“Tonight, we celebrate the humanitarian awards. People who promote the welfare of all mankind and prevent suffering are honored tonight. But we face a grave crisis in this modern age. I was held captive for two months in Moscow, a victim of sex trafficking. A problem that we have become comfortable lying to ourselves about, pretending it rarely, if ever, happens. I have come to tell you the truth.
“This is a worldwide problem, one that grows with each passing day. Women are targeted in every country at almost every age. And while it seems unfathomable to those present here, it is not a problem that is going to go away.
“However, the people in this room have the power to change that. I am here today to ask you what you can do, what your nation can do, to make the world a better place. To respect and enforce the human rights these United Nations are supposed to stand for.”
She didn’t mention her ancestry. That was never the plan. The media had been told enough and would uncover the rest on their own. But this wasn’t about grandstanding. The message tonight couldn’t be seen as being about her. It was about all those who couldn’t be there to speak. This was her true calling, to speak for those without voices.
As Elena continued to speak, Dimitri was spellbound by the changes she had undergone. Gone was the frightened college girl who jumped at every shadow. The woman before him rivaled even the empress she was descended from. She was grace, dignity, and courage. A beacon of hope.
Leo, Maxim, and Nicholas stood next to Dimitri, and the tight knot of concern he’d had began to ease.
“I wish my father and mother could have seen this,” he murmured to his friends. “He would say we’re witnessing the birth of something wondrous.”
Leo placed a hand on his shoulder. “She is magnificent.”
Dimitri’s throat tightened with emotion. She was magnificent, and he would spend the rest of his life devoted to loving her.
Epilogue
Four months later
Elena reclined on the deck of the sailboat, watching Dimitri work the ropes that moved the sails. He was shirtless and barefoot, wearing only a pair of navy-blue-and-white swim trunks. The setting sun made the light sheen of sweat glisten on his muscled physique, reminding her of the pleasant—more than pleasant—day they had spent in bed at a small bed-and-breakfast in the town of Camden off the coast of Maine.
Dimitri had spent hours worshiping her body, and she was delightfully exhausted . . . if a little sore from it. Not that she minded. He knew what she needed and never hesitated to give it to her.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he secured the sails and came to sit beside her on the deck. She lay back, gazing at the gold sky that was surrendering to evening purples.
“I was thinking about you,” she answered honestly.
“Ah. And what do you think of me?”
He leaned over to kiss the tip of her nose, and her heart melted at the playful smile on his lips. He had relaxed so much in the last few months, becoming the person he was meant to be. A man who smiled more, laughed often, and did not stare at the shadows with worry in his eyes.
“That day in Colorado, when I saw you get shot . . . I never even had the chance to say again that I loved you. That was all I could think . . . that I wished we had had more time.” Her words suddenly choked her a little.
“We have time now, kiska,” he promised her. “Time enough to say I love you and perhaps a bit more.” He trailed his fingertips along her collarbone above her sensible one-piece bathing suit.
“I love you,” she said again, needing him to hear the words.
He leaned in to kiss her and nuzzled her cheek. Nothing else could be so perfect in the world as lying in the sun beside him and feeling him kiss her like this.
After her speech in front of the United Nations, she’d been swamped by the press. Naturally, the question of her ancestry was grabbing the spotlight, but Dimitri’s friends had already arranged for all the proof they could ask for to be made available.
With that settled, the hot topic became her experience as a captive, something she did not want to relive so publicly, but she knew it was a necessary step to get the narrative pointed in the direction she wanted. It didn’t take long to turn her personal tragedy into the story of countless others. People were starting to listen, not because of who she was, but what she had to say.
She’d spent months working with several countries on strategies to stop human trafficking, including increased communication between police agencies and refugee arrangements for those rescued far from home. Far from just being the public face of this crusade, she’d poured herself into study, understanding the difficulties involved in tackling this problem and proposing solutions.
Then, at Dimitri’s insistence, they’d taken a much-needed vacation to see her parents in Maine. She’d had to hide her laughter the first time her parents had met Dimitri. Her mother’s eyes had nearly popped out of her head, and her father had just gaped at Dimitri as they’d shaken hands. It was easy to forget how tall and intimidating Dimitri was to everyone but her.
She closed her eyes again, wanting to tell him all that lay in her heart. “I was thinking . . .”
“Yes?”
“Well, Royce said he’d help me transfer my college credits to his university, and I could finish my degree on Long Island. It’s a lot closer to my parents and our friends.” She wanted to ask him what his plans were. He’d vowed to be with her always, but did that mean playing house while she went to college and juggled her new life?
Dimitri didn’t say anything; he simply pulled
