Page 12 of Twisted Vows

It happened so quickly that we couldn't intercede in time. The man grabbed Nika, using her as a shield. She dropped the tray of drinks, and they fell to the floor with a clatter, splashing hot coffee everywhere, but I barely noticed when some struck my cheek. I was too focused on the scene before us. “Let her go,” I said in a voice thick with anger and fear I couldn't quite hide

In an instant, Malachi rushed forward, his body coiled like a predator poised to strike. A low growl rumbled in his throat as the Armenian pulled out a knife, clearly planning to bring it to Nika’s throat.

The man was sweating heavily. Nika was obviously frightened, but she was also handling it with equanimity. She stood calmly, her gaze alternating between me and Malachi, and she looked unrattled.

Malachi looked at me as a silent strategy passed between us. With a nod, I circled around to flank the man from the other side.

Nika’s eyes widened as she watched my movements; the man holding her tightened his grip, making her gasp slightly, but. even in that moment of tension, she held her ground, her chin tilted defiantly.

The man’s movements grew more erratic, his hands flailing wildly. In a blur of motion, Malachi seized his wrists, his grip like iron as he subdued the man with a practiced ease that spoke of years of training. I took him down from the back, hitting him in the knees and snatching Nika from his grasp as the he fell.

As the commotion subsided, Malachi looked at me. With a slight incline of my head, I signaled my agreement that we should send for our people to remove him from this place and turn him over to the interrogators.

As Malachi forced the man to his feet, still holding his wrists behind his back, Nika’s voice cut through the charged silence, sounding shaky, but she didn't appear overwhelmed. “What’s going on? Who is that man?”

Malachi’s jaw tightened, his expression guarded as he weighed his response. “It’s best you don’t ask too many questions,” he said, his voice low and tinged with a hint of regret.

Her brow furrowed, a spark of defiance flickering in her eyes. “After he grabbed me, I deserve some answers.”

A heavy silence hung in the air, the weight of her words settling upon us like a tangible force. I saw the conflict raging within him. Like me, he wanted to shield Nika from the harsh realities of our world, but we both knew ignorance could prove just as perilous.

Clearing my throat, I stepped forward, my expression carefully schooled into a mask of neutrality. “All you need to know is he didn't target you for any other reason than opportunity to create a human shield. You're in no danger. Nothing else concerns you.”

Her eyes narrowed, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she regarded me with a mixture of frustration and intrigue. “This does concern me,” she insisted, her voice tinged with a hint of steel. “It felt pretty personal when that knife was against my neck.”

I nodded. “I'm sure, but for your own safety, it’s best if you don’t pry too deeply into this. You're in no danger as long as you keep your distance.” It was painful to tell her that, because I was giving her instructions to keep away from us.

Malachi’s jaw clenched, his muscles tensing as he struggled to maintain his composure. “Rurik is right. The less you know, the better.”

A heavy silence descended upon us, the air thick with unspoken tensions and unresolved questions. Nika’s gaze flickered between us, myriad emotions playing across her delicate features.

As we exited Jitter Beans, dragging the man with us to the alleyway until a team could pick him up, I was acutely aware of the weight of Malachi’s stare. His eyes bored into me, a silent challenge simmering beneath the surface. “You’re treading on thin ice, my friend,” I said, my voice low and laced with a hint of warning. Malachi’s brow furrowed, his piercing gaze meeting mine with a defiant glint.

“And what, pray tell, are you implying?” His tone carried an edge, a subtle challenge that hinted at the simmering tension beneath the surface.

“Nika,” I said simply, letting the weight of her name hang in the air between us.

Malachi’s jaw tightened, his broad shoulders squaring as if bracing for a confrontation. “Should I have just let her be hurt to keep this scumbag from coming for us?” He shook the man roughly in emphasis.

“Nyet, but you’re getting too close.” I shook my head. “Getting deeper entangled with Nika means bringing her into our world. Is that a risk you wanna take?”

A humorless chuckle rumbled from deep within his chest as he evaded my question. “Is that what this is about? You think I’ve developed some sort of schoolboy crush?”

The accusation hung between us, and I was momentarily at a loss for words. Malachi’s gaze bore into me, his expression a mixture of defiance and something else I couldn’t quite put my finger on.

“Haven’t you?” I asked, my tone laced with a hint of challenge.

Malachi’s lips curved into a wry smirk, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes that betrayed his bravado. “Don’t be ridiculous,” he scoffed, but the words lacked their usual conviction.

“You're putting her in danger.” Yet, even as I acknowledged the risks, a part of me empathized with the allure that Nika exerted. Everything about her made me yearn for something more than the constant cycle of violence and retribution that defined our existence.

“You’re one to talk,” Malachi countered, his voice low and laced with a hint of accusation. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed the way you look at her.”

A tense silence stretched between us, punctuated only by the Armenian’s soft grunts and occasional feeble attempt to escape Malachi. I had no response, because what could I say? He was right.

For a fleeting moment, my mind conjured the image of Nika’s radiant smile. Warmth blossomed in my chest, a sensation that was both exhilarating and terrifying in its intensity. Swallowing hard, I met Malachi’s gaze once more, my expression a carefully constructed mask of impassivity. “Which is precisely why I’m distancing myself from her,” I said, my voice low and resolute.

Malachi’s brow furrowed, a flicker of surprise flickering across his rugged features. “You can’t be serious.”

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