Page 47 of Crimson Wrath

Too fucking good.

And if there’s one thing I've learned, that always spells trouble.

Chapter 16

Scarlett

The warmth of the formal dining room envelops me.

Its dimly lit chandelier casting a golden glow upon the table. Everyone else has finally gone to bed for the night. Only Anton and I remain seated. Our chairs pulled close together, legs brushing against each other as the scent of his cologne teases my senses. The remnants of our shared meal lay scattered on the table, but it’s the connection we’ve built tonight that lingers in the air.

“Tonight was… It was unexpected, yes?” His eyes meet mine, a hint of something unfamiliar peeking through his usually stoic exterior.

“You mean the shootout?” I tilt my head.

“No. That, I was expected.” He stops, seeming to be choosing his next words. “I mean the others. They were… They were good together. Like-” He stops as if not sure he should be saying this. “Like family.”

I nod, recalling the sense of community that filled this room not too long ago. People who’d never met each other until a day ago were breaking bread and embracing each other’s company like long-lost relatives.

My father always told me that family isn’t just blood; it’s the people you choose to surround yourself with. For the first time in a long while, I feel like I belong.

“Family is…important,” I say, tracing patterns in the tablecloth with my fingertip. I stop the edgy little motion and weave my fingers together. They’re making me look agitated.

“It is.” Anton leans back in his seat and surveys me as if mulling something over.

“Mine was always a little unconventional, I guess. My family. My childhood.” I press my lips together, wondering where I’m going with this. In all the time that Anton and I have spent together, there’s seldom been an occasion when we’ve opened up to each other about our thoughts, our lives, our pasts. It’s mainly been fighting.

Or sex.

But the sex…!

“Unconventional?” Anton cocks his head, pulling my errant thoughts away from the memory of him naked.

“I never knew my mother,” I confess, fiddling with the fork on the table. I can’t seem to stop fidgeting. This man has an effect on me. “She left when I was very young. Just walked out on us.” I’ve never really dwelled on the meaning of that; Pops never allowed me to feel like I was abandoned. But now, it makes me feel so damned sad.

As if sensing my sorrow, Anton reaches over and places a hand on mine, his warmth seeping into me.

“You were raised by your father,da?”

“Da,” I mimic him, feeling the ghost of a smile play at my lips. “He was an unconventional parent, but he loved me fiercely. He taught me everything I know about being a skilled burglar.”

“Some might find that a problem,” he says.

“Would you?” I look at him.

He gives a light chuckle. “Do you think I would?”

“Hardly,” I scoff. “I bet you grew up the same way.”

His lips tighten slightly. “I would not say that. I was taught skills, yes. But love?” He shrugs. “It was not important.”

“You don’t think love’s important?”

“I did not say that.” His thumb moves over the back of my hand, setting sparks prickling over my skin. He looks down at where he’s touching me, then back up into my eyes. “Your father must have been a remarkable man,” he says, admiration laced in his voice. “He raised a strong woman.”

“Thank you.” My cheeks flush under his praise. “He was the only family I had, but tonight… I felt like I found a new one.”

“I think that you have always had family,Zayka. You made your own. Your team. I’ve seen how they care for you.”

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