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But I really should have known better.
Chapter 20
Theo
Right before my eyes, what little fight I’d seen in Tavia’s eyes faded like a dying candle. Seeing the light completely disappear left me cold.
Fuck this shit. I was tired of Sofia running her mouth when she didn’t know the first thing she was talking about. She had no clue about my life, even though she wanted to think she was an expert on all things Theo.
Picking up my sister by the waist, I carried her to the door.
“What the hell are you doing?” she screeched, thrashing her legs and trying to make me drop her. “Theo! Put me down. Put. Me. Down!”
I placed her on the other side of the threshold before slamming the door in her face and flipping the lock. She pounded on the door with her fists, her voice full of rage as she demanded to be allowed inside.
Ignoring her, I went back to Tavia, who was watching me with a neutral expression on her beautiful face, and lifted her into my arms. She felt even lighter than normal as I carried her to bed and placed her so her back was against the pillows.
Turning her head away, she tried to hide from me, but I was done with all of this bullshit. Taking her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I leaned over her and forced her to look at me. “I returned to New York yesterday and went straight to the clubs my father is a silent partner in. Three of them, in fact.”
She looked at me blankly with her darker-than-espresso eyes, but I continued my explanation. “My plan was to draw Petrov’s attention, make him come out of hiding so I could set a trap and catch him. I wanted to protect you, and that meant eliminating the bastard. Courtney was at the club, she came on to me, and I picked her up and set her away from me, like I just did with Sofia. But someone took a picture and posted it to social media. It was taken at the perfect time because it looked as if things were going to happen, but the truth is, I put that skank as far from me as I could, and I got the fuck out of there.”
“Why are you telling me this?” Her voice was devoid of all emotion, as blank as her eyes were, and I fucking hated it.
“Because you deserve to know why I left. And my sister thinks she knows everything, but she doesn’t know shit. I didn’t leave you behind, Tavia. I came back here to protect you. And as soon as I took out Petrov, I was going to return for you.”
“You’re good at leaving, Theo. It’s all you’ve ever done with me. I don’t expect anything less.” Jerking her head back, she made me drop my hold on her chin and scooted over several inches, putting space between us. “I’m tired. Anything you feel you have to say or explain, save your breath. I don’t want to hear any of it.”
“Too fucking bad. I’m not leaving here until you understand everything.” Reaching down to the foot of the bed, I picked up the tray and placed it across her lap. “Eat.”
“I’m not hungry,” she said in a small voice.
“Eat, or I will feed you, krasotka,” I threatened, only to see her flinch. Biting back a curse, I cupped her face in one hand. Fucking Sofia and her big-ass mouth. All she’d wanted to do was score points off me, yet all she’d accomplished was hurting Tavia more. “You are the only one I have ever used that endearment for. Fuck, you’re the only woman I have ever used any endearment for at all. No one else matters enough to me. Only you, Tavia. Only ever you.”
She lowered her lashes, hiding her eyes from me. “Your charm is award-winning, Theo. Too bad I see through it.”
My heart sank, realizing that even though I was telling her what was in my heart, she didn’t believe me. Not that I could blame her, but fuck, I needed her to trust me, if only just a little. If there was none left for her to give me, how could I win her back?
“Baby, you mean everything to me—”
“Obviously,” she said in that same toneless voice that sent chills down my spine.
“I know I’ve made mistakes, but you are the only one in my heart. Give me a chance to show you that above everything else. All I want is to make you happy.” Clutching her hands in both of mine, I begged her with my eyes, but the look in her dark depths never changed. It was like there was nothing there, as if her soul was just…gone.
“Listen to me, Tavia,” I commanded, desperation deepening my voice. “I will never leave you again. I’m going to spend the rest of our lives showing you how much I love you, how much you mean to me. If it takes me until my dying day to prove it to you, I don’t care.”
“Sure,” she said with a nod. “Okay. Yeah. Whatever you say, Theo.”
The lack of belief in her voice wounded me, but again, it wasn’t anything I didn’t deserve. Fighting back the frustration of being unable to get through to her, I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the bowl of overcooked bowtie pasta and creamy white sauce. There were peas mixed in to the dish, and I took the fork off the tray.
Lifting a bite, I touched it to her closed lips. “Eat for me,” I insisted.
She shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”
“You haven’t eaten in over twenty-four hours. You need food to get your strength back. Raven gave Mom plenty of meal ideas to keep you happy while still following the soft food diet the doctors said was necessary while your intestines heal.” I teased her bottom lip with the fork. The food smelled good even if it didn’t look overly appealing to me. I’d already had dinner with Pops, and it had been a hell of a lot more fulfilling than this seemed.
Some of the cream sauce smeared across her full bottom lip, and she snuck out her tongue to swipe it clean. Once she tasted it, her eyes drifted closed, enjoying the flavors. It was the first real sign of emotion I’d seen from her since Sofia had started running her mouth, and I felt something untwist in my chest.
Smiling at her in approval, I touched the fork to her lips again, and this time, she opened up just enough
