Page 119 of House of Roots and Ruin
Viktor took my hands in his. The pads of his fingers brushed against my palms, electrifying me. “Do you believe our story?”
Reluctantly, lost in the depths of his eyes, I nodded.
“Do you believe a great wrong was committed? Not only against me, but Julien as well?”
Another nod.
“Then let us right it, Ver.Please.”
It was thepleasethat did it. Such a simple word, stretched and beseeching.
He was right. They were in the same situation I’d run from myself. Secreted away by a family who didn’t want our talents shown to the world. Hushed and hidden. I didn’t know these boys, I didn’t trust them, but I knew what it felt like to be in their shoes.
I licked my lips. “How?”
A smile of relief washed over him, as if I’d promised him the moon. “Give us time. A day or two. Three at the most—if we haven’t found a way into the study by then, we’ll come forward. Just don’t tell anyone we’re here till then.”
“I can’t keep this from Alex. He deserves to know.”
Viktor shook his head in alarm. “He can’t know. No one can know.”
I hesitated.
I’d started the morning ready to tell Alex everything. To give him all my secrets.
But if I told him now, if I told him all this…I knew exactly how he’d react. He’d go straight to Gerard, seeking answers, demanding wrongs be righted. He’d steal away any chance to let his brothers handle it the way they wished to.
Because he was a good person.
The best one I knew.
I glanced back and forth between the two boys.
I was already so full of secrets.
I could keep hold of theirs for a little longer.
“A day,” I finally said, countering. “I’ll give you one day and then I’m telling Alex. All of it. He could help us. He’ll have ideas. I know he will.”
“One day,” Julien said, focusing on the only part of my agreement he cared about.
“One day.”
Viktor breathed out a sigh of relief, smiling again. “Thank you.” He cupped my feverish cheeks, his long fingers chilling them, and pressed a kiss of gratitude on the top of my head. “Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.”
I fought the temptation to pull him closer, to pull him down upon me, and let the wild yearnings spiking through me have their way.
He grinned darkly, as if it was he, not Julien, who could overhear my thoughts; then he paused, listening intently to something I could not. “Jules, we need to go.”
“Go?” I echoed.
Julien nodded, standing abruptly, his movements sharp and focused. Viktor slipped out of his jacket—Alex’s jacket—and folded it over the back of the wheelchair. “We’ll see you soon,” he promised, stopping for just a moment to press a kiss to the back of my hand.
My fingertips curled around Viktor’s, wanting to keep him here, with me, but in a flash, Julien was across the room, twistinga bit of molding along one of the sconces. A hidden door swung open, revealing another tunnel.
“Viktor,” he snapped, drawing his brother’s attention.
Viktor left me, racing first to flip the lock on the escutcheon before ducking into the darkness after Julien.
