Page 120 of Vendetta Vows

That familiar protective fury rises in me. It's the same one I felt after Sienna took Aurora's photo.

"Aurora."

"Please." Her voice cracks. "Just go talk to her."

She slips past me, her coconut scent lingering as she hurries down the hall, and I fight the urge to follow. Instead, I turn to that hateful office and storm in.

Mother stands by the window, her hands clasped behind her back. My eyes drift towards the two wooden chairs in front of the imposing desk. For a moment, I swear I can still smell blood.

"What did you tell her?"

"The truth." Liliya folds her hands on the polished wood. "Something you should have done yourself."

"What truth?" I lean forward, palms flat on the desk. "Tell me exactly what you said to make her cry."

"I told her that this is where Leslie died." Her eyes never leave mine. "I told her there is no safety in this life, especially for outsiders. I told her that running would be wiser than marrying you."

My jaw clenches so tight I hear my teeth creak. "You had no right."

"I had every right," Mother says, lifting her chin in that familiar gesture that means the conversation is over before it's started.

"No, you didn't." My voice rises with each word. "You had no right to hurt Aurora!"

"I did it to protect this family!" Mother's composure cracks slightly. "I did it to prevent you from making the same mistakes that nearly destroyed us all. I saw what happened to the Garza girl."

"Her name was Leslie."

"I know her name." Mother's eyes flash with unexpected emotion. "I remember all of their names. All the dead. All the ones we couldn't protect."

I slam my palm against the desk. "Then why did you hurt Aurora?"

"Do you think I enjoy this? Do you think I want to see that girl's tears?" Mother's voice quivers. "I'm trying to save you both from more pain. You cannot be that foolish boy anymore, Ruslan. You must be the pakhan the family needs."

"The pakhan," I repeat, the title bitter on my tongue. "I never wanted this title."

"Yet now you are forced to bear it," she says. "A pakhan cannot be moved by love. Love is weakness in our world."

She might as well have slapped me instead. It would hurt less.

"You sound exactly like father!"

Mother's face crumples, mask slipping completely as a sob escapes her lips. She covers her mouth with trembling fingers.

"I know." Her eyes fill with tears.

Guilt twists in my stomach. "Mamechka."

"This hurts me as much as it hurts you, Lanchik." She wipes her eyes with dignified grace. "I've never wanted to see you suffer."

She moves closer, reaching for my hand.

"Our family is more complex than you allow yourself to see," she says, her voice soft but relentless. "Mikayla, Stella, and Sofia. They are still Tamara's daughters. They have an affection for her that you will never understand."

She steps closer and her eyes soften with something resembling pity.

"If you want to keep them safe, truly safe," she says. "Then you cannot be ruled by your heart. This is the reality of our world."

Her gaze drifts to the chair where Leslie died, and my stomach twists violently.

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