Her eyes flash, a quick spark of anger. “Because I’m not your charity case, that’s why.”
My jaw tightens. My first instinct is to tell her she’s being ridiculous, that she doesn’t get to decide what I do with my money, but I don’t say that.
“You think that’s what this is?” I ask instead.
She exhales loudly like she’s exhausted, and it makes me wonder even more what’s going on with her.
“What else would it be?” She raises a brow.
I draw closer, close enough to feel the tension humming off her. “Friends help each other, and I thought we already established that we are friends.”
Her mouth tightens. “We’re not friends.”
Those words punch right into me. In an instant, I catch her hand before she can move away, my fingers closing around hers, not giving her the chance to pull back.
I lean in, my voice dropping low so only she can hear. “Then what are we, solnishko?”
“Please, Kirill.” The words tear out of her like they hurt coming out.
“Whatever is going on, you can tell me.”
“Nothing is going on.” She yanks her hand free, eyes flicking toward the tables. “I’ve gotta work.”
“Fine. But you are taking this money, and I will not accept no for an answer.”
Her face falls, and she stares at my outstretched hand before she takes the cash.
“Thanks.” She bites the inside of her cheek like she wants to say more, but is afraid to.
I lower my mouth to her ear. “I care about you, malyshka. Deeply. So if anything is going on or you need my help, all you have to do is tell me and I will fix it. No questions asked.”
Her eyes fill with tears when I return my gaze, and every instinct in me screams to demand answers, but that would only scare her. I don’t want to do that.
“I want you to trust me.”
My lips drop to the spot just beneath her ear, and I press a slow kiss there. She shudders, a small tremor running through her body that I feel all the way to my bones.
“You are the only woman I’ve ever wanted to give the world to, Sloane. I need you to know that.”
“Don’t say that.” Tears well up again, glassing her eyes.
I lift my hands, thumbs brushing the tops of her cheeks, catching one before it can fall. Every part of me wants to haul her against me, to kiss her until she believes me.
My jaw locks when she wraps her fingers around my wrists and gently pulls my hands away.
“I really have to go back to work now,” she whispers, even though I can see how badly she wants to stay.
She clears her throat, straightens her spine, and turns from me, tucking everything she feels back behind that brave little smile. Then she crouches in front of Lev.
“It was so good to see you, sweetie.”
He gives her a small, shy smile, then suddenly throws his arms around her neck, clinging to her. His hands knot in the fabric at her back, and she folds him in tight, eyes fluttering shut as she holds him like she’s afraid to let go. There’s something final in it, something that looks too damn much like goodbye.
Cold settles in my chest.
Did Barrett do something? Eli? Have they come near her? Threatened her? Backed her into a corner she thinks she has to stand in alone?
If she believes I’m going to let her run from me without a fight, she’s wrong. Dead wrong.
