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“I don’t blame you. But…” Bambi gives her a conspiratorial little smile and wink. “I’m gonna need alotof energy to help take down the bad guys. Can you help me pick out the best ice cream for that?”
At first, Willow doesn’t respond at all. But then she slowly lifts her head, looks at Bambi, and nods.
“Oh, thank you!” The woman sighs with dramatic relief. “I know this one place that has, like, forty-eight different flavors and even more toppings and I just get so overwhelmed…”
Her voice fades as the elevator doors close, Willow’s hand in hers as she quietly walks beside her. I don’t get a goodbye wave. Or a hug. Just an empty stare that slowly shifts to the closing doors.
And then nothing.
Demyen fills the empty space on the couch and rests his arm on the back behind me. It feels like he’s holding me while giving me space at the same time.
I appreciate it more than I know how to say.
“How are you holding up?” he softly asks.
I shrug. Good Lord, that movement alone feels heavy. Everything feels soheavy. Am I just as exhausted as he is?
“I should be over the moon that Willow is safe and unharmed, but now, I’m wondering… is she? Or is she permanently traumatized?” Tears sting my eyes. “Did I still lose her?”
“Hey, hey now… Shh…” Demyen pulls me close and kisses the top of my head. I take that as my cue to go ahead and let the tears fall, and he lets me. “None of this is your fault, okay? None of it. If anything, it’smyfault. My war with Raizo should never have reached either of you. Least of all Willow.”
“What? No! It’s not your fault!” I wipe my tears away with the back of my hand and look at him like he’s lost his dang mind. “And it’s not like they’re the only ones out there threatening her. Martin, even Oleg?—”
He stiffens. “What about Oleg?” he asks, his voice suddenly dark.
I sniff and take a deep breath. Plucking the hem of my shirt helps to calm my nerves just a little bit as I dip a toe into the part of my life I’m desperately trying to forget. “He kept asking if I had kids. I tried to pretend like I didn’t, to protect her, but he didn’t believe me. He wanted to find her and bring her to me.” I hesitate. I don’t actually know how far that monster’s depravity goes because I didn’t stick around to find out. “For himself, I think.”
Demyen’s entire demeanor darkens. And then, like a light switch just flicked on, he brightens again with determination. “You don’t have to worry about that. That much I can swear to you.”
“I know he’s your father, but?—”
“He’s a fucking monstrosity. I don’t care who hears me say it: I will end him before he even gets close enough to breathe anywhere near her.”
I know he means it. I know that that level of cold fury should send me running for the hills.
Instead, it makes me caress his face and lean in to kiss his cheek. “Thank you,” I whisper.
Demyen nuzzles into my hand, closing his eyes with a sigh. Again, that awareness of how truly tired he must feel, both physically and emotionally, creeps into my mind. I don’t even think about it—I just instinctively pull him into my arms and hold him. No kisses, no moves to tempt or seduce. Just holding him.
Sometimes, even the king of the underworld needs a place to lay his head.
“He’s my best friend,” I hear him quietly groan into my shoulder. “He’ll pull through this. He has to.”
I don’t say anything in response. I simply hold him closer and lightly scratch his back the same way I do whenever Willow is upset.
Dem sucks in a shivering breath, holds it, then lets it out in a heavy sigh. The way his body seems to collapse on that exhale tells me everything I need to know. And because of it, I decide not to ask any questions.
“Pavel was the first to even suggest I take over, after everything with Otets and Tolya.” He lifts his head, but loops his arms around my waist so I don’t pull away.
Not that I was going to.
“We were just kids. I thought he was insane. But he thought we could do something better, something greater with all the resources just lying around the compound.” Demyen huffs asmall laugh and rolls his eyes. “He’s always pushed me to be a better man. Put the Bratva to good use. I was ready to turn it all into my personal army of vengeance. He wanted me to be Robin Hood with a band of Merry Men.”
“Would that make him Little John?” I ask.
That gets a stronger laugh. “Donotlet him hear that one.”
We sit together in comfortable silence, just waiting for news on Pavel’s surgery and praying it’s the only news we’ll have to deal with for the time being. I can’t even believe it’s all been one continuous day. It feels like I’ve lived eons since the sun rose.
