Page 44 of Ruined Vows
I stare at the blinking dots.
Then nothing.
I’m worried about him, but I’m being ridiculous. This is Vukan, and I’m sure he can handle himself in any situation. Hell, he can throw punches and fire weapons in rapid succession. He’s more hardcore than Jason Stratham in an action movie for fuck’s sake. Besides, I can’t seriously be concerned for a man I barely know.
Can I?
But I know men like Vukan. Men who hold power like a loaded gun—tight, quiet, and cold-hearted. I also know what it looks like when they’re about to pull the trigger because I’ve seen him pull it many times. And he’s an excellent shooter.
My phone beeps, and it’s a photo.
A blurry shot of his hand holding a coffee cup, knuckles bruised, the faintest smear of blood near his wrist.
No context. No words.
Just the image.
Rough morning?
Just clearing the house.
Everything okay?
It will be. Once you’re mine.
I swallow. Hard. A lump of desire swells in my chest.
Because I’m not sure if he’s flirting…
Or warning me. Does he have to be so cryptic?
I type back.
Be careful, Vukan.
Always. But if something ever happens to me…Burn the suit I’m buried in. You’re the only thing I want touching my skin in the afterlife.
I stare at the screen for a full minute before tossing the phone onto the bed.
“Dramatic bastard.”
But my heart is racing. He speaks like an infatuated man.
Because that didn’t sound like a joke.
And he’s so fucking hot. I know he helped us take out Stefano in exchange for us killing his brother, Miloš. His brother was going to burn down the city for what? A woman who held the winning hand?
Amara is ours. We protect our own. And we defend what’s ours, at any cost. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be here.
I hope Vukan has things under control since his brother’s sudden death. Knocking off the top man creates a power vacuum. These are dangerous times for him.
Instinctively, I know he’s in for another battle, but the next one will be from within.
And I know they are the deadliest.
And I’m not making his life easy.
No, never that.
