“You’ve done enough,” I insist, and she goes to shake her head to argue, perhaps, but Kade repeats my words.
She can go back to being amazing after we’ve cared for her. Without moving a muscle, I reach for her.
Kade starts coughing as my scent thickens. I am speaking to her designation, praising her, reminding her everything is going to be okay, telling her she’s done enough.
“As soon as you have Nalla ready to move, we’re going. I’m going to take Kade first, then I’ll come back to you.”
“Then what?”
I laugh, and she looks me up and down. Confusion makes her eyes shine brighter.
“You’re about to be abducted by the Cartel, Mrs. Petrov.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
QUINN
Nalla growls when I lift the bandage on her leg, and Roshka hops to his feet, prowling over.
“It’s okay,” I explain softly, moving slightly so he can come see what I’m doing that’s upsetting her.
He gets his nose right into where I’d like my hands to be, but by the looks of it, he needs the reassurance his mate is okay.
I get it. I’m exactly the same. And I follow his lead, twisting to watch Santiago supporting Kade as he limps out the kitchen doors. As soon as they disappear from view, I look in the opposite direction and time it perfectly with Aleksei checking in with me.
He gives me a wink, then runs his fingers over his face, miming that I should close my eyes. I shake my head, disagreeing, but I lower my gaze so I’m not watching. Part of this is undoubtedly difficult for Aleksei, which is why I lean into the moment instead of pretending it isn’t happening and it’s not hard for him to do.
There’s a soft grunt from Aleksei and one from Sergey before Aleksei’s breathing changes, and long, drawn-out seconds pass before Sergey’s pained breathing stops.
Roshka gets up as soon as it happens, and I watch as something incredibly touching and private transpires.
Roshka uses his enormous body to block Aleksei from seeing his brother. The man and dog stare at each other, communicating things that words could never properly convey; it’s shared grief, pain, and relief. Roshka licks Aleksei’s face before the dog somehow takes another step, closing all the distance between them. Once Roshka is as close as he can be, he lays his massive head on Aleksei’s shoulder.
Nalla shifts slightly, so she can watch and be a part of it. Her tail thumps when they both look back at her. The bond these three share transcends past normal dog-and-master relationships. These three have gone through some shit and come out the other side, better and stronger.
Aleksei speaks to Roshka in Russian, his voice low and deep. I don’t understand a word he says. He starts to laugh, it’s not like a belly laugh, but it’s still a nice sound to hear.
They share another brief moment before Roshka stands up and walks. He doesn’t move around Aleksei; he sets his course straight and practically bowls his master over on his drive to return to Nalla.
Aleksei rolls up to standing, reholsters his gun, and wipes the blade that he used to end Sergey on a napkin from the table, coming over to us.
“We have to leave,” he says as he leans down to kiss Nalla’s head, talking softly in Russian, his face next to hers.
She struggles to sit up, and he places his hand firmly down on her to stop her.
“Did Santiago tell you he’s abducting you?” he asks, turning to face me.
I nod back quickly.
Aleksei looks different, the lines on his face more like smile lines than worry wrinkles. His presence is different too. Everything is more intensified; his scent is omnipotent. He hasn’t gone back to hiding his designation. His presence is stronger and more impossible than ever to ignore, and I like it a lot. This truer version of who he is suits him better. I have to focus on breathing, instead of responding in a hundred different ways.
Past the adrenaline and the relief, he looks ready to crawl into bed and sleep for a week.
“I need to do a few things before we get the chance to spend some much-needed time talking and screwing, eating, sleeping,” he says. “I want nothing but the chance of getting to properly know each other with words and touch, scent and bites.”
Surprise dances over my face, which only makes him smirk in challenge.
“Drop your shields,maya, and you’ll know why I can read your thoughts so well. I promise we don’t need to hide this anymore.” He reaches down and brings my hand up to his mouth. With a firm bite, he shows me what he’s referring to, his teeth falling into the exact alignment of the scar he left behind. “This bond of ours is waiting for you now. Me?Ty moya prichina.”
