Page 91 of Whispers in the Dark
The screen goes dark.
Vin exhales sharply, scrubbing a hand down his face. “Why is it always this line of business they choose to involve themselves with? They could dip their toes into any number of illegal activities that’ll make them a sizeable profit, yet their sights are set on only this one.”
“Unfortunately,” Alex starts, “it’s one of the most lucrative ways for men in our industry to make a sizeable profit. Seeing that it doesn’t cost them anything to acquire or replace the woman, I have a feeling they don’t plan on giving up this business anytime soon. They’ll keep kidnapping women for as long as they can until someone stops them.” He meets Vin’s gaze, resolve etched into his expression. “We need to be the ones to do so.”
Squeezing the back of my neck, I let out a heavy sigh as I head directly toward my favorite chair. Vin’s been right all along. The Vasilievs need to be taken down. Eliminated from the game. With no mercy. And yet, every time it feels like we’re closing in on them, they slip through our fingers. Always two steps ahead. Ready for a war that I can only hope they won’t win.
The thought sits heavy in my chest, unwelcome and relentless.
But we can’t let them defeat us.
Not when the lives of so many women are at stake, and there’s no other goddamn family in the area strong enough to stop them like we’re trying to do.
Fuck, that’s a lot of pressure on our shoulders.
I need a drink, maybe two, and definitely—
“Hi.” Alina’s perched on my chair with her legs tucked beneath her and a book in her hands. Her hair is held in a loose bun, pieces dangling on the sides of her face, with a sinful-looking smile. But it’s what she’s wearing that has me stopping in my tracks. “I hope you don’t mind.” She looks down at the white T-shirt covering her body—my T-shirt. “All my clothes are in the wash, so I went through your closet.”
I have no idea what this woman is doing to me.
But I do know, I like seeing her in my clothes.
I like finding her in my favorite chair.
I like seeing that wedding band on her finger.
And I especially like having her in my home.
I walk over, stopping directly before her. Gripping her chin, I lower myself until my lips meet hers. Her taste instantly sends a current of desire through my veins, but it also soothes the tension running rampant in my body.
This, this is what I need.
Her.
Only her.
She’s the calmness to my madness.
The light to my dark.
And I’m starting to question, when it comes time to do it, will I be strong enough to let her go?
The sound of the book collapsing to the floor has me pulling back. I gaze down into her big, beautiful brown eyes, mesmerized by every part of her. My thumb brushes across her cheek, my palm cupping her skin.
She’s too beautiful for someone like me.
But I’ll be greedy and keep her for as long as I can.
“I was thinking,” she starts, “if you’re free tomorrow afternoon, we could have another ASL lesson?” Her fingers twist around the hem of my shirt. “I kind of enjoyed our last one.”
One side of my lips lift.So did I.I shake my head, my smile disappearing. Grabbing my phone, I type,But unfortunately, I can’t. Vin has asked me to train with the guards in the morning, and then I have a meeting.I tuck my phone into my pocket and drag my fingers through my hair.
Her palm reaches out, resting against my cheek. “Something’s troubling you,” she notes with concern.
Internally, I shake my mind out of the darkness and focus on her. Lifting her into my arms, I settle into the chair and place her onto my lap. The two of us fit together like puzzle pieces,completing each other. Her small body nuzzles against my chest as my arms tighten their hold around her.
The fire roars beside us, wrapping us in a blanket of warmth. And for a moment, everything else fades into the background. All of it.
