Page 138 of Wicked Vows (Suvorov Bratva 2)

I take a deep breath, slide from the chair, and point to the foyer. “I need to lie down.”

Pavel doesn’t argue with me. He speaks to his men quickly in the den and then joins me on the staircase, guiding me by the small of my back. The warmth that radiates from his palm eases me while I climb the steps.

In the bedroom, the light has dimmed significantly. Dusk approaches. It’s such an exhausting realization.

Pavel sweeps my hair over my shoulder to reveal my neck. He places a light kiss on my skin, sending an array of emotions through my body.

I don’t deserve comfort while Willow and Zoya sleep in fear. I don’t deserve this cozy bed while they shiver in hard chairs. I don’t deserve these kisses when they’re both probably trying not to notice how Cardona’s men are undressing them with their stares.

I turn away from Pavel. It hurts to do it—and it hurts even more to feel him flinch—but I can’t handle this right now. I just need to lie down.

Pavel wordlessly floats to the bed and pulls the sheets down. I watch him methodically remove his clothes and fold them. He sets them in a chair and then gestures for me to sit down. He strips me next, massaging my limbs along the way.

For a second, it works. It soothes me. It fools me into believing that everything is okay for the time being. I can pretend Viktoria is bustling around on the other side of the door. Janine is slinging drinks to drunk strangers. Jonas is bragging to anyone who will listen about who and what he is. Even Kolya exists out there somewhere, doing Pavel’s bidding.

None of them are dead. Can’t be.

If I convince myself hard enough, then it’s true. Itmustbe true.

Right?

When Pavel tucks me under the sheets, I roll over, waiting for him to scoot in next to me. He wraps his arm around my waist and tucks me under his wing, depositing my face into the crook of his neck. Where I always go. Where I belong.

A coldness pervades my body despite his heat. It’s such a nostalgic feeling, so deeply familiar and horrifying all the same.

It signals something on the horizon. It tells me something’s coming, whether I like it or not. Whether I’mreadyor not.

It’s the same feeling I got when I was on the way home, knowing Jonas was in a bad mood.

Something’s coming.

And I can’t stop it.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Pavel

The downtown real estate office towers over the street. Liya stands next to me, her face taut with a grim expression. Lines mark the corners of her eyes, the edges of her mouth, and the center of her forehead. She’s worried.

Not gonna lie—I’m a bit worried myself.

When we walk inside, life appears normal. People bustle about in suits and normal clothing. Above all, they’re also wearing smiles. It’s a stark contrast to the pit that grows ever wider in my gut.

Liya silently presses the button at the elevator. We’re waiting away from a small group. Although nobody pays any attention to us, I can’t shake the feeling that we’re being watched. I know Stepan is just outside. Kostya, too.

But someone still might be following us.

It’s absurd to leave the safety of Coney Island. But it’s even worse to sit around and do nothing. Mr. Austin knows something about Willow’s kidnapping. Even if he doesn’t think so.

We have to follow this lead. It’s our only one.

Thedingof the elevator interrupts my thoughts. Liya and I board silently. Her stiff movements will give her away if she doesn’t relax. I smooth my hand over the small of her back and then trace her spine, applying firm pressure. Her shoulders drop an inch. Though she’s still tense, she seems more prepared.

Once we’re on the right floor, we head for the office where Mr. Austin is waiting for us. He’s already at the door when we arrive.

The door shuts soundlessly. Liya flips around and tries to smile, but she looks more like she’s gritting her teeth. She bows her head and then takes a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk.

I lean against the chair that houses my wife, fixing Mr. Austin with a piercing stare. He doesn’t flinch from my gaze. If there’s any shred of fear in him, he’s very good at hiding it.

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