I was her last chance. If I handed her over, that would be it.
She would never escape.
“Alright,” I said. “I’m in.”
I went back into her bedroom a few hours later. She was lying on the bed with a pillow under her head, her ankles still attached to the foot of the bed. She had a small blanket on top of her, and she was still in the clothes she wore earlier. Her eyes immediately cracked open when the door opened. Prepared to be dragged away, she sat up instantly, like I was about to haul her back to Egor.
I came to her side of the bed and sat on the edge, my weight making the mattress dip slightly. I hated the way she looked at me, prepared to fight me with everything she had. There was no hesitation on her part. It didn’t matter that she’d slept with me and enjoyed me. When it came to her son, I didn’t matter anymore. It made me admire her even more. “I’ve changed my mind. I’ll help you.”
She froze in place, her eyes widening noticeably.
“I talked to a friend of mine, and I think I have a plan.” I continued to watch her, to see her brown eyes turn warm like hot coffee. The beauty of her soft features became more noticeable. Like her eyes were made of deep pools, they began to water. “It’s going to be—”
The chains didn’t hold her back as she launched herself into me, moving into my chest and wrapping her arms around my neck. She clung to me as the metal of the chains clanked together. She gripped me hard, her face burrowing into my neck. She cried audibly, her chest colliding with mine with every deep breath she took.
My arms circled around her waist, and I held her, feeling so warm inside. This plan would bring me nothing but stress, but it also brought me peace. Feeling this woman thank me with her tears made it all worth it.
“Carter…thank you so much.” She pulled her face away from my shoulder and held my gaze, her eyes leaking with tears. She wasn’t ashamed of her emotion, not when her gaze was so steady. She cupped my cheek with one hand. “You’re a good man. I always knew you were.” She brought her lips to mine and kissed me. It wasn’t full of gratitude, but something deeper. She kissed me like she meant it, like she’d given me her heart as well as the rest of her body. Her hand moved to my shoulder, and she gripped me, her tear-soaked lips devouring mine.
I cupped the back of her head and returned her deep embraces, getting lost in the chemistry that had been there since the moment I’d laid eyes on her. Something about her made me weak. Something about her made me question who I was.
When she pulled her lips away, her hands continued to cling to me. Her tears were on my lips now. She looked at me with those beautiful, warm eyes, the gratitude deep inside. “Thank you…”
“Before you thank me, you should know that I expect something in return.” I held her gaze with authority, wanting her to understand that my decision wasn’t made based on the goodness of my heart. I had other motivations to risk everything for her. She was asking me to make a huge sacrifice, and I wanted my actions to be rewarded. “Do you understand me?”
Her eyes shifted back and forth as she held my gaze. “Whatever you want, Carter. If you give me back my son…I will gladly submit to you.”
Hearing her say that word made me melt on the spot. Submit. I wanted to fulfill my desires, and I wanted it to be consensual. I would finally get what I wanted—without the guilt. “Then we have a deal.”
Her eyes emitted more tears. “Thank you…I don’t know if I’ll ever say it enough times. I dream about my son all the time. I wonder if he’s having a good birthday. I wonder if he thinks about me. I miss him…miss him so much.” Both of her hands gripped mine on my thigh. “The idea of seeing him again…gives me so much joy.”
I stared at our joined hands. “If this works, both of you will have to live with me for a while. I’ll be moving to Tuscany where we can have more privacy. It’ll be at least a year before the two of you can go off on your own…just in case Egor’s watching.”
She nodded. “I understand. Wherever you call home, we’ll call home. I’ll make you a home and give you whatever you need, Carter. As long as I can raise my son, I don’t care where we are. I used to read a story to him every night before he went to sleep… I’m looking forward to doing that again.”