Before I go inside, I add him into my contacts, using one of the many pictures I’ve secretly taken of him. It’s my favorite. He’d been looking off to the side at one of his cousins, and there’s a grin playing at the corner of his mouth, like he’sseconds away from giving a full smile. I’m obsessed with the lines of his jawline and neck, and this one gives me the perfect view of both.
I pocket my phone when my mom calls my name and then go inside with the others. My Uncle Vasya is back, and when I walk in, his eyes run from me to Damien and then Bran.
I wanted to show him the sea cave,Bran signs.Ev had to miss it.
Stayed up too late studying,Damien signs. He looks over at my grandma and says, “Thank you for breakfast. That was delicious.”
“Anytime,” my grandma says, walking over to pat his cheek again. “Tell your cousin to get to bed earlier next time so he can come too.”
“I will,” he promises her and then he returns the quick hugs my mom and aunt give him.
Even though there’s a lot I’d like to say to him before he walks out the door, I can feel my uncle’s eyes on me, so I school my features and settle on a casual, “It was good to see you again.”
He follows my lead when he barely glances my way and says, “You too.”
While my mom finishes saying her goodbyes, I plop down onto their couch and pull my phone out, pretending to read a book on my Kindle app. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that if my uncle suspects anything, anything at all, my ass will be on lockdown for the remainder of Damien’s trip. I’m grateful that the hoodie I’m wearing is just a plain black one, the same kind he’s seen on my brothers a million times, the same kind I’ve borrowed before so there’s no reason to suspect it’s Damien’s.
Thankfully, he doesn’t ask and put me on the spot. My uncles are just as protective as my dad, and I know they all feel it’s their duty to keep an eye on each other’s kids. If either one of themthinks I’m crossing the line with Damien, or anyone else for that matter, my dad will know about it in seconds.
I love them, but I can’t trust any of them with what I’m feeling right now. I’m not even a hundred percent sure what I’m feeling because I’ve never once felt anything even close to it before. It’s what I’ve tried to conjure up for Tyoma or Kostya but have always failed. When I’m with Damien, the attraction slams into me without giving me a choice. I’m drawn to him in a way that makes it impossible for me to ignore or deny it.
I’m still thinking about him when one of the guards brings my mom and me back home. The first thing I do is dig out my old supplies from when Yulia and I used to make our own jewelry. We’d often drill tiny holes into shells and decorate ourselves along with Talia and Allie. After breaking an enormous amount of shells, I’d finally gotten the hang of it, and when I manage to drill a tiny hole into the turritella shell, I’m relieved to see I haven’t lost my touch. Digging around, I grab some of the thin, black cord and cut off a large enough section. After securing a knot, I slip it over my head and into my shirt so it’s sitting against my skin. The shell hangs low enough to not be visible, and if I had any cleavage, it would be nestled in it.
Pleased with how it turned out, I sit down next to Nyx and scratch her belly. I try to ignore the desire I have to text him, but eventually the temptation gets the better of me. Besides, he didn’t seem to have a problem with exchanging numbers. It wouldn’t hurt to send a little text before the race tonight. Maybe he’ll even respond and want to talk for a bit.
I grab my phone and lay down so my head is on Nyx, just like she likes it. The plan is to keep it brief, but once I start typing, words keep coming out. With a groan, I send it off and then turn my head so I can kiss Nyx.
“Why did I do that?” I ask her. “I should’ve probably played it cool and not texted at all. I should’ve just waited until tonight.” Imeet her amber eyes when she lifts her head. “I count on you to help me not do stupid things, Nyx.”
She huffs out a breath and drops her head again and then grunts to let me know she’d like to be petted. I run my hand over her soft fur while I wait for a response. Just when I’ve convinced myself he’s not going to respond, my phone buzzes. I expect to see a bubble of text, but instead it’s a voice message. Quickly putting in my ear buds, I play the message and listen to his deep voice.
“Hey, Sitka. I’m glad you texted. I had a fun time with you too. I’m not doing much of anything right now. Ev is trying to get in some reading before tonight, and I’m watching Lyra to give Max and Talia a break. Bran mentioned you have a dog that’s sweet but looks like it should be guarding the gates of hell. I feel like I have to see this. I’d love a picture when you get a minute.”
I grin and listen to it again. I love that he sent a voice message instead of a text because now I can hear his voice whenever I want. I send him a couple of my favorite photos of Nyx and then make a voice message for him too.
We end up talking for an hour, and the more I learn about him, the more I like. The last message he sends is to remind me to be careful and that he’ll see me at the race tonight.
My brothers only told me about the secret gambling races four months ago, and as soon as I learned about them, I wanted in on the action. They were hesitant at first, but I convinced them I could do it and that no one would need to know it’s me. I show up in gear from head to toe. All anyone else sees is what they want to see—a petite girl who looks like she’s easy to beat. I won my first race, and then several more after that. Sometimes one of my cousins will win, but even though I have a great record, the assholes who show up still keep betting against me. We’ve made a lot of money from these races. I always lookforward to them, but there’s no denying I’m even more excited for tonight’s race.
I look at Nyx, who’s finally woken up and is stretching her long legs out in front of her. “I just need to make sure I don’t fall off the cliff,” I tell her.
She comes over and licks my face before I get up to get her some food. I still have a couple of hours to kill, but Nyx has a way of making me forget my worries, and when she gives a happy bark and runs off wagging her tail, I feel all my nerves and impatience start to fall away.
I follow after her while I try to figure out a way to bring Damien here so he can meet her. I think the two of them would get along. I’m still thinking about all the photos I want to take of them together when my dad walks in and kisses the top of my head.
“Don’t forget your mom and I are going out later.” He grabs a drink and tosses me one of the bottled teas I like before adding, “We’ll probably go for a walk when we get back.”
It takes everything I have and then some to not cringe as my mind desperately fights against the images that try to assail it. I will never be able to forget what my brothers told me, no matter how hard I desperately try to. It doesn’t help that my dad is fighting a grin before he hides it by taking a drink.
Jesus Christ, my family is insane.
The only thing I can think to say is, “I won’t forget.”
He sets his drink down and then pets Nyx when she walks over for some affection. “What are your plans?”
I laugh and rest my hip against the island. “Oh, I don’t know. I was thinking I’d go pick up Yulia and drive into the city, maybe get something to eat or catch a movie.”
He lifts a brow at my playful sarcasm.
