Kyle whips his head toward me. “She’s not your property.”
I ignore him, my attention staying on Amalie because she’s the only thing grounding me right now. “Someone put their hands on you,” I say. “Tried to hurt you. Everything has changed, whether you want to believe it or not.”
Her lips part like she wants to argue. But she’s too smart to not realize the truth in my words. She knows she’s now in real, tangible danger.
I step closer.
“If someone’s targeting me,” she says quietly, “it’s likely they’d target Sasha, too.”
Kyle narrows his eyes. He recognizes Sasha’s name, which means he knows more about me than he’s letting on. “Amalie,” Kyle says, gentler this time. “Please, don’t go back there.”
Andrei appears at my shoulder, finally having arrived. He doesn’t speak. He just looks at me, reminding me without words that I’m not on my turf. Whether I like it or not, Kyle is her blood and that tie is stronger than what we have.
“Fine,” I say. “Stay with him tonight.”
Her eyes soften with relief as she realizes I’m not going to push the issue; at least not here, not now.
“But tomorrow,” I add. “You come home.”
Kyle bristles. “Home?”
Amalie closes her eyes.
“You come home tomorrow and resume your teachings with Sasha.” I want to press more, to tell her that Sasha misses her dearly and doesn’t quite understand that not only is she gone, but she’s not planning on coming back. But I don’t want to speak my son’s name again in this place, nor will I use him as a tool.
I turn and leave. As I make my way out, I feel Amalie’s gaze on my back but I don’t turn. I know that if I do, it’ll be even harder to leave without her.
Outside, the cold air bites at my skin. I pull my coat tighter. Andrei falls in step behind me. A bruise mars his cheek, but otherwise it’s hard to tell he’d just been in a fight.
“You did well,” he said.
I laugh humorlessly. “Did I?
“You let her choose.”
Bring her back. Now. Don’t let her slip away. She’s yours. Multiple thoughts flood my brain.
As if reading my mind, Andrei speaks again. “Women like her don’t take well to having their choices stripped from them. You will lose her for good if you don’t allow her to choose for herself.Sashawill lose her.”
I clench my jaw until it aches. He’s right. I hate that he’s right.
But my hunger for her doesn’t disappear.
It only waits.
Tomorrow, she comes back. No matter what.
CHAPTER 32
AMALIE
“You were with Roman Barinov,” Kyle says, his voice low. “Not just working for him. Not just being a nanny to his son. You werewithhim.”
“Congrats, Detective. You solved the case.” I cross my arms over my chest. I don’t know why my instinct is to be such a brat.
“You don’t need to talk to me like that.”
I shift in my seat. “Like how you’re talking to me? I’m not a kid anymore, Kyle.”
