Page 13 of Taming a Ruthless Heart

Five men, heavily armed with military-grade rifles, spread in a semicircle around the front door.I can only guess they are a small part of the security team Dave has set up in the property.

He’s standing beside the car now, holding the door open for me.“Don’t worry.We’re safe here.”

I nod, pulling myself together, and step out into the balmy summer air.My shoes click against the stone path as I move, my gaze sweeping over the house and the grand entrance.The scent of freshly cut grass lingers in the air, but even that fragrant smell can’t dispel the unease gnawing at me.

Rose.

The thought of her makes my chest tighten again.The last time I saw her felt like a lifetime ago instead of two days.How has she been coping with everything that’s happening?But before I can fall too far into the rabbit hole, I hear rapid footsteps inside the house.Quick, eager, and unmistakably familiar.

“Mama!”Her small voice, pure and bright with excitement, cuts through the air.

That sound pierces the first crack in the armor I’ve wrapped tightly around myself since escaping Igor.My heart skips a beat.Before I can react, her tiny figure emerges at the top of the stone path.Her blonde curls bounce as her small Mary Janes kick up dirt, and she charges forward with her arms outstretched.Her face lights up with a smile that melts my worries away.

“Mama!”

My breath catches in my throat as I kneel, bracing for her impact.Rose barrels into me, her tiny body colliding with mine in a burst of warmth and love.I wrap my arms around her, clutching her tightly without squeezing too hard.For a moment, the rest of the world falls away—Igor, Dave, the deadly secrets I’m keeping.None of it matters because I have my daughter back.

“Rose,” I grunt, burying my face in her soft hair, blinking back the tears that prick my eyeballs.I inhale her scent, lavender and life.“Oh,moy zaychik, I missed you so much.”The term of endearment, which in Russian meansmy bunny, slips from my lips.

Her tiny arms wrap around my neck with all the force her four-year-old body can muster.She feels so small, so fragile against me.Her chubby fingers dig into my shoulders.

I cling to her, my fingers tangle in her soft curls.Relief, thick and overwhelming, floods me, washing away the icy dread that has haunted me.

“I missed you, too, Mama!”she squeals, her little voice muffled against my chest.

I press my lips into her hair.I rock her back and forth, unable to speak for a moment, too consumed by the flood of emotion.I’m holding her again.She’s safe.My heart swells.

Rose pulls back just enough to look up at me, her eyes wide with delight, reminding me of two sparkling emeralds.She offers me a smile so pure only a child can give—untouched by the horrors of the world.My heart aches at the sight of it, a bittersweet reminder of what I’m trying to protect.Everything I’ve endured, every lie I’ve told, has been to keep her out of Igor’s clutches.But as I hold her, I can’t help but wonder if the weight of my secrets will crush us both in the end.

“Mama, Nadya played with me all the time!And there’s a boy named Pete!We played pirates, and we ate all kinds of delicious stuff together!And Nadya read me stories last night!”She babbles, her words tumbling over one another in her excitement.“She’s really nice.And Pete is so funny!Can we stay here, Mama?Please?I like it here.”

With a heavy heart, I take in the purity of her joy, the innocence in her voice.She has no idea of the danger that still lurks in the shadows, no understanding of the darkness that threatens to pull us under.And for now, I need to keep it that way.

I force a smile, nodding as I brush her hair back from her face.“I’m glad you had fun, my love.Of course we can stay,” I murmur.

She grins, wrapping her arms tighter around my neck and kissing my cheek before wiggling out of my grasp.Her excitement is infectious, her laughter a balm to my wounded heart.Rose is with me, and for once, everything feels like it might turn out okay.

That moment shatters when I hear the low rumble of Dave’s baritone.“We should head inside.”

I glance up and find him standing a few feet away.His expression is unreadable, his arms crossed over his broad chest as he watches us.His blue eyes turn to Rose, softening for a brief moment before hardening as he focuses them on me again.

“Henry will take you and Rose to your rooms,” he says, his voice steady.His gaze lingers on me for a moment, like he wants to say more, but his jaw tightens.“Make sure they have everything they need.”His voice falters slightly, a crack in the ice.He turns away before I can respond, disappearing into the house.The silence between us grows thicker than ever, like a wall built from years of pain and resentment.

And just like that, my fragile bubble of happiness bursts.Reality slams into me with the force of a category-five hurricane.The brief reunion with Rose isn’t enough to chase away the darkness.Not when Dave is still keeping his distance, his coldness a reminder of the wall between us—a wall made of secrets, resentment, and years of betrayal.

I swallow hard, my nerves knot as I stand, lifting Rose into my arms.He’s not visibly angry, but his absence feels heavier than any outburst.He doesn’t want to see me, and I can’t blame him.He believes I betrayed him.If I were Dave, I wouldn’t want to face myself either.

Rose cups my face to force me to meet her eyes, her little brow furrowed.“That’s Mr.Dave?Nadya told me he was bringing you.”She presses her lips to my ear.But her whisper is so loud that everyone can hear, “Why’s he so grumpy?”

I force a smile.“He’s just busy, sweetheart.”

Henry steps forward, his professional demeanor unyielding.“If you’ll follow me, Mrs.Lenko,” he says, his voice polite but detached, as though he’s trying to keep a respectful distance from whatever mess Dave and I have created.

As Rose and I follow him into the house, I can’t shake the feeling of being trapped.The grand foyer of the house opens up before us, with a sweeping staircase on each side and crystal chandeliers that glimmer softly in the light streaming through the tall windows.The pale blue and cream walls and the high, curved ceiling make the space feel even larger.A large round table sits in the center of the room, adorned with a vase of fresh flowers.

Everything about this place screams wealth and power.Luxury emanates from the polished wood floors to the intricate molding along the walls.Yet, to me it feels cold, like another prison.A gilded cage.And as much as I want to believe Rose and I are safe here, the tension winding its way through my chest tells me otherwise.

Rose, however, is oblivious to my discomfort.She squirms in my arms, happily chattering about treasure hunts as she glances around in wide-eyed wonder.Her innocence makes for a painful contrast to the tension that simmers beneath the surface.

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