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“We honor our promises in the Syndicate,” Ronan said. “What do you need?”
40
Kira had put on clean pajamas and was in bed when Lyon returned with her tea. He’d placed it on a tray with two of the pills she recognized from the hospital. She knew right away he had something to tell her.
He handed her the tea cup and sat on the edge of her bed. “How was your bath?”
“It was lovely. I feel so much better.” She took a sip of the tea. “Why don’t you tell me your news?”
He looked momentarily surprised, then shook his head with a small laugh. “Sometimes I forget that you’re very clever.”
She tried to smile but feared it came out as more of a grimace. “You shouldn’t do that.”
“Dangerous, I know.” He looked into her eyes, and for the first time since she’d been back, she felt like he was really seeing her. “I have to leave for a couple of days. I know the timing isn’t good, but — ”
“Go.” She reached out, touched his hand, was relieved when he allowed it. “Do what you have to do. I’ll be asleep most of the time anyway.”
He hesitated, then nodded. “Rurik will be here every second. You’re safe.”
She held his gaze. “I know.”
“Kira…” He closed his mouth with a sigh.
“It’s okay. Let’s not.” She met his eyes. “You’ll be back. We have all the time in the world.”
She didn’t know if it was true. He was going to kill Musa. And then?
Who knew what would happen?
But she couldn’t bear to think about a world in which Lyon didn’t come back, a world in which they didn’t have the time to figure out whatever was between them.
Neither could she bear to think about what that said about her feelings for him.
Which left them… where?
Biding their time. Waiting. As always.
He lifted her hand to his lips, opened her fingers, brushed his mouth against her palm. “I’ll be back.”
He stood and started for the door.
“Do you promise?” The word was out of her mouth before she had time to consider it.
His brow lifted in confusion.
“Do you promise to come back?” she asked.
“I promise.” He stared into her eyes, and she knew he was thinking about last fall, about waking up and finding her gone, about her hateful letter. “Will you be waiting?”
She drew in a deep breath, not wanting to make a promise she couldn’t keep. She couldn’t afford to say she loved him, wasn’t sure she even trusted him to honor his agreement to give her a voice in the bratva.
But she would wait. She would wait until they came to an agreement about their future.
“I promise,” she said.
Then he was gone.
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