Page 35 of Whispers in the Dark
Her eyes turn to Alina. “I’m happy for you guys, and Eli’s right. Let’s celebrate with cake.”
Alina’s body relaxes, a beautiful smile appearing. “Cake would be great.”
“Take a seat,” Vin tells me as I enter his office, with Alex and Leo following in the rear. The door closes behind them as I choose to sit farthest away from everyone by the fire.
Vin sits behind his desk, leaning back with his hands steepled before him. “I’m not buying it.”Shit. I cross my arms over my chest, staring him head-on and shrug. He leans forward. “Didyou knock her up?” I abruptly stand, taking a step toward him as he puts his hands up. “I mean no offense. Merely had to ask. As head of this family, I should know whether we’re expecting new family members so we can take any additional security measures. You know, babies in our world are taken left and right to be used as leverage.” He shrugs, and I take my seat. “Besides, apparently, you would have become Mom’s favorite if you did.” He swivels in his seat, deep in thought. “But if that’s not the case, then I don’t understand. And there’s a piece to this puzzle missing that you’re not telling us.” He narrows his eyes at me, his elbows resting on his desk. “You expect me to believe that the man sitting across from me, the one who hates being around people and loves nothing more than to be alone in the solitude of his own home, just up and decided one day to get married?”
“He’s got a point,” Alex remarks, lifting a shoulder.
I scowl. “Fuck…you,” I manage to get out, quickly regretting my decision as a burn scratches down my throat.
“And what does Gregory have to say about this?”
I glare straight ahead, not saying a word.
“Please tell me she told her father about this.”
Silence.
“Oh, fuck, Mauro.” Vin drags a hand down his face. “That man was nothing but loyal to our family for years, up until his retirement, and how do you thank him? By secretly marrying his only daughter.”
“Maybe they’re waiting until they start planning an actual ceremony to tell him,” Leo suggests.
I shake my head, staring at the fire.
Seeing that this is all only temporary, there will be no actual ceremony. Although I can’t lie and say finding out that Alina has always dreamed of a fairy tale wedding didn’t make me feel slightly bad for taking that dream away from her.
“You couldn’t have done this at a worse time. You know that, right?” Vin asks with disapproval. “The Vasilievs are breathing down our necks, and you’ve added another person to this family for them to target.”
I look down, my fingers tightening around the arms of the chair. He’s right. Of course he is.
I was too worried about the thought of Alina marrying someone else that I selfishly never stopped to think about the danger marrying me would put her in.
“She’ll be safe here,” Leo says, reaching into the cabinet beside him for an amber bottle of alcohol and some crystal glasses. “Maybe it’s for the best that they married now, while we’re dealing with the Vasilievs. Madeleine and Scarlett are always leaving the estate to see Alina. Now, they can probably stay here more often. It’ll give me a break from worrying about Scarlett every time she sets foot off the property.”
Vin nods, thinking this over. “Perhaps.”
Discreetly, Alex signs to me,He’s just worried about you.
I know he is.
He’s my eldest brother who has always been there for me. The one who stood by my side when I was delivered the news that I would never be able to speak the same again. The one who called every top surgeon in the world to try to help me, only to be repeatedly told it was irreparable damage. And the one who held a second private funeral for my father with just my mother and siblings present, so I could officially say goodbye.
And I hate that I’m lying to him.
Really, I do.
However, he doesn’t know how my and Alina’s stories crossed paths. He doesn’t know that in my darkest hour, she illuminated my soul, tethering me to here and now. And that without her…
“Stop!”
My eyes lock onto hers…
My knees connect to the ground…
Her arms wrap around me…
My heart thunders beneath my chest…
