Page 18 of Betrayal and Vows

"We have to go," I whisper, panic creeping into my voice. "They'll be looking for me."

Anton's jaw tightens.

He pulls out of me slowly, making me gasp at the loss. His hands are gentle as he helps me down from the counter.

"Where are your guards?" he asks, tucking himself back into his jeans.

"I lost them at the hotel." I try to smooth down my dress with trembling fingers. "They think I'm in the bathroom. Well, to be fair they probably assume I’m dancing and they can’t find me."

He picks up the black wig from the floor and hands it to me. "Put this back on. Now."

I fumble with the wig. He takes it from me and positions it carefully over my blonde hair, his touch surprisingly tender given the urgency of our situation.

"Listen to me," he says, gripping my shoulders. "You're going to walk out of here like nothing happened. Go back to your hotel. Get in bed. Pretend you never left."

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me."

But I am worried. I'm terrified. Not for myself, but for him.

I know there are eyes everywhere in our world.

If anyone finds out… he’ll be killed. I’ll probably be forced to watch his death. I know that’s a favorite trick for the men that live in our world. I push my dress down and pick up my panties.

They’re torn.

Anton snatches them from my hand and stuffs them in his pocket. “Fix your makeup.”

I turn to look in the mirror. “There is no fixing this.”

But I do my best. I wipe away the lipstick, fix the smudged eyeliner and turn to look at him.

“I’ll go first,” he says.

I nod, suddenly feeling despair.

“Anton—”

He cups my face in his hands. His lips brush over mine. “You are mine. You are my sun.Solnyshko.”

My heart swells. How can I love this man? I don’t know him. Not really. But I know I love him. I knew I loved him the first time I saw him.

“Serdtse moyo,” I whisper with our foreheads touching. “My heart. You are my heart.”

He doesn’t move for several seconds and then he’s gone.

I hear him snapping and then male voices.

I stand, waiting. My heart pounding in my chest.

I want to cry. I want to mourn the loss of a man I will never have beyond this bathroom.

There’s three swift knocks. And then he’s gone. I don’t know how I know, but I know.

He’s no longer at the door. My soul feels his absence.

I open the bathroom door, keeping my eyes low as I make my way down the hall and straight for the door.