Page 157 of Nemesync
Love.
A smile played on my lips thinking about it. “I learned about love and affection from Luna. Her genuine smile with eye crinkles, her raised chin every time she would talk to me, or the way her body language was always open around me—those were the cues. Emotions speak volumes in almost invisible gestures, and I’ve learned to listen.”
“You’re the best at it,” he remarked, kissing my hand.
“Not really,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. “All those years of analyzing people, and I failed the one who needed me most.”
The guilt crushed me, knowing that my greatest talent couldn’t save the one person I wanted to protect.
Elijah’s expression softened, offering compassion as he pulled me closer. “Don’t blame yourself, baby,” he said gently, his hand caressing my cheek. “Some things are beyond your control.”
I nodded, trying to find consolation in his arms.
Maybe he was right, but my mind will never accept it.
“I’ll teach youdevotion,” he promised, gently kissing my forehead.
I brought his hand closer to me and pressed my lips to it. “You’re already teaching melife.”
32
ELIJAH
Some time passed and I found myself balancing the demands of Pakhan duties with the desire to stay home. Work and shitty responsibilities keep pulling me away, but Zanae has finally made herself at home. She spends her days reading criminology books, often staying on the sofa in my office, eating chocolate or fruits while I handle the chaos outside.Fucking adorable.
Our daily training sessions continued, and she was making impressive progress. I was blown away by her evolution. I tried to hold back on my strength, but she was so fucking strong and so good, that I didn’t need to.
What truly stood out was her skills with a gun; she never missed a target, and her accuracy was a bit scary and sexy too. And let’s not forget her love for knives. We’ve been incorporating more blade sessions into our routine, and she loved it.
I’m so proud of her. Even when she was feeling down, she tried to stay focused and damn, she’s one hell of a strong woman.
Mystrong woman.
Today, I was working on something while she was leaning on the little chair beside me, reading her book. I loved having herclose to me when I worked. The doors opened, and a sound cut through our little moment.
“Nikolai,” I acknowledged without lifting my gaze.
“Fuck. You know me too well. You recognized me by the way I walk, it’s so cute. Are you in love with me, Elijah Volkov?” He laughed deeply, shaking his head with a grin.
Of course, it was him. Of course, it was him. No one else but Ben and him had the fucking keys to my house. And Ben was more disciplined than this fucker.
Zanae laughed and glanced at him.
I looked up and caught his cheeky grin. “What brings you here Niko?”
He shrugged, “Just thought your girl here could use a break. Little Z, tell Elijah how much you miss the sweet charm of the city. And Vesper misses you too.”
She chuckled, her eyes meeting mine. “Niko’s version of ‘charm’ of the city, involves having ‘him’ in the city.”
I smiled at her and softly caressed her cheek, “Do you want to go out with him? I know he’s not really interesting, but let me know if you want to, or I’ll push him out of the penthouse.”
She giggled, observing Nikolai’s gasp. “I think I may keep him company today,” she said, getting up and planting a kiss on my cheek. “Let’s go, Niko.”
“Oh, and Nikolai, keep her safe.”
Nikolai nodded and led her to the parking lot, leaving me to return to the rugged expanse of my work.
This woman is making my heart a place dedicated to her and only her without even doing anything for it, apart from existing and allowing me to exist beside her.
