Page 41 of His Dark Pull

I hesitate,mygaze flickering to Mendel, who stands silently by the door.

“Please, Ava,” Alexander begs, taking my handin his. “I can’t bear the thought of losing you again.”

“Only if you tell me the truth,” I say, narrowing my eyes. “I need you to be honest with me. Promise me you’ll answer every question I have. I need to know, Alexander. Then, and only then, will I let you protect me.”

He squeezes my hand. “I’ll try,” he whispers. “Please, come sit with me.”

He leads me to the plush sofa, its soft cushions enveloping me.

“Why are you involved with the Veles Network?” I ask him without hesitation. “Why do you have to do this? If it’s dangerous, then why?”

He sighs, a heavy sound. “My childhood—” he begins, his voice raw. “My father was in prison. The police came and dragged him away in the middle of the night. My saviors and my doom they were. There were no more beatings, but also no more food on the table once my father was gone.”

He then pauses, his jawclenching as if he’sstruggling with the memories.

“And your mother?” I ask, my heart aching for the young boy he once was.

“My mother—.” he pauses, his voice cracking as if the words are shards of glass tearing at his throat. “She was lost after my father was gone. Drugs— they took hold of her, consumed her.Michelle and I—wewere alone, just kids trying to survive on the streets, fending for ourselves in a world that didn’t care.”

I reach out, my fingers intertwining with his.

“It was Kovacs who found us one night, you know, on the streets,” he continues, his voice a low murmur, as if sharing a secret he’s kept buried for far too long.“He offered us a roof over our heads, food on the table—in exchange for favors, of course.But back then, it felt like a lifeline, a chance to escape the coldand hunger, theconstant fear.”

“So you joined them?” I tilt my head to the side. “Doing what?”

“Crime, robberies, theft. You name it, I did it,” he says as he runs his fingers through the rough stubbles on his chin.

He looks older and more worn.

His eyes meet mine. “I owe him everything, Ava. He saved our lives.”

I squeeze his hand. “Saved your lives?” I echo.

“We were just kids, Ava,” he saysand looksdown.“We had nowhere to go, no one to turn to. I had to take care of Michelle and protect her. The streets—- they weren’t kind.”

“But getting involved with crime, Alexander?” I ask. “Was that a better solution? You could have been killed or imprisoned.”

He looks away, his shoulders slumping. “I had no choice,” he admits.

“Fuckin’ Kovacs.”

Alexander looks up, widening his eyes. “What?”

“Well, he’s a fucked up fucker, that’s what he is.”

“Since when do you talk like that?” He smiles for a moment, then it fades.

“Since he screwed you over.”

Alexander doesn’t speak. He just nods and stares ahead.

“Where is Michelle now?” I ask. “Are they threatening her?”

He nods, his fists clenching. “They’re threateningher, you—everyone I care about. That’s why I need you safe, Ava. That’s why I had Mendel follow you, why I—” he trails off.

“Kovacs came to see me at the office,” I confess. The memory of his cold eyes and veiled threats makes me nauseous. “He told me to stay away from you. Said I was messing things up, putting you in danger.” I hesitate, a new suspicion forming in my mind. “Do you think Volkov put him up to it?”

Alexander’s eyes meet mine, a flicker of something akin to amusement battling the shadows of his past. “You do mess things up,” he admits, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. “All I can do is think about you, day and night. You consume me, Ava. You are everything.”

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