Page 45 of Twisted Cage

My voice wobbles just a fraction, but I feel it and the way his eyes soften tells me he sure as hell hears it.

“No, you’ll have all the light you need, Pcholka,” he says quietly.

My heart pinches.

Don’t you dare make me feel anything for you, you bastard.

My throat grows impossibly thick as stupid girl tears I overpowered before come rushing back. Tears that won’t change one damn thing. Tears I absolutely refuse to give him. Fixing my gaze out the tinted window, I watch the Hudson disappear from view as the city rises up around us, swallowing us whole.

Konstantin makes a call, likely getting security clearance before our arrival. I take the opportunity to lean over and shake Faith awake.

“Hey, we’ll be there soon,” I whisper.

“Already?” she asks, pushing herself upright. Her focus goes straight to the babies. “I swear I just blinked.”

I give her a reassuring smile. Alex and Lexi’s safety is the one thing I’m sure about at the moment. They won’t remember a thing and one thing I know to my bones, these men, no matter how I feel about this world, about them—they will stand before the enemy and take a spray of bullets before they ever let anything happen to a child.

Faith turns in her seat to face me. “So, are we headed underground?” Her lips twitch and no doubt the details I told her of my night in the crypt with Konstantin plays in high def through her mind.

“No. This will be new to both of us.” Just as I say the words, Grigori slows and turns into a parking garage under a massive high-rise that has to be at least eighty stories. Concrete closes in around us. I wince, waiting for the sound of the roof scraping when we bounce over a bump, but Grigori winds his way through with confidence, and the sound never comes.

Around and around corners we go, winding down until we have to be at least three stories underground. My heart creeps up in my throat. I’m not convinced this is better than the dark hole Grigori prodded me down the last time.

He pulls to a smooth stop in front of a set of elevator doors. When they slide open, six men, almost as big as Konstantin, step out. Not an easy feat since he is over six and half feet tall. Clearly, Nikolaj made impressive progress in building his empire and army while I’ve been gone.

Lining up shoulder to shoulder, three on the right, three on the left, they form a corridor of sorts from the car to the doors. Not a sliver of a gap to be found. Their shrewd eyes endlessly sweep the area around us.

Konstantin climbs out, his eyes narrowed, his jaw locked. Tension rolls off him, turbulent and stifling, serving as a wordless warning. We aren’t safe. Not yet.

He opens the door and motions for us to exit.

“We just need to unhitch their seats,” Faith says.

He reaches out his hand to Faith. “Babies last. They’re safer in the vehicle than they are out here while you climb out.”

Her inner hussy surrenders to the gesture. Next thing I know, she lays her palm in his and steps out all regal and shit with a smile on her face.

Charming bastard.

“Once you’re both in the elevator, I’ll pass them to you,” he says as he reaches for me.

Instinct has me complying, but I freeze, my fingers just inches from his. “Don’t touch me.”

The muscle in his cheek jumps, but he doesn’t push.

Hands braced on the doorframe for support, I jump out and turn to help with the car seats.

“Elevator, Pcholka,” he bites out, popping Lexi’s carry seat from the base before reaching back to do the same with Alex. “I’ve got it.”

“How do you know how to?—”

“You seriously have to ask that?” he tosses back at me with a smirk.

Apparently, he’s used up all the charm on Faith, leaving me with this prick. Good to know. His attitude douses any thawing my heart may have done when he reassured me I wouldn’t be trapped in the dark.

Sarcasm, a language I understand well, is exactly what I need to cling to right now. I huff out a breath. “Oh, shut up.”

Dark eyebrows slash over his eyes in the way that makes me itch to land another punch. “Ass in the elevator. Now.”

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