Page 52 of Solemn Vow

“What?” I look down at how close I’ve gotten, I’m practically in his lap already. “Oh, sorry.” He holds me in place.

“No apologies. Stay here.” He taps my cards. “But you have to play a card or Sergei is going to get even grumpier.”

I play a card without looking and lose of course.

“Too bad,” Pavel says as he tips his glass and dumps the last of his drink down his throat.

I grab the cards. There’s no chance I’ll win this game.

I attack Viktor who can’t defend against the club I threw down. “Why didn’t you use that against Sergei, then you could have attacked me with that king in your hand.”

“You’re looking at her cards?” Pavel accuses with a laugh. “If she was winning, I’d accuse you of cheating.”

Viktor responds in Russian, so I don’t understand it, but I understand the tone. Pavel shrugs it off easily.

“And I win.” Andrei tosses down his last card and sits back in his chair. “Isolde, I won.” He looks over his shoulder to where Izzy has relocated on the couch with her book in her lap.

“Yay,” she pretends to cheer with a fist pump then turns the page of her textbook. Andrei lifts an eyebrow at me when I laugh.

“She’s not much of a card game person.” I say, tossing my cards onto the table to be swept up with the bunch.

“Durak is not for everyone.” Pavel gets up from the table, pulling out his phone. He takes a look at the screen and curses, then rants in Russian.

There’s a heated discussion, but I can’t tell who’s mad. It’s not a delicate language, and when they all start talking at once, it sounds angry. But they all look calm.

Pavel waves a hand in the air with his statement, and I push back from the table so fast, the chair falls out from beneath me and I crash to the floor.

“Marlena!” Viktor is the first to react, squatting down at my side. Izzy rushes to me as I try to get up from the chair.

“I’m fine.” I wave away Viktor’s hands, but I’m no match for him. He gets his paws on my arms and simply lifts me from the floor and puts me back on my feet. Instantly, he starts looking me over.

“Are you hurt? What the hell happened?” he barks, lifting my chin and moving my head from one side to the other.

“I fell out of a chair, not a car, I’m fine,” I try to explain, but he’s too busy feeling around the back of my head. It occurs to me all the men have stopped talking and all eyes are on me and Viktor. My cheeks heat at all the attention.

“She’s not injured,” Viktor announces.

“Pavel, take care of the situation,” Andrei orders with a jerk of his head toward the door. Pavel nods and heads out, his phone already to his ear before he gets into the hallway.

“I have to deal with something quickly, then we’ll go home.” Viktor’s brow creases with something like guilt.

“It’s fine, Viktor. I’m okay.” I touch his cheek. “Really, it was just a stupid accident. I moved too fast, and the chair didn’t keep up. That’s all.”

His lips pinch. “Something upset you. When we get home, you’ll tell me.” He picks up the chair then joins Sergei and Andrei.

“Seriously, you okay?” Izzy asks when the men have left us alone.

I rub the back of my head. There’s a tender spot but no bump. Thank god, otherwise Viktor would have me down at the hospital getting MRIs and brain scans most likely.

The man really is overbearing.

“Yeah.” I nod.

“What made you jerk back like that? Was it something they were saying?”

“No, nothing. I was just going too fast.” I grab my jacket from where I’d left it on the couch and stuff my arms in the sleeves. “He’s never going to let me go home tonight, is he?”

She laughs. “I really doubt it. Any excuse to keep you in his place, he’ll use it. Is it really so terrible, having a man who cares about you? That wants to be sure you’re safe?”

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