Page 58 of Toxic Temptation
“And yet she keeps it in the house,” Kovan adds, his voice tight.
Ms. Murphy raises her chin. “Ms. Makhova has her own concerns about you, Mr. Krayev.”
“I’m sure she does. Abusers always blame everyone else.”
Another suck of her teeth, dismissive, disbelieving. “I can’t discuss what was said during our visit with her.”
“She’s charming when she wants to be,” Kovan says bitterly. “Don’t let her fool you.”
I squeeze his arm harder. We need to de-escalate this, not make it worse.
“Ms. Murphy,” I say again, “I’m a pediatric doctor. I know the signs of abuse, and that little boy upstairs has been failed by the system meant to protect him. He’s safe here. He’s loved here. Let him stay here.”
She closes her notebook with a sharp snap. Her face is still pinched and remorseless. “That remains to be seen. I have more visits to conduct before making my recommendation.”
“Right. Of course,” I say, while Kovan seethes silently beside me.
“Mr. Krayev. Ms. Fairfax.” She nods curtly and turns for the door.
“I’ll walk you out,” Kovan growls.
“Let me,” I say quickly, my hand still on his arm. The last thing we need is him intimidating her further. It’s beyond clear that she loathes Kovan already.
I escort her to her car, my mind racing for something to salvage this disaster. But she beats me to the punch.
“It’s a funny thing,” she remarks as she unlocks her door. “When I mentioned you to Mrs. Makhova, she had no idea who you were. In fact, she seemed quite certain her brother-in-law was single. That he preferred it that way. And that under no circumstances she could possibly imagine would he ever take a woman into his home. Unless, of course, there was something in it for him. Some… ulterior motive.”
My stomach drops, but I keep my voice level. “Clearly, she was mistaken. Otherwise, what would I be doing here?”
Her smile, the very first she’s offered up, reveals a row of tiny teeth with canines sharp like fangs. “Clearly.”
I watch her drive away, my heart hammering and an acrid taste lingering in my mouth. When I turn back to the house, Kovan is waiting by the door, his face stormy.
“She knows,” he says without preamble.
“How can you be sure?”
“Did you not see how she walked in here? Like she already had her mind made up. Someone tipped her off.” He runs a hand through his hair. “We should have had weeks to prepare. To get our story straight.”
“You did fine in there. So did Luka.”
“Did I? Because I wanted to throw her through a window.” His eyes are dark with frustration. “Sometimes, I wonder if I’m asking too much of him. All these lies, all this pretending… ”
The doubt in his voice does something to me. This powerful, dangerous man reduced to worrying about an eight-year-old boy’s feelings. A crack in his armor, and through it, his beating, pulsing heart, exposed to the world for the first time in his whole life, if I had to guess.
“Kovan.” I touch his arm again. “You love that kid. Anyone can see it.”
“Love isn’t always enough. In fact, it rarely is.”
“It is for Luka. That house in there? It’s a love letter. Every painted wall, every carefully chosen toy, that incredible galaxyupstairs. He belongs here, because you built him a home. Not a house. Ahome.”
His eyes meet mine, and something passes between us. Something real and warm and patently terrifying.
“Thank you,” he says quietly. “For staying calm in there. For backing me up.”
“It’s what I’m here for.”
“Is it?” He steps closer, close enough that I have to tilt my head back to meet his gaze. “Are you convinced now? That I’m the right person to raise him?”
