Page 43 of Solemn Vow

“Because Michael’s his uncle.” Viktor nods.

“Yeah. After Jimmy got pinched and sent away, Michael let me walk away so long as I never lifted another car again for anyone. He didn’t care about any of the low-level thieves working for him, barely knew any of their names, but he took an interest in me.”

“Why?” His chest puffs with his question, and I know it’s because his possessive side is fighting to come out. He’d rather rip out Michael’s throat than let him in the same room with me.

“My dad, I think. He did jobs for the Agosti family when he was sober enough. I guess he did something important once and Michael noticed. Michael made me promise him never to work for anyone but him.” A lifetime has passed since then even if it’s only been a few years.

“How did you come to work with him?”

“When Dad died and the Child Protective Services lady came to take me into custody, I ran, though I had nowhere to go. I didn’t have friends and the only person I knew who could maybehelp me was Michael. Dad was a mechanic. I worked at the same shop part-time so I’d met Michael a few times. I went to him just to find a job. I couldn’t keep working at that shop, so I figured he’d get me into another one. He offered me a place on one of his crews.”

He listens, really pays attention as I tell him, without a trace of pity in his eyes. This is the most I’ve shared about my past with anyone. Information is currency in the underworld, and I just handed him a bucket of cash.

“When’s the next time you have to meet Jimmy?” Just saying his name makes his face contort with irritation. His hands are tied on this, I’m sure. The Petrovs getting mixed up with business of the Agostis won’t end well if they just stick their noses in.

“Two weeks. He wants another two thousand. I’ll have about five hundred of it after this weekend. I got a last-minute job for a wedding. After rent and bills, I can probably get most of the rest.”

Calculating in my head, I’m coming up a few hundred short, and the magic savings box in the back of my closet is empty now.

“No more selling shit, understand?” He points a long finger at me.

“Viktor. I’m not taking money from you.”

He arches a brow. “If you think giving him the cash will get him off your back, then we’ll give him the cash. If you want to pay me back, pay me back. If you don’t want to, don’t. There’s no strings to my offer.”

“None? You’re just going to give me twenty grand and I can walk away?” A sinking feeling in my stomach hopes that’s not the case. But hasn’t that always been my downfall: having hope?

“You can walk away, but I’ll follow.” He lifts a shoulder. “That has nothing to do with the money.”

“I have no idea what to make of you,” I say, but it’s more to myself. When he says things like this, makes these sorts of gestures, it makes me think maybe belonging to him would be safe.

Maybe my heart wouldn’t be ripped out of my chest. Maybe for once, hope wouldn’t be the thing that kills me.

It’s disorienting.

“Who you see is who I am, Marlena.” His voice dips with his statement. “Take the money.”

“Let me think about it, all right?” It’s the most I can give him right now. There’s a lot at play, and I can’t be responsible for pulling the Petrov family into any sort of disputes with the Italian families. There’s also the enormity of owing Viktor that much money.

“A compromise,” I add when he doesn’t respond right away.

“Fine. But not too much time. Now enough about Jimmy and all that, we have something important to deal with now.”

“What’s that?” I’m almost afraid to ask after he made the comment about where I call home after dinner.

He straightens up to his full height, hooking his thumbs behind his belt.

“Your punishment for trying to sneak away this morning.”

Her pretty eyes widen.She couldn’t have thought I was going to forget about that, could she?

When I’ve been waiting all day to get my hands on her sweet ass?

No fucking way.

“You can’t be serious. Viktor, I know you teased me about that, but really.” She pushes her hands into the arms of the chair, like she’s going to spring up from it and make a run for the door.

She has no idea what the code on the elevator is; she’s not going anywhere.

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