“Hey, I hope you don’t mind me exploring?”

“Not at all.” She falls into step next to me and gestures to her right. “Come this way. It leads to the shore.”

I walk with her, and I’m surprised when she doesn’t say anything. Reaching the shore, we sit down, and then a smile tugs at my mouth as we stare at the Finnish town in the distance.

After a while, Winter turns her gaze to me, and I’m surprised when she gives me a comforting smile. “It’s a lot to deal with, right?”

I nod and suck in a deep breath. “Honestly, I don’t know if I’m coming or going.”

“I’ve been there. You might not see it now, but you’re in good hands. The men will take care of everything.”

“They’ve already done so much for me,” I admit. “Even though Demitri kidnapped me and scared the living hell out of me, I know I can trust him.”

Winter lets out a chuckle. “He kidnapped you?” A smile filled with curiosity forms around her mouth. “This I have to hear.”

She doesn’t look as threatening anymore, and I relax next to her. Needing to talk to someone, I relay everything that’s happened, leaving out the part where I slept with Demitri.

“Talk about being overwhelmed.” Lifting her hand, she pats my back, and then she tells me how she met Damien.

I’m so engrossed in the story that everything around us fades away.

“When did you know you loved him?” I ask.

Winter thinks back to the past, then murmurs, “The Vetrovs are the best, and they’re not afraid of anything, but the moment Damien looked at me and I saw the fear of losing me in his eyes, I knew.”

“But you married him before you loved him, right?” I ask, enjoying getting to know Winter.

She nods. “Alexei arranged our marriage as an alliance.”

“How did you feel about it?”

Winter shrugs. “I always knew I’d marry to form an alliance. I was lucky with Damien because I was already attracted to him.”

A smile pulls at my lips. “You never regretted it?”

She shakes her head. “Damien was the last gift my father gave me, and I love him with everything I am. He’s my rock.”

Curious about Winter, I ask, “Why did you say you’re coming with us to Russia? You don’t know me.”

Her eyes lock on mine. “I’ll always have my husband’s back, and I owe Alexei and Demitri. They helped me eliminate my enemies.”

“So…” I wet my lips, “Are you like them?”

“What do you mean?”

“Dangerous?” I explain myself better.

Winter climbs to her feet and holds out her hand to me. After she helps me up, she says, “I think it’s time for a quick training session. I’m a firm believer that a woman should be able to protect herself.”

I really like the sound of that and feel a burst of excitement. “Really? You’ll show me a couple of things?”