Rose's POV

“Six months?” He repeated, his tone laced with incredulity and alarm. "And you will wed for six months, like this?"

I nodded again. "Yes, like that. It is not the best, but it is the only one. And I need someone upon whom I can rely. Someone who understands what is being risked. Someone who will not leave the moment things turn ugly."

Victor let the breath from his lungs escape, trying obviously to stifle the frustration mounting up within. "Rose," he said, frustration ...