Page 165 of Black Castle

Kenji has done exactly what Zev warned them of. He had barged into his house with detectives and dragged her away from him.

That night, Kenji signed his death warrant.

“He’s coming.” Her palm cups mouth, shivering. “I need to go. I have—I have to go.”

Her movements are frantic, her gaze unfocused as she turns for the exit.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Kenji reaches for her, his touch grounding her, but not enough to curb the panic surging through her. “He doesn’t know where you are, remember?”

“I know he won’t hurt me,” she cuts in, her voice breaking. “It’s you, Kenji. You broke his number one rule. You took me away from him.”

Kenji exhales sharply, gripping her shoulders. “Look at me,” he urges, his voice controlled. “He isn’t going to touch me. The police know everything now. They’re watching him.”

“You don’t know him.” She tries to pull away but Kenji holds tight. “He doesn’t care about some fucking cops. Just take me back. I’ll tell him I came willingly. If I go back to him, he won’t have a reason to hurt you.”

“You’re scared, understandable.” His voice is calm and insistent. “And that’s okay judging by what he put you through. But running back to him won’t save me or anybody.”

She shakes her head, her vision blurry as a sob presses in her chest. They don’t know Zev. She knows him. She knows what he’s capable of doing. But Kenji and the cops aren’t listening to her.

“Hold on.” He frees one hand from her shoulder, slipping it into the pocket of his sweatpants to fish out his phone. “If you don’t believe me. Hear what detective Smith has to say.”

He dials the number and the detective picks on the third ring. Kenji tells the detective the newest development as Vivienne paces around, her teeth biting nervously into her nails.

Kenji turns to Vivienne, switching the call to the speaker.

“Vivienne?” Detective Smith says, his voice steady and reassuring. “Calm down, okay? You need to rest and take care of yourself. Lucan Raskovic hasn’t left Russia. His men haven’t moved. We have been monitoring him.”

See? They know nothing and yet want to be a hero. They don’t even know the villain’s name. It’s Zev. This is fucking Zev Raskovic not Lucan. Lucan is gone, hiding, nowhere to be found.

“How can you be so sure, detective?” she whispers.

“We’re watching him,” he reassures. “And he knows it too. He’s powerful, yes. But he’s not reckless enough to make any move. He knows we’re into him.”

She swallows hard. And although the panic doesn’t disappear, it loosens its grip enough for her to breathe properly.

“He won’t touch Kenji, Vivienne,” the detective says firmly. “He isn’t gonna hurt you anymore. And you’ll never have to go back to him.”

She releases a gasp of relief, her legs giving out, but Kenji is quick enough to catch her before she hits the floor.

“He’s not coming,” the detective’s voice drifts away as Kenji pulls her trembling body into his arms. “You’re safe.”

And for the first time in 72 hrs, she finally feels like she can breathe.

“Don’t put your life on hold because of me, Kenji,” Vivienne whispers as Kenji tucks her into bed later that night.

He scoffs, rolling his eyes. “Why are you so fucking dramatic? I’ve only missed school for three days.”

“Still,” she insists. “I feel like I’m holding you down.” She rolls onto her side, her hand folding under her head as a pillow. “You should go to school tomorrow. I’ll be fine on my own.”

Kenji sighs, running his hand gently through her hair. “Just get some sleep. Your eye bags are making you look like one of those haunted dolls.”

“It better be a hot haunted doll.” She tries to smile, but her lips merely twitch.

“She’s short and she has this really big head like Bratz,” he says, pressing a fist into his mouth to stifle a laugh.

Pulling a hand from beneath her head, she flips him a middle finger. And this time, she actually giggles softly, and it doesn’t make her heart hurt.

“Mom’s watching Gossip Girls without me,” he informs, rising off the bed. “I’m gonna go join her. I’ll be back. Call me if you need anything, okay?”

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