It’s one of the best sounds I’ve heard, I don’t remember hearing him laugh like that before. He chuckles, jokes and cuts up, but he never laughs. It makes me chuckle. “It is hot in here.”
The light in his eyes dances. “Have you ever been on a motorcycle?”
My smile falls. I have never been on a motorcycle.
He laughs again. “It’s okay, its completely safe, and it will cool both of us off. It’s almost like riding a horse.”
“Except much faster. And there are other fast cars around you.” My voice is soft and laced with fear.
“Do you trust me?” His smile falls and I want it to come back.
Do I trust him? My eyes fall to his mouth as I think about the weight of that question. I haven’t trusted anyone outside of my family in a long time. He waits patiently as I take a walk through my mind.
Do I trust him?
Yes, I do.
My eyes move back up to his and I say, “I trust you.”
His smile comes back. “Good. Let’s take a ride.”
He lets me go and holds out his hand for me to take.
“What about the horses?” I say, waving my hand toward the paddocks.
“I promise, we won’t be long. No longer than thirty minutes. Just long enough for a break.”
Looking down at his outstretched hand, I think about the last fourteen years. Everything I do is safe, I never leave the ranch unless it’s to get something for the horses. For years, I’ve wrestled with the fear of living, the fear of getting hurt, the fear of falling into a dark hole that once took me years to climb out of, all while knowing I’ve been stuck in limbo because of my fears.
The man in front of me, patiently holding out his hand while waiting for me to work through my thoughts, has done nothing but be kind, understanding, and chivalrous. I don’t feel fear when I’m around him, quite the opposite, I feel safe and protected.
My heart is rattling my ribs again, but I lift my eyes to his and smile as I place my hand in his.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
EIGHTEEN YEARS AGO
Brooklyn, NY
Seventeen Years Old
Brana
“Brana! Let’s go,” Dimitri calls from downstairs.
“Hold your fucking horses.” I yell back as I slide my knives into their various scabbards on my body.
Vasilei sticks his head into my room, his hazel eyes full of humor. “You’ll get your ass handed to you if you’re late again, Captain got pissed at you last time.”
I shove his head out of my room as I walk to the door and he turns on me as I get to the threshold and loops his arm around my neck to jerk me down and give me a noogie. It’s his signature move, but not only am I taller, I’m faster and I jerk to the side so I can grab his neck.
We start to playfully wrestle in the hallway, our shoes, elbows and heads hitting the wall as we roll and try to best each other.
“You’re getting too big for your britches, someone needs to knockyou down a peg.” I say in Serbian, my voice muffled by the scuffle.
“And you think you’re going to be the one to do it?” Vasilei grunts as I grab his arms and pull them behind his back.
“You bet your ass I will.” I choke when he gets his arm from my grip and pushes himself back into me to shove his elbow into my ribs.
