Chapter 73; You are safe with me
Lucian’s pov
I pushed open the door to the private wing, the weight of the day still clinging to my shoulders like dried blood. The moment I stepped inside, I saw her.
Alina was pacing barefoot across the room, arms wrapped tightly around herself, her dark hair messy from running her fingers through it too many times. The panic rolling off her hit me before she even spoke.
"Leo—where’s my baby?" Her voice cracked. "Lucian, please tell me he’s okay."
I crossed the room in three strides and caught her shoulders gently.
"He’s fine, Alina. He’s safe. I had him moved to the nursery."
She blinked, confusion cutting through the fear. "Nursery? Since when do you have a nursery?"
I brushed a strand of hair from her face, letting my thumb linger on her cheek.
"I had one prepared weeks ago," I said quietly. "I kept thinking about this... about having both of you here with me. Properly. Not temporary. Not hiding. So I built it. I wanted him to have somewhere that felt like home when you finally came back to me."
For a second, the panic melted. A small, tired smile touched her lips. That smile — fuck, it still undid me every single time.
She let out a shaky breath. "You really thought we’d be together like this?"
"I didn’t think. I knew."
Her expression softened, but worry crept back in quickly. "Sammy... Boca. Is he going to be okay? I’m scared for him, Lucian. Aiden is—"
"Boca is strong," I cut in, my tone light but firm. "That man is built like a tank and twice as stubborn. You should be worried about Aiden instead." A smirk tugged at my mouth. "He’s the one who just got his ass handed to him."
Alina didn’t laugh. She just stared at me, eyes full of exhaustion and fear. I pulled her into my chest, wrapping my arms around her. She melted against me almost instantly, her fingers clutching the back of my shirt.
"You’re out of that house now," I murmured into her hair. "You’re both safe. Everything’s going to be fine. I promise."
She held me tighter. "I hope so."
We stayed like that for a long while, just breathing each other in. I could feel her slowly calming down in my arms.
A sharp knock later pulled us apart. Boca stepped in, looking rough but satisfied, knuckles split and swollen.
"It’s done," he said without preamble. "Aiden won’t be terrorizing anyone anytime soon. I made sure of it. Broke a few bones. Left him with a clear message."
A dark satisfaction bloomed in my chest. I couldn’t stop the grin that spread across my face.
"Good. That’s exactly what I wanted to hear."
Boca nodded, but his eyes flicked toward the door where Alina had disappeared into the next room. "What about my sister? If she finds out about our line of business..."
"She won’t," I said, voice low and serious. "I’ll make damn sure she never finds out. This world doesn’t touch her. Not anymore."
He studied me for a moment, then gave a single nod. "Next mission needs to be clean. We’ve got a lot of people waiting on supply. And remember — no teenagers. I don’t give a fuck what they offer. We don’t touch that."
"Agreed."
After he left, I headed down the hall to the nursery. The soft glow of the nightlight spilled into the hallway. I stopped in the doorway, leaning against the frame.
There she was.
Alina sat in the rocking chair, Leo cradled against her chest. The way she looked at him — pure, unguarded love — made something in my chest tighten. I hadn’t seen her this peaceful, this genuinely happy, in a very long time.
Her gaze lifted and met mine. A soft smile curved her lips.
"I haven’t seen you look this happy in years," I said, stepping inside.
"I am happy," she whispered. "Because of him... and because I have you in my life again."
Those words hit harder than any punch I’d ever taken. I crossed to them, and Leo made a small, demanding sound, reaching one tiny hand toward me.
Alina laughed softly. "See? My baby loves you as much as I love you."
She carefully handed him over. I took him, supporting his head the way she’d taught me. His warm weight settled against my chest, and those big, curious eyes stared up at me. Something inside me softened — warmed in a way I didn’t know I was still capable of.
I played with him gently, letting his little fingers wrap around mine, making soft sounds that made him kick his legs happily. For a few precious minutes, the violence, the business, the threats — all of it disappeared.
Eventually, I handed him back to Alina and kissed her forehead.
"I’ll see you soon."
I left them reluctantly and found Ragnar waiting for me in the hallway, his face tight with tension.
"Aiden’s coming after you hard," he said. "There’s already a bounty on your head. He wants you found."
I burst out laughing. The sound echoed down the corridor.
"Let him try. I don’t fucking care what he does."
Ragnar didn’t smile. "I think it’s best we find a more secure location. Move somewhere safer."
My amusement vanished. "You want me to run?"
"No. I just want to make sure you, Alina, and the baby stay safe."
I clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don’t worry about me. I’ve handled worse."
Night had fallen thick and heavy by the time I made my way to Alina’s room. I knocked softly before entering.
She was sitting up in bed, wearing one of my silk shirts that swallowed her frame. The sight of her like that — hair down, legs bare — stirred something deep and hungry in me.
"Leo’s already asleep," she said with a tired but content smile. "Thank you for bringing the nanny. I really needed the extra hands."
"I want you to rest," I replied, closing the door behind me. "You’ve been through enough. You deserve to be taken care of."
I moved closer, my voice dropping as I reached the edge of the bed.
"Come here," I murmured, sliding my hand along her thigh. "You’ve been so strong, baby. Let me take care of you tonight."
Alina’s breath hitched as I leaned down, lips brushing her ear.
"I’ve been thinking about you all day," I whispered, voice rough with growing need. "How you feel under me. How you sound when you fall apart for me."
My hand slipped higher under the silk shirt, fingers tracing the soft skin of her inner thigh. Alina shivered, her breath catching sharply.
"Lucian..." she whispered, but there was no protest in her voice — only need.
I climbed onto the bed, caging her beneath me as I captured her mouth in a deep, hungry kiss. She tasted like home and relief and everything I’d been fighting for. Her hands came up to grip my shoulders, pulling me closer, and I groaned against her lips.
"You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted this," I rasped, trailing kisses down her neck. "Just you. Safe. In my bed. No more running. No more fear."
I pushed the silk shirt higher, exposing her body to my gaze. She was beautiful — every curve, every mark, every inch of her that had carried our son. I kissed lower, savoring the way she arched into me when my mouth found her breasts. A soft moan escaped her, and it went straight to my cock.
"Tell me you’re mine," I whispered against her skin, voice thick with lust.
"I’m yours," she breathed, fingers threading through my hair. "I’ve always been yours, Lucian."
That was all I needed.
I stripped off my shirt and kicked my pants away, pressing my bare body against hers. She was already wet for me. I slid my fingers between her thighs, stroking her slowly, teasingly, until her hips were rolling against my hand and her breathing turned into desperate little gasps.
When I finally pushed inside her, we both groaned. She was tight, warm, perfect. I buried my face in her neck as I started moving, deep and steady at first, then harder as the hunger took over.
"Fuck, Alina..." I growled, thrusting harder. "You feel so good."
Her nails dug into my back, legs wrapping around my waist as she met every thrust. The room filled with the sound of skin against skin, her soft cries, and my low curses. I took her harder, claiming her, reminding both of us that she was finally where she belonged — under me, with me, protected by me.
When she came, she cried out my name, body trembling around me. The feeling of her pulsing and clenching pushed me over the edge right after her. I groaned deeply, spilling inside her as pleasure tore through me.
We stayed locked together afterward, breathing hard. I rolled us so she was lying on my chest, my arms wrapped tightly around her.
"I love you," I murmured into her hair, pressing a kiss to her temple. "Both of you. I’ll burn the whole world down before I let anyone take you from me again."
Alina snuggled closer, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my chest. "I love you too. Just... promise me we’ll be okay."
"We will," I said, voice firm. "I’ll make sure of it."
