Something shifts inside me. Pieces I didn’t know existed click into place.
I’ll protect this girl with my life if it comes to it.
And by the end of the night, it just might.
4
SERA
I don’t speak again as we move through the city, Liev’s words sounding in my head.
“You don’t deserve to die because of him.”
Because his bratva will kill me if they find out.
I still don’t understand why he’s doing this for me. For a few moments, I thought it was a trap, a way to get me away from the club so he could take his revenge without the risk of being caught. But by the time we stopped at the store, my heart had settled into a slower rhythm.
Maybe shock is the reason I didn’t try to run away. Bolt from the car and get help… But I don’t think so. I think of his massive hands, each finger and knuckle covered in black tattoos gently cleaning the blood from my body, and his voice when he spoke of his father… And I believe him.
Every so often I feel him look at me as we move through the city to a more residential area. But I keep my hands clasped tight in my lap to hide the trembling, keeping my eyes on the road ahead. I’m not conscious of being upset, but my body knows I’m lying.
He pulls into my building’s curved drive but stops before reaching the covered entrance that leads to the lobby, leaving usstopped in the shadows. The moment the car shifts into park, my body trembles. Almost as if now, faced with my real-life, I can’t reconcile the events of the night.
Before, when we were moving, it wasn’t real… But now the familiar landscape makes me realize just how close I came to death tonight. The shivers morph into full-body shaking, almost like my nervous system is short-circuiting.
“Can you open the M&M’s for me?” He asks in a casual tone.
“Huh?”
“The candy. I need some.” He smirks. “For my nerves. It’s been an exciting night.”
I lift the bag of candy from the cup holder, but it takes a few tries with shaky hands before I’m able to tear it open. His large, cupped palm appears in front of me, and I pour a few out.
“Eat.” He nods at the bag still in my hand and pops one of the candies in his mouth. I watch his strong jaw work as he chews, mesmerized by the motion. When I still haven’t moved after he’s swallowed, his finger nudges the bag suspended in my hand. “You need the sugar.”
Not really thinking about what I’m doing, I pluck one out. The sweet chocolate bursts over my tongue, and once I’ve swallowed, I take another, and then another. The everyday activity helps me calm down.
Liev’s shoulders drop as he watches me. Before I realize it, I’ve finished the bag, and my shaking has noticeably lessened.
“Maybe you shouldn’t be alone.” He frowns. “Do you want me to call someone? Your brother?”
“God, no!” The words fly out of my mouth so fast he blinks. “I’m fine, really.”
I need to get out of this car, but I can’t. Not yet. “What are you going to do with them? The bodies, I mean.”
“Not your concern,” he says easily, popping another candy in his mouth. “I’ll handle it.”
My fingers twist together, making my knuckles blanch. I don’t like not knowing—losing control of the situation.
“You need to get rid of the clothes,” he adds, “and your shoes. Not in your building. Throw them out somewhere else.”
I nod, relieved to have something to do. “What do I do if the police come? There are street cameras, probably cameras in the club that saw me go out the back. The blood in the alley.” My voice rises as I reel off the possible complications suddenly pinballing around my brain.
“There won’t be any police.”
My forehead creases. “But there has to?—”
“No one at that club will call the police.” His dark gaze burns into me.
