Page 52 of Deceptive Vows
I turned to him, arms crossing tight over my chest. “Yes, we will. But every day we don’t, it’s another day they have to survive. Another day they have to carry, to relive. Some of them may never recover. Like my mo–”
I stopped short. I’d never had this conversation with anyone, including Ma and Pa, and I wasn’t discussing it with him either. Talking about it couldn’t and wouldn’t change anything.
His head tilted. “Telling me won’t change anything, and I understand that. But I would like to shoulder it with you. Make it lighter to carry.”
I almost laughed. He was being kind and compassionate, but…
“After my mother died, my father became cold. Angry. Cruel in ways I hadn’t expected.” His fingers curled into a fist against his thigh. “Ilooked just like her, and he was angry because she’d disobeyed him by leaving the house without protection. In a way, I think he blamed me for her death because I’d begged to go with him that morning. Had I stayed…”
My arms dropped to my sides. “You were a little boy.”
“And you were a little girl.” He gave a soft smile. “We share loss. Can we not also share healing?”
His words coiled around my heart, a slow, tightening grip that stole my breath. “There is no healing for me, Nazar, and talking about it only?—”
He wrapped his arms around me, crushing me to him. “There is, mytyomnyy angel, there is.”
As hard as I tried to break loose, his hold on me only grew tighter. “Nazar… Let me go.”
“Stop fighting me, and listen.”
With a sigh, I surrendered, and he loosened his grip, leaning back so our eyes met. “Healing doesn’t always mean whole. Sometimes it just means the wounds stop breaking open. You’ve been a balm to me. Allow me to be the same for you.”
“We’ve only known each other a few days… How is that possible?” It was ridiculous even to consider.
“My mother was unable to protect herself or my brother. I never thought I’d find a woman who belonged in my world… who didn't need saving. I can protect my Pakhan… and still care about you without feeling like it'll destroy me.”
What was he saying? “Fall in love? This is all…” I echoed the words, but couldn’t finish the thought. My mouth refused to form words, my usual eloquence deserting me. His ice-blue eyes bored into mine, and I wanted to drown in them. For a split second, my gaze flicked to his lips, the most tempting pair I’d ever encountered.
A flicker of satisfaction tipped the corner of his mouth upward. His head dipped closer, slow enough to make me hyper-aware of every inch between us. My pulse kicked up, and my breath tangled in my throat.
His lips barely grazed mine, a whisper of contact that sent a slow, delicious tremor through me. My breath hitched. Instinct took over—I rose onto my toes, desperate to transform this ghost of a kiss into something tangible. I had never craved a kiss the way I craved his.
I circled my arms aroundhis neck, fingers threading into his hair as his hands slid down to my waist. His nearness, his strength—everything about him was pulling me under.
Then—a sharp, shrill alarm blared from his phone.
Nazar tensed, his hold tightening for a fraction of a second before he exhaled sharply and pulled back. He dragged a hand down his face as he reached into his pocket, checking the screen. Whatever he saw made his expression darken.
A second later, the phone vibrated in his hand.
I barely had time to process before he swiped to silence the alarm and answered the call. “Marco, what happened?”
Our eyes connected. I stepped back, pulse still erratic, my breath tangled from the kiss that had slipped through my fingers.
“Attacked? Which one?”
Nazar’s jaw flexed as he listened. “I see. Did you happen to catch one of them?” A pause. “Da, I’ll be there as soon as I can.”
He ended the call and turned to me, the heat from before replaced with a sharp focus. “Marco says someone attacked one of his warehouses. He wants me to see the scene. He claims the damagewas significant and wants my take on whether it's part of a larger threat."
My stomach tightened. “You think he suspects us?”
“I think he wants us to wonder if he does.”
I opened and closed my mouth a few times, not sure what to say. I knew he had to go, but the thought of Marco hurting him chilled me.
A muscle in his jaw twitched like he wanted to say something else. Instead, he let out a low breath and turned for the door, already dialing another number.
