The Mafia Boss Waited in the Dark Until His Groundskeeper Came Home at 2 A.M.—By Dawn, He Had Claimed Her Before His Enemies Could Take Her

Three weeks later, a crisp, golden December afternoon settled over Lake Crestview.

The mountain air was chilly, but inside the main Victorian greenhouse, the heating pipes hummed quietly, keeping the air warm, humid, and rich with the scent of damp earth and blooming tea roses.

Vera stood near the central display bench, wearing a soft cream-colored sweater and jeans, her dark hair pinned up loosely. She held a brass watering can, carefully tending to a rare batch of white winter roses that had just begun to open their delicate petals.

The heavy glass door opened with a soft click.

Nikolai stepped inside, wearing a dark coat over his suit, having just returned from a two-day business trip to his corporate headquarters in Seattle.

He didn't speak immediately. He stood near the entrance, leaning against a timber post, watching her work with that same quiet, intense devotion he had held for three years from his third-floor terrace.

Vera set the watering can down, turning around to smile at him.

“You’re late,” she said, wiping her hands on a cloth. “Dmitri said your helicopter was supposed to land at three.”

“The weather over the pass was unfavorable,” Nikolai replied, walking down the central gravel aisle toward her, his heavy leather shoes crunching softly against the stone. “I made the pilot fly through the valley so I wouldn't miss sunset.”

He stopped two feet away, pulling a small, black velvet box from his coat pocket.

Vera went completely still, her heart doing that familiar, thrilling stumble against her ribs.

“Nikolai...” she whispered.

Nikolai opened the velvet box. Inside rested a stunning ring—a deep, flawless emerald set in dark platinum, surrounded by delicate silver leaf patterns carved to resemble rose vines.

“Three years ago,” Nikolai said softly, his voice thick with emotion, “you walked onto this estate looking for a quiet place to hide from the world. I gave you work, but you gave me something I thought I had lost twenty years ago—a reason to look forward to tomorrow morning.”

He stepped closer, taking her hand in his, his grey eyes locked onto hers with absolute, unshakeable certainty.

“I told you night after night that my world was too dangerous for you,” Nikolai continued. “I was wrong. You proved you are stronger than any darkness my enemies can throw at us. I don't want you hiding in my shadow, Vera. I want you standing beside me. As my wife.”

Vera looked down at the emerald ring glowing in the warm greenhouse light, then looked up into the eyes of the man who had fought a war to keep her safe.

Tears welled in her dark eyes, but she didn't wipe them away. She simply reached up, wrapped her arms around his broad neck, and pulled him down into a deep, long kiss that tasted of tea roses, mountain air, and absolute freedom.

Nikolai wrapped his powerful arms around her waist, lifting her slightly off her feet, holding her against his chest as if he would never let her go again.

When they finally broke apart, Vera rested her forehead against his, smiling through her tears.

“On one condition, Nikolai,” she whispered, her voice full of warmth and humor.

Nikolai raised an eyebrow, a genuine, beautiful smile breaking across his face. “Name it.”

“I still get to manage the greenhouse,” Vera declared, pointing a finger at his chest. “And if you over-water my white roses while I’m away on our honeymoon, I am putting you back on lawn-mowing duty for a month.”