“You were a child,” he comforted softly,sorrowfully. The tone had me on edge, because I’d thought he’d condemn me, not defend me. “And your circumstances were different.”
“Not according to them. I know they’ll never forgive me.”
“Then they don’t deserve you,” he said simply, further surprising me. “You didn’t do it out of malice, just out of self-preservation.”
“At their expense,” I whispered.
“If you’d been there, if you’d been Abramovicz’s wife... would you have been able to stop Inessa having to marry Eoghan?”
“You know I wouldn’t.”
“Exactly. So what’s the point of punishing yourself, hating yourself over that?”
“Because I shouldn’t have left them, but even knowing what I do, I’d do it again. I meant what I said—I’d have killed myself before I married him.”
“I know. I saw your resolve. I like a woman who knows her own mind.” He tapped the corner of my mouth with his thumb. “I’ve made three promises in my life.”
My eyes widened. “Just three?”
“Just three,” he confirmed. “To my mother, toyourmother, and to you.”
Mouth gaping, I whispered, “No way.”
“Yes way.” His smirk disappeared, fading as he stared at my still parted lips. “I never forgot what I promised Mariska. How could I? There wasn’t much I could do when we were on opposite sides, but when we were on the same, and when Inessa became family, I knew I had to monitor you.”
“Bagpipes said something yesterday...” My mind whispered back to the car ride home. “It made me wonder if you’d been having me followed for longer than I first thought.”
“I had. You’ve been under surveillance since you got back to the city.”
“Why?”
He shrugged. “You were more at risk than Victoria. She was too young to be of any use to Vasov, and when Mariska wanted me to protect her daughters, I knew it was from Vasov.”
“Do you want to know something sad?”
“Why not? It’s a day for sad news.”
Though his words were dismissive, I knew he meant each and every one of them. Intending on asking him what had happened after, I replied, “I think, for a while, Inessa and Victoria thought Mama and Papa were happy together. I think they thought that was how a marriage should be.”
“I saw her bruises,” he rasped. “They werenothappy together.”
“I know.” I swallowed down my sorrow.
“The second I knew about Abramovicz, Camille, the second I knew your father was about to flog the same dead horse, you were always going to be my wife.”
My throat felt like he’d shoved an orange down it, but I still managed to choke out, “That’s not possible.”
“It is. I was going to get in touch with you a lot sooner, date you, even. But that didn’t work out. My family was involved with some shit that...” He blew out a breath. “Well, we’re still dealing with the same BS. It’s just a different fucking day.”
“Brennan?”
“Yes?”
“Why are you telling me this?”
His jaw clenched. “Because I’m an asshole. Because I’m going to do shit that pisses you off, and even if it does, I’ll still expect you to obey me if I ask you to do something... but that’s just who I am. I might only be the spare heir to the O’Donnelly throne, but I was born with power, Camille. I know who I am, know what I’m capable of, and know that now you’re my wife, there are going to be some days you hate me.
“And, in all honesty, I’m okay with that. I’m not a prick for fun, Camille. If I tell you to do something, it’s for a reason. Not because I’m a boring cunt with nothing else better to do with my time than make you miserable.