Page 61 of Caged

His eyes meet mine and his face softens. The panic that was there a moment a-go subsides now that he has her safely in his arms.

“I can go.” I motion to the door.

He shakes his head at the same time Elena’s croaky voice says “no.”

I swallow the lump in my throat.

“How about we go sleep in my bed? How does that sound princess?”

She nods and nuzzles herself against his bare chest, and I stand up. Nikolai carries Elena in his arms, but as I reach the door, his hand encircles my wrist.

“And you.” He pauses and my heart almost beats out of my chest. “Please.”

I nod and he laces his fingers through mine, guiding us back to his room. Settling Elena in the center of the enormous bed, we get in on either side of her.

It would almost to the outside world look like a family.

TWENTY-TWO

NIKOLAI

I swear my heart almost stopped when I heard Elena’s screams. It’s been a long time since she’s had a night terror. She has seemed so happy recently. I wonder what is going on in that brain of hers.

I’ll do anything to protect her.

And it seems, so will Melissa.

Seeing her there, comforting my little girl in her moment of need, threw out the last of my resolve.

Whatever I was battling in my head earlier has gone. It isn’t an argument.

My wife is no longer here. I can’t change that. I can only do what is right by my daughter. And follow my own heart.

Which will lead me straight to the woman in my bed.

As Elena drifts back off into a peaceful sleep as I lightly stroke her forehead. I carefully slide my arm above Elena’s, allowing me to run my fingers through Melissa’s hair.

“Thank you for going to her.”

“You don’t need to thank me. I didn’t want to overstep, but I was awake, and, I-I know what she’s going through.”

Immediately, that has fire running through my veins.

What happened to her to cause that and how can I fix it?

“Get some sleep, vedmochka.”

She settles against the pillow and my mind races. If I am going to give my heart to a woman, it can only be one who would love Elena like her own.

I can see it in her. She does.

Enzo traces a tattoo on the back of his hand absentmindedly as he flips through his phone. “Almost, just a minute.” He doesn’t look up when he speaks to me.

If I was the jittery type, my knee would be bouncing.

I can’t stop thinking about Melissa. The fact that I can’t run back to the house and bury myself in her is starting to irritate me.

I can push her further. I know it. I could see it in her eyes, she craves more.

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