Page 80 of Runaway Queen

“You know how important a pinky swear is.”

I nodded solemnly. “Yes, I remember.”

“Do you pinky swear that you won’t ever leave us again?”

“I swear.” I took his tiny finger and shook it. His hand was small next to my large, tattooed one.

“Also, you’ll teach me how to skate? You didn’t forget?”

“I didn’t forget.”

A clatter overhead announced Sofia had gotten up. Leo squealed.

“She’s up too quick. She’s going to ruin the surprise!”

“You go and stall her, I’ll cook these.”

Leo nodded solemnly. “Good plan.”

Then he turned on his little dinosaur slippers and disappeared up the stairs, leaving me with the half-made batter and a heart that felt too big for my damn chest.

Two minutes later,Sofia strolled into the kitchen. She wore an oversized t-shirt, her feet were bare, and her short hair was like a puffball around her face. I couldn’t stop staring.

“Wow, Leo was telling the truth. You’re really cooking.”

“I’ve fed you plenty of times, if you care to recall.” I caged her against the counter and kissed her neck.

“Yet I’ve never seen you cook.” She looked up at me steadily. “How did the tests go last night? We didn’t get to speak.”

That’s right. We didn’t get to speak because as soon as the guests left and Leo was in bed, I tugged Sofia into her room, locked the door, and fell on her.

I’d lost count of the number of times I came hard inside her, our bodies sticking together with sweat and juices.

“They went well. Though with the way you wore me out last night, I need to go back in to replenish vital fluids.”

“Nikolai,” she breathed out, exasperated. “Can’t you be serious for a second?”

“I’m being serious, very, very serious. I’ll see to Leo’s problem, one way or another. Nothing is more serious to me. I am also very serious about getting to the bottom of something.”

I had the ring off her finger before she could stop me. I turned it, holding it up to the light. Sofia made an attempt to grab it, and I pinned her hands behind me.

There it was, in the smallest cursive, engraved on the inside.

Nikolai Chernov

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That you’ve always been waiting for me?”

Sofia was silent for a long moment and then shrugged. “I guess I didn’t know how.”

“I would have gone easier on you.” I thought back to chasing her through the woods and pinning her to the ground, fucking her with her own knife, and locking her in the coffin.

“Would you really?” She raised an eyebrow at me.

“I don’t know.” It was an honest answer. “The demons inside aren’t easily placated. They wanted a blood sacrifice.”

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