Page 42 of His Dark Pull

Warmth blooms in my chest, a spark of hope amidst the darkness. “So, Kovacs is involved with theVeles Network? Mafia? Organized crime?” I ask.

I need to be sure.Henods, confirming my worst fears.

“And you—are you involved with them, too?” I question, already knowing the answer but needing to hear him say it.

He nods again, his hand reaching out to take mine. I pull away, my mind reeling.

“Ava, I understand if you’re scared,” he says, his voice soft and soothing. “But I need you to understand that I’m doing what I have to do to protect you and Michelle. I owe Kovacs a lot, and I can’t just turn my back on him.”

“But at what cost, Alexander? What happens if you get caught?”

“I won’t,” he replies confidently, though I can see a flicker of doubt in his eyes. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I know what I’m doing.”

“Do you know that Harvey is hot on your trail?” I press. “They suspect you. This can’t last forever.”

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, and I turn away, unable to bear the sight of his pain, the knowledge that he’s trapped in a life he can’t escape.

“Ava,” he says. “I know this is a lot to take in, but please— don’t leave. I need you. I care about you. I’ll do anything to keep you safe.”

I stand there, frozen. My breath hitches, a cold knot tightening in my stomach. The room seems to spin. One part of me, the part that craveshistouch, wants to throw my arms aroundhimand never let go. But another part screams warnings.Can I really love a man entangled in this darkness?Itake astep back, needing distance between us, to break the magnetic pull. My life, my heart, will never be the same.

He reaches for my hand again, and this time, I don’t pull away, letting our fingers intertwine, his calloused skin contrasting with myownsoftness. Just my hand, I tell myself, a silent plea to maintain some semblance of control.Not my heart. Not my soul.

His grip tightens, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. I feel a tear escape and slide down my cheek. His confession, the knowledge of his past, threatening to crush me.When I try to pull away, his fingers cling to mine, his eyes reflecting hurt.

He finally releases me, his hand dropping to his side as he leans back against the plush cushions of the sofa, his shoulders slumping.

“Ava,” he begins, his voice a low, soothing rumble. “I know this is a lot to take in. I’ve been paying back Kovacs for a long timenow, and it’s time to end it. But I need to finish what I started. Please, just be patient with me.”

The pain in his voice is raw, a vulnerability that tears at my heart. “Alexander,” I whisper, unable to meet his gaze. “I don’t know what to say. I just—I can’t be with someonewho’sinvolved with all of this.”

This is so far from my world. Far from everything that is safe, that is good. My mom – she would have worried about me had she been alive.

“Please, I’m trying to get out, Ava,” he said, his voice raw.“I’ve been saving every penny, every dollarI can get my hands on.I want to buy us a new life, somewhere far away, where the Veles Network can’t touch us. A place where we can finally be free.”

I push myself up from the couch, feeling nauseous as I take a step back, putting distance between us. “I can’t.”

“Ava,” he says, his voice strained. “I know this is a lot. And if you want out— I get it. But please, just— just let Mendel stay close. Kovacs—he won’t hesitate. Not with you. Not with Michelle.”

Will he kill me? The thought echoes in the silence of my mind.

We sitin silencefor a long moment, both of us lost in ourownthoughts.

“I need to go,” I say, the words tasting like ashes on my tongue.

Alexander stands up, his eyes filled with sadness. “Ava, please,” he pleads, reaching out to me, his touch a ghost of the intimacy we had once shared.

I shake my head, tears streaming down my face as Itake astep back, putting an even greater distance between us. “I can’t, Alexander,” I choke out, the words tearing at my heart. “I just can’t.”

“I understand,” he says, his ice-blue eyes holding a depth of painthat threatensto pull me back into his orbit. “I’ll leave town then. Maybe that will put you out of harm’s way.”

I look down at my trembling hands, unable to meet his gaze. “Do what you have to do,” I whisper.

And with that, I turn and walk away, my heart a shattered mess as I leave behind the man who has both broken and mended it, the man who is both my tormentor and my savior.

Chapter 13

The Friend Apologizes

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