, you and I.”
“We do?” she swallows, her eyes darting back to Alexei.
I’ve never been intimidating in my life, but right now, there’s something else taking over inside of me. Maybe it’s a mother’s protective instincts. Maybe it’s a love so fierce that it’s given me the courage to do what I never could before. Either way, I feel calm and assured with what I’m about to say. And I know now that the choice is hers.
“We do,” I answer. “Because you see, it’s my boyfriend that you’re ratting on. The father of my child.”
Her eyes well up with tears, and her body starts to shake.
“We love each other,” I tell her. “And we’d do anything to protect what we have. Do you get that?”
“I do,” she whispers. “You have no idea just how much I get that…”
“So do you still think Donny is worth all of this?” I ask. “Because let me tell you…”