AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Blyad,” I growl under my breath, forcing my thoughts back to the task at hand. “You have more important things to worry about than an inconvenient attraction.”
My fingers drum against the polished wood of my desk as I stare at Luka’s notes, searching for patterns or weaknesses we can exploit.
“She’s just a way to occupy Nikolai for a while,” I tell myself, trying to push her face from my mind. “Nothing more.”
But even as I say it, I know deep down that Luka has a point. Something has shifted since she arrived. She has wormed her way into our lives and now, I fear, our hearts. It would be foolish to ignore the effect she has on me, or on Nikolai. But acting on those feelings? That could prove fatal.
“Shit,” I mutter, running a hand through my hair in frustration. The line between desire and danger has never been more blurred, and I can’t help but feel that I’m walking a tightrope without a safety net.
It’s with that unsettling feeling that I hear footsteps approaching. Looking up and expecting to see Luka again, I’m surprised when I see Scarlett instead. She hesitates in the doorway, a fleeting look of awkwardness crossing her face before she speaks.
“What is it?” I ask, keeping my expression neutral.
“Anton, umm…” She presses plump lips together, making my cock pay attention. Fuck. “I just… I just wanted to let you know that Nikolai seems to be doing well. But I’m worried about him. I think he could use some company his own age.”
I study her for a moment, surprised by the genuine concern in her voice. It warms something inside me, the realization that she cares for my son’s welfare. And as much as I try to fight it, I can’t deny that Scarlett is growing on me in more ways than one.
“Thank you for telling me,” I say, my voice steady and measured. “I appreciate your concern. But that is impossible.”
“Impossible?” she says. “But he’s just a little boy, Anton. He can’t spend his days like this. It’s not healthy.”
I want to be annoyed with her. Dammit, I am annoyed with her. Because she’s right, goddammit.
“There’s no other way,” I tell her. “For now, this is our world.”
“Your world?” She cocks her head. I can sense a thousand questions whirling beneath the surface. Questions I won’t answer. Can’t answer.
“You have my final word on this, Scarlett,” I say. “Do your best to keep him happy. It’s why you’re here.”
She looks at me for several long moments, then finally nods.
“Fine, she huffs. “I just wish you’d let him be a normal kid. I know what it’s like to grow up like…” she trails off, leaving me curious about the world she grew up in. “He’s a great kid, okay? I just want what’s best for him.”
As much as I want to tell her to mind her own business, I can’t. What she just said had moved me more than I expected.
“Thank you,” I say eventually, surprised that I mean it. “It’s important that he have people who care for him. Will that be all?”
Scarlett nods, but there’s a lingering uncertainty in her eyes. As she turns to leave, I find myself wanting to reach out, to ask her to stay and tell me about the son who seems to be opening up to her more every day. But I don’t. Instead, I watch her walk away, my heart heavy with unspoken words and unacknowledged feelings.
Fuck.
This truly complicates things. It was fine when I could think of her as an unwilling guest in my home, someone who had been dragged into our lives by circumstance. But now, she seems to be fitting into the household, becoming an integral part of our existence. I convince myself that it’s more important than ever to keep my guard up around her. I can’t let myself feel things for another woman again. The danger I’d bring into her world would be unbearable.
The danger I’d bring into her world would mean death.
Chapter 16
Scarlett
“It’s raining out,” Nikolai grumbles, pressing his nose against the window. “What shall we play, Scarlett?” He glances over his shoulder at where we’ve stacked boxes of games and art equipment. “Can you teach me about locks again?”
I consider this for a moment, wondering if that would be wise. The last time I did that, I ended up dangling outside the window and pulled in by his father.
Probably a bad idea.
Anton’s gone to his study for the day, with strict instructions not to bother him, but still, I don’t relish the idea of a run-in with him over my teaching methods.
“I have a better idea, kiddo. How about a game of hide and seek?”
