Page 39 of Taming a Ruthless Heart

I glance around the room, at the shadows and the sunlight playing on the floor.This house, this fortress, was meant to keep them safe.I’ve built a network around Alexia and her daughter—Fran, Nadya, my men—but now, seeing Alexia here, so fragile, I realize it’s not enough.I’ve provided physical safety, but her scars go deeper than flesh.I will find a way to break through the walls she’s built around herself.I want her to know that she can trust me, lean on me.I will make her mine again.

I run a hand over my face.I’ve got this perfect plan for keeping her safe.But her emotions?That’s a battlefield I don’t know how to navigate.

Alexia stirs, her body shifting under the sheets as she curls closer.She nuzzles her face against my chest, and for a second, it’s like nothing has changed and we’re back in that time when life was simple.But there’s a chasm between us now, filled with scars, lies, and shit we still haven’t figured out.

I tighten my arm around her shoulders, the warmth of her skin against mine pulling me out of my thoughts.She’s so fucking soft.She sighs, that little exhale that tells me she’s finally waking up.Her lashes flutter, and I watch her hazel eyes blink against the morning light.For a moment, she doesn’t move, wrapped in the quiet cage of my arms.

God, I want to keep her like this forever.

Mine!

She turns to face me, and her eyes find mine.There’s a softness in them, but also something else.We stare at each other, ignoring the rest of the world.An invisible thread pulls us tight, draws us closer.And yet, there’s distance, too.The weight of everything hangs between us, keeping us apart.

“Morning,” I murmur, my voice low and rough.

“Morning,” she whispers back, almost shy.Her lips curve into a tentative smile.

There’s a hesitation in her that wasn’t there last night.

I brush my fingers along her arm, feeling the goosebumps that rise under my touch.“You sleep okay?”

She nods.“Yeah… I think so.”

I can tell she’s lying.She didn’t sleep easy.Her body is too tense, too coiled, even now.It’s like she’s waiting for something to go wrong.Like she’s bracing for the next blow, the next nightmare.And I fucking hate that.I hate that Igor did this to her, that he’s still got his claws in her head, twisting her up even when she’s not with him.

I take a breath, forcing myself to keep my voice steady, “You don’t have to worry, you know.You’re safe here.I’ve made sure of it.”

She pulls back slightly, her eyes searching mine.“I know,” she says quietly, but there’s a flicker of doubt in her gaze.

I get it.She’s been through hell.The scars on her body are only the surface.Her real wounds run deeper, where I can’t reach.I grit my teeth, biting back the anger.Now’s not the time for that.Not when she’s here, in my bed, in my arms.I need to be steady for her, calm, even though all I want to do is hunt Igor down and make him fucking pay for what he’s done.

Instead, I pull her closer, my hand sliding down her back, feeling the ridges under my palm.“You don’t have to do it alone anymore, Alexia.Whatever comes next… I’ll handle it.”

Her body stiffens for a heartbeat before she relaxes against me again.“I don’t know what comes next.”

That gets to me.She’s still lost, unsure.I could tell her that I want her here, that I want to keep her, protect her, take care of her.But I don’t.Not yet.I hold back, because saying it out loud feels too risky, too soon.

“What do you want, Alexia?”I ask, my voice softer now, careful.

She hesitates, her brow furrowing as she looks away, staring at some point on the ceiling like she’s searching for an answer she doesn’t have.“I just want to be free,” she says after a long pause.“Free from Igor, free from… everything.”

Her words twist something inside me, but she’s not talking about us.Not yet.She’s talking about survival.She’s got a long way to go before she can think about anything else.

But it still stings, because there’s a wall between us, and I don’t know how to tear it down.

“I’ll make sure you get that freedom,” I say, keeping my voice firm, determined.“Whatever it takes.”

She smiles, but it’s small, distant, and I can tell she doesn’t believe me.Not fully.There’s too much fear in her eyes.And maybe it’s because she doesn’t trust me.Or maybe it’s something deeper.Something she’s not telling me.

I don’t press her.But I feel the tension building between us, a storm waiting to break.When I figure out what it is that she’s hiding, I’ll make damn sure she knows that I’m not letting her go.

“We should get up,” I say softly, breaking the quiet but not the intimacy between us.

She looks up, nodding as she sits up, the sheets slipping from her bare shoulders.My eyes follow the lines of her body and my blood zings through my veins down to my cock.

I slide out of bed and extend a hand to her.“Come on.Let’s take a shower.”

Her fingers slip into mine, and I lead her toward the en suite bathroom.Large windows filter in natural light, casting a soft glow over the pristine marble floors and the sunken tub in the center.But I ignore all that, focusing instead on the massive glass-walled shower in the corner.When I turn the water on, it cascades over the dark tile like a warm invitation.

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