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Only Sonia would admit so matter-of-factly that she was into their play aslike that, your complete trust, it turns me inside out" He smiled at the her "God, you're beautiful Not just outside, baby; deep dohere it counts When I' I've ever seen or done You take it all away"

"I'lad"

Her lashes fluttered, and his heart dropped He wasn't out of danger yet She still had concerns He couldn't blame her He'd laid it all out for her and their future wasn't pretty She was intelligent enough to know that his reputation as a cri to shun her

"I love what I do, Joshua I mean, I really love it I want to work for Jerry and renovate old historical houses I know I can ood at it I take online classes all the time, but more, I just have a feel for it"

She didn't have to tell hiht the ho the the beauty of the original architecture She was so hopeful and he wanted to give her the world, but

"I know you love working I know you love what you do I'll do my best to compromise, but you'll have to as well You knohat I'er That uards I have to have them on you at all tio"

He couldn't stop the acceleration of his heart Sonia had learned independence and she wanted to keep that He couldn't blauard for several years and having to switch roles still wasn't easy for him, but he knew the necessity

"I wouldn't be able to do o into people's ho to them"

"They don't have to look like your bodyguards"

"Right" There was an ache in her voice

He hoped that ache was because she feared giving up work she loved, not hier You didn't suspect"

Hope flared in her eyes "That's true And I'd heard the ruain Lashes veiled her eyes "What about Molly and Bastien?"

His heart clenched hard It felt as if a giant hand squeezed the organ and kept it up He had to tell her the truth "Once Bastien connects the dots and realizes those ru to associate with us"

She turned her face away fro in her throat She turned onto her side, her back to him "I don't have any other friends Molly Jerry Do you think Jerry will do the sa?"

He rolled to his side and slipped his ar a protective shell with his body First, he'd ripped her heart out when he'd revealed the truth about what he was, and noas doing it all over again He wanted to lie to her, but he'd promised himself he'd tell her as s he had to do--the details of the dirty side of being a cri the decisions on who lived or died, but he'd try to give her the truth in all other areas

He didn't want to think too much about what he'd do or say if she asked his Rafe Cordeau was into that allowed Joshua to live in that world He buried his face in her hair The thick htened his hold on her

"You don't know for certain that Jerry and Molly would turn on me" Her voice was shaky

He swore to himself He wanted to protect her frooing to ith the Russians She'd believe it was solely about her, but Nikita would learn soon enough that Alonzo Massi was really Fyodor Amurov, and he'd share that information with Fyodor's uncles They wanted theto let that happen

"No, baby, I don't You're right The odds are that they will, or they'll treat you different and you'll hate it, but there's a chance they'll be loyal to you" It was so sive her hope The hurt would be so much worse

"She really likes Bastien He wouldn't risk his career to be friends with us, would he?"

Her voice was ainst her pillow, but he heard the ache in it The pain He detested being the cause of hurt to her He tightened his hold on her as if his arms, his body, could shelter her from any unhappiness "If Bastien re, others, including his departood man, Sonia I looked into him Rafe had a few cops in his pocket Bastien wasn't one of them"

There was a long silence He stroked his hand down her hair, needing to co how

"I don't have friends I didn't growing up My mother was my friend And then Sasha"

He winced He couldn't help it Like hiood deal older than she was And a mobster

"What about school?"

She pulled in on herself even ht against her chest He curved his body around hers, his legs drawing up just as tightly so she was in a little cocoon of safety

"I went to school until h school years Then I was hoo to take tests, but there was no interaction anyrade school drifted away It was my mother and Sasha"

That na to have a talk with the bastard, and if for one second he thought Sasha was playing her and would har to die He'd sent word to the others and they were gathering their arainst his woman He didn't need them for what he had to do

Joshua pressed kisses along the nape of her neck "I know you want Molly to always be your friend, and I hope she proves to you that she will be, but I also know you'll meet other women Saria, Drake's wife She's as sweet as they coave birth to their third child Alonzo is eline She owns a bakery They're all good women There's more Eli Perez's wife, Caterina You'll like her She was held here, raised with Rafe, and had to escape He was a DEA agent for several years, noorks security for Drake Elijah's wife, Siena, is pregnant with triplets I'll take you to meet her"

He nuzzled the nape of her neck again, and then scattered kisses across her shoulders "You won't be lonely, Sonia I swear you won't I'll ood women, ill understand the situation you're in They'll accept you"

"I don't even kno to make friends Molly is just so easy"

She was tearing hi her in that mansion that was really a prison, but ould he do to keep her safe? Hell, he'd lock her up and throw the fucking key away if that's what it took The business they were in was hard on wives and family

"Molly's wonderful I hope she doesn't listen to the rumors, or if she does, she doesn't care, other than to want you safe" He pressed his forehead against the back of her head "Stay with me, Sonia No matter how difficult it is, stay with me I'll make you happy I swear it I'll try to learn to do all those things a man should do for his woman"

She turned then, still in his ar anywhere, Joshua I'm scared I don't want to lose Molly, but I know I love you I know you're that man for me" Her eyes searched his "You're certain there's no way out?"

He nodded slowly "I'd be hunted until they found , and then you're dead I took this job knowing that I had no idea I'd find you or I wouldn't have done it I would have remained as part of Drake's security force"

"Why doesn't Drake fall under suspicion?"

He dipped his head to press a kiss to each eye She had beautiful eyes Exotic He loved her long lashes He especially loved how her eyes darkened with passion, with so

He loved that she let him play and understood that theher what she meant to him That trust That connection between them

"Drake is known internationally as the head of a security company Everyone in the crierous Most have a standing rule to back off if he's involved He doesn't take bribes and he's been offered insane aerous as he is"

"Leopards?" she guessed

"A hout the world"

"So how does he explain being friends with mobsters?"

"He doesn't People assus he does His best friend is Jake Bannaconni"

"That doesn't see equally as off-lie man"

"Jake has bank, baby, but the two of theo way back He saved Drake's life in Borneo and then his leg here They're tight Jake can bevolatile Drake rarely gets angry He's always steady" He dipped his head to find her mouth