don’t know.”
“I won’t coerce you if you’re not ready. Unless you take that step yourself, no one can help you. But I do want to be there for you if you’ll let me.”
She fingers the collar of her coat—my coat. I make a mental note to take her shopping for her own clothes so that she won’t be forced to wear mine. “You don’t have to do this, Lia. I’m thankful for just…being treated as if I’m normal.”
“You are normal. If anyone tells you otherwise, I won’t let them get away with it.”
She smiles a little, then nods. “Okay. I’m ready.”
We step out of Winter’s room in the safe house. Once we’re downstairs, she physically jerks further into my side, her body stiffening.
The reason behind her reaction stands by the exit.
Yan is oblivious to his surroundings as he takes a drag of his cigarette with one hand and checks the magazine of his gun with the other. Daylight slips through the ajar door and casts a harsh shadow across his face. Yan might be beautiful, but he can actually look scary when he’s being serious. Especially to those who don’t know him.
I pat Winter’s hand to placate her. She’s usually afraid of Adrian and all of his men, but she only ever gets this urge to hide whenever Yan is in sight. Wait…did something happen between them behind my back? He couldn’t have hurt her, right?
No. My friend wouldn’t do that.
I clear my throat and Yan raises his head, but instead of hiding his gun, he makes a show out of clicking the magazine into place, his attention fixed on Winter. She visibly shivers, her lips parting.
Once we’re near the front door, I point at the car, where Boris is behind the wheel. “Go on out ahead of me.”
She basically trips over her own feet, still staring at Yan and his gun as she hurries outside. When she passes him, he blows a cloud of smoke in her face that instantly turns red. She doesn’t stop, though, until she’s next to the car.
The moment she’s out of earshot, I grab Yan by the sleeve of his jacket. “What the hell are you doing?”
He grins. “Putting the fear of God in her so she doesn’t try anything funny.”
“She wouldn’t.”
“You don’t know that.”
“You sound just like Adrian right now.”
“Hey! I’m younger. I can’t possibly sound like him. Besides, he’s not entirely wrong. She seems off.”
“Because she’s scared and homeless. Anyone would be off in that situation. Stop making it worse.”
“We’ll see.”
“I mean it, Yan.”
“I mean it, too. If she poses any type of threat, I’m shooting her between the eyes.” He motions outside. “Time to go.”
I shake my head as we leave the safe house. Winter is fidgeting by the car, probably contemplating whether she wants to be inside the same vehicle with Boris. However, upon seeing Yan, she opens the door with trembling fingers and slips inside.
Yan tilts his head to watch her and I snap my fingers in front of his face. “Stop it.”
He lifts his shoulder and gets into the passenger seat. I’m about to join Winter when a little voice calls me, “Mommy!”
I crouch as Jeremy throws himself at me in a hug. Resting my nose against his scalp, I inhale his marshmallow scent. “I’m going to miss you, my angel.”
“It’s okay, Mommy. I’ll play with Papa.”
“I’m sure you will.” I straighten and glimpse at Adrian who’s standing behind him.
A scowl is etched across his beautiful features and his shoulders crowd with tension. If it were up to him, he would’ve chained me to the bed or at least come with me. But due to everything that’s happened within the Bratva, he’s under close scrutiny and will get a visit from the brotherhood’s kings today.
But he also said he’ll play with Jeremy while I’m out with Winter.
After stroking Jeremy’s hair, I take a step toward Adrian and place a hand on his chest. “We’ll be fine.”
He makes a vague sound but says nothing.
“Adrian…I told you I dislike your silent treatment.”
“It’s not a silent treatment. I just don’t want you out there and in danger.”
“I won’t be. Do you have so little faith in Boris and Yan?”
“After they went against my orders, yes, I do. That’s why I’m sending Fedor and two others in a separate car.”
“I’m not even surprised.”
“As you shouldn’t be.”
I touch my lips to his, careful to not reopen the cut on the corner of his mouth, but Adrian wraps his arm around my waist and