Page 23 of Wrapped in Silver

Silver stands. “Your father is safe, kid.”

All of the air sucks out of the room. My first thoughts are of unexplainable relief. Second thoughts are… “Bullshit.” I get to my knees in bed and throw the covers completely off of me.

“This is his blood.” He shrugs one shoulder. “He was beaten pretty hard by the Russians, but he’ll be fine. I broke him from his confines, and helped him limp for miles in the woods.”

“Fuck off.” My fingertips quiver over my mouth, voice gone.

Tears well to my eyes, but I won’t let them break. This mystery man is screwing with me.

No… he has no reason to.

“That’s not the ‘thank you’ I expected.” He scoffs and turns again to the window.

“You’re serious?” I get to my feet and grab his arm, then shake it. “You’re serious, Aros?” The tears break—I can’t help it.

He turns to me, eyes piercing into my soul. “I’m serious.”

The way his stone-cold eyes have not an ounce of lying in them makes my entire body weak like paper. My legs nearly buckle, but I catch myself. All of the emotions…all of themflow through me in an instant in time.

My hand claws for his. His touch is warm and secure, and I don’t know why I reached for it, but I did. I don’t know why I’m trembling, but I am.

Dad’s safe,is all I can think.

He hesitantly looks down at my hand shivering in his, and twitches to pull away. But I grab on tighter. I need this moment.Please.

As if he reads my thoughts, he softens and pulls me in for a hug.

The acceptance is like I’ve been resuscitated back to life. His warm embrace, disapproving grunt, it all makes me realize that he’s a good grump.

Dad is safe,I repeat in my head.

I’msafe.

He’s the reason for all of it.

My tears roll onto his shirt to thank him. And when I press my body closer to his, a strong hand flattens across my back to lock it in place. He doesn’t complain about my breath or my sweat. He just stays there.

It’s a nice moment. My stomach is doing somersaults at the idea of this ghost of a man being Dad’s rescuer.

Then reality strikes like lightning.

My senses return. The cop’s daughter in me sends alarms running rampant inside my head.

There’s a fucking burglar in my house. I haven’t seen any proof. He could be a goddamn conman.

Fuck!Uncle F might be right about the cartel. Why the hell am I putting all my trust into a man who saw half of a Russianmafia star on the side of my damn house? I back away, gasping at the insanity of the situation.

What the hell is wrong with me?

“You’re lying to me,” I decide.

He smirks, not even flinching from my accusation.

“I was worried for a moment you were the most gullible woman in the world.”

He called me a woman instead of kid. That’s new.

“In time, you’ll know the truth,” he continues.

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