Page 4 of Solemn Vow

“The easy way or the hard way?”

“You’re an ass.A whole and complete ass, you know that, right?” Marlena seethes in the elevator with me as it glides up to Andrei’s apartment.

I stare down at the back of her pretty head. She trimmed her hair again; it’s clipped sharp at her chin.

It would be so easy to slide my hand up her neck into her hair and fist the short tresses, pulling her back into me so she can feel my body pressed hard against hers.

The elevator comes to a stop, and the doors open. My fantasy crumbles.

“You’re welcome for the ride,” I say as we enter the apartment, and she stalks straight to Izzy standing at the foot of the stairs waiting with a warm smile.

Without looking back, Marlena raises her right hand and lifts her middle finger in my direction.

“I didn’t need or want it,” she says.

“Marlena.” Izzy frowns. “I asked him to pick you up.”

I could have told her that to dampen the fire, but the flames were too beautiful to put out.

Marlena turns halfway to me with her lips thinned. “I didn’t realize that.”

I lift a shoulder, waiting for an apology.

“You should have told me that instead of threatening me.” She continues to confront me.

What fun would there have been in that? Marlena Schmitt has a hard shell covering her entire soul. Spikes cover her armor, but I’m resilient. I’ll break through eventually.

“He threatened you?” Andrei questions, popping up from behind me.

“She made me chase her,” I answer without looking back at him. He’ll understand the frustration of my situation.

“Oh.” He steps forward. “Sergei is here, we need to talk.”

“Yes. Go to your corner of the apartment, and we’ll go to ours.” Marlena smiles, folding her arms over her chest.

“Let me know when you’re ready to go home,” I say.

“I can get there myself,” she sighs.

“Let me know.” I turn on my heel and head to Andrei’s office with him. If Sergei’s here on a Friday night and it’s not to play cards, there’s trouble.

“I see you’ve made no headway in that department.” Andrei slaps my back as he passes me on his way to his desk.

“She hasn’t threatened to call the police today. That’s progress,” I point out, shucking out of my jacket.

“That’s only because Izzy explained the police looking at you means the police looking at us, and it would be a bad look.” Andrei pushes back in his chair.

“If she doesn’t want you, leave her be. Don’t chase a woman.” Sergei points his finger at me from where he’s lounging on the leather couch.

“There are plenty of women in this city, and if not here, we try New York, Los Angeles, Miami. Anywhere in the world.” Sergei waggles his dark eyebrows.

“I’m not chasing,” I argue. “I’m patiently waiting for her to come to her senses.”

Andrei laughs. “She’s pretty set on her decision to stay away from any sort of relationship.”

“Not true. She went on a date not long ago.” Some jerkoff from a coffee shop she frequents. Lucky for him, she wasn’t taken by him and only saw him the one night. Even luckier for him, he hadn’t put his hands on her.

“A date and a relationship are two different things. And you don’t want to go on a date with Marlena,” Andrei points out. “You want her. I can see it with the way you look at her, but I’m telling you, Viktor. You can’t force that one. She will only rebel harder.”

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