Page 152 of Shutter and Sin
“When I was sixteen. My father always told me that any man who couldn’t feed himself deserved to starve, and any man who couldn’t feed his family wasn’t worthy of being called a man.” He shrugs slightly. “So I learned.”
“Sounds like your father was right about at least one thing.”
"He was right about many things. He was just a shit father." He pushes the bowl of oatmeal closer to my plate. "Eat the oats. The berries have antioxidants."
“Let me guess, you watched another video?”
“Three videos, actually.” He takes my hand and presses a warm kiss against my knuckles, his lips lingering there for a moment. “I’m taking this seriously, Vedma, because you’re carrying my child and I’m going to make sure both of you stay healthy.”
I look at him for a long moment, studying the earnest expression on his face. “You’re going to be a good father.” His eyes go soft. “I’m going to try.”
I finish every bite while we sit in silence. When I set the fork down, his expression shifts. The warmth pulls back and something harder takes its place.
“I have to get ready.”
“For what?”
He doesn’t answer and just heads upstairs with me trailing behind him. In the bedroom, he stops at what looks like a blankwall and punches a code into a hidden keypad, then a concealed door clicks open to reveal his weapons locker.
Black body armor hangs next to thick Kevlar plates and a tactical vest, with steel-toed boots lined up neatly on the floor below. Two handguns rest in leather shoulder holsters while a massive rifle sits broken down on the top shelf beside rows of loaded magazines. Three knives are stored in there too, including one with a serrated edge that looks designed to do maximum damage.
I sit on the edge of the bed and watch him gear up, disappearing under heavy layers of war.
Alexei turns around and takes my hand to lead me out, guiding me down a hidden staircase that drops far below the basement level into what looks like a concrete bunker. Thick steel walls box us in on all sides while heavy crates of water and medical supplies stack near the corner, and a bank of monitors shows live security feeds covering every inch of the estate. Two of his men already stand inside with their rifles held at attention, waiting.
“Stay here until I come back,” he orders.
“Alexei…”
“The walls are reinforced steel and nothing gets through them, and Viktor stands right outside the door so don’t leave this room until you see my face.”
I look at the glowing screens and then at the armed guards standing nearby. “Okay.”
He turns toward the exit.
“Wait.”
Alexei stops in his tracks.
“You better come back to me,” I say, and my voice trembles in the cold air.
“I will.”
“Swear it.”
“I swear on our baby that I’m coming home.”
He takes a step forward, pauses, then turns back around to hold his large hand out with the palm facing up. “Hand it over.”
“What?”
“My armor.”
“You’re already wearing it.”
“My other armor.” He wiggles his thick fingers at me. “Your panties. Hand them over.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “Alexei, what the hell?”
