Free Fall Into Place (Taking the Fall) by Alexa Riley Page B

hunter in him.
    “I know, I know.” I use my free hand to reach up and cup his face, trying to get that look to drop away. At the first touch of my hand, he leans into me, relaxing and letting the anger go.
    “Maybe just drop me somewhere while you go? If my dad shows up you can—”
    “Fuck no. We’re going home. I won’t run. We’re facing this, and I’m keeping you. End of story.”
    “You don’t understand,” I say, the panic clear in my voice.
    “Kitten, calm down. I don’t like hearing your voice like that.”
    I can’t calm down. “Please. I can’t lose you. I just… can’t .”
    “I already told your dad we’d meet him there. It’s done. We’re facing this thing.”
    My stomach drops, and a tear slips free. My dad knows for sure I’m with Samuel now. Samuel kisses the tear, stopping it in its tracks with his lips, and I try to breathe.
    “Trust me.”
    All I can do is hang my head. I’ll just have to soak up as much time with him as I can. I can try to escape again when my father takes me back. But what if Samuel thinks it’s all too much, having to deal with my dad, and he decides to wash his hands of me?
    “I just…” I don’t know if I can trust him. He said he wouldn’t let my dad take me back, but here he is taking me to him.
    “Kitten, look at me.” I raise my head to meet his eyes. “This is new to both of us, and it all happened so fast, but I’m about to show you how much you can trust me.”
    I pray he’s right.



Chapter 7
Nika
    “ D id you say Sam is holding Viktor’s daughter?” an older blonde woman says, the shock clear in her voice.
    “Against her will,” I say, making them all turn to look at me. I yank on the cuff Samuel has still refused to release me from.
    “Kitten, knock that off or you’re going to bruise your wrist.”
    “Stop calling me that, you zalupa .” I grit out at him, still a little mad about our fight in the car. I tried to talk him out of this one last time as we pulled up to the warehouse. He told me this was his parents’ house and the place where he grew up. When we pulled up it didn’t look like anything special, but the inside is completely different. It looks like a home, and from the outside you’d never know.
    “Fine, I’ll go back to calling you ‘wife.’”
    I let out a string of Russian curses that would make my mother cringe as they all look at us in shock. Way to just dive right in, Samuel. I don’t know why I’m shocked. Everything about him is full force. As much as it pisses me off right now, I like it. It’s different than I’m used to, and it’s the reason I love him.
    “Congratulations, Samuel. You just married the daughter of one of the best hitmen to ever come out of Russia,” the man next to the blonde woman says.
    “Retired,” I chime in. “But if you let me go, he’ll never have to know I was ever here.”
    “No,” both the man and Samuel say at the same time.
    “He’s probably already here,” the older man adds, releasing a deep breath.
    “And on that happy note, we’re out of here.” A young couple about our age walks past us. The guy grabs the redhead next to him and pulls her out the door. The two of them make it clear they don’t want any part of this, and I don’t blame them.
    Samuel leans down next to me, whispering in my ear. He pulls me close, and although I want to jerk away because I’m still upset about the fight in the car, I melt into him. “That’s Mary, my twin, and her husband, Anthony.” I look up at him in surprise because he and his twin look nothing alike. I’m not sure how anything could’ve shared a womb with his giant body.
    “And the two people yapping about your dad coming here are his parents, Saint and Jeanette.”
    “Wait, Tony. I wanted to talk about the baby!” Jeanette goes to chase after them, but Saint grabs her by the waist while keeping his eyes on me.
    Suddenly, a disheveled redhead and a man who looks just like my Samuel walk into the room.