Page 17 of Her Silver Fox Mountain Men

“Remember what I told you, Mike?”

A heavy sigh leaves his lips. “That if I close my eyes, you’ll be here with me. Always.”

“That’s right.” I pause for a moment. “What were Lev and Andrei arguing about?”

“Oh, you heard that?”

“Lev can be loud,” I say with a laugh.

Mike scoffs. “Yeah, he’s mad at Igor for being away so much, looking for you. It’s taking a toll on the whole family. Andrei says Kara is worried that Igor’s not going about it in the right way, that he wants to hurt you.”

“She said that?” I gasp.

“Nobody believes her,” Mike says. “That’s insane. Igor loves you, he’d never—”

“Mike,” I cut him off. “Don’t. Please, we’ve had this conversation.”

“He thinks you’re cheating on him. That you ran off with some dude. Is that true?”

I can hear anger in his voice. “No, of course not. I left because it was safer for me to get away from there, away from Igor, in particular. Mike, they’re not… he’s not who you think he is.”

“Why won’t you tell me everything?”

“Because you won’t believe me. I already tried, remember?”

Heavy silence falls between us. It’s nothing new. The sound of utter nothingness, of my younger brother being too infatuated with his older brother-in-law, the man we grew up with. Igor could do no harm in his mind. I can’t really blame Mike for choosing to believe him over me. Igor played his cards right as soon as he sniffed me out, as soon as he realized that I knew the truth. I didn’t even see it coming, the covert campaign he built against me. By the time I tried to speak up, it was too late.

“I’m glad you’re okay,” I tell my brother. “I’ll call you again sometime next week. Maybe we’ll have more than a few minutes to spare. You should go back now. I don’t want them asking questions.”

“Alright. Elise, wherever you are, please tell me—”

“I’m good. I swear. Remember, if you need me, just post—”

“Post on that Reddit thread. I know.”

“I check it every evening. Please, stay safe.”

“I am safe.”

Right. I’m the one who isn’t.

“I love you, little brother.”

“Love you, too.”

Once I hang up, I let it all out, crying my soul into my hands. A year’s worth of pain and longing unravels as I briefly wonder if I did the right thing leaving him there. He doesn’t know the truth. They’re all aware that I never told him anything. I made a point of that in the note I placed on Igor’s pillows.

It was a calculated risk, but it was for the best. Lev loves Mike deeply and Igor would never hurt him. I can’t protect Mike and myself while on the run from Igor.

It’s me that Igor wants, anyway.

8

Elise

It’s been a week since I moved into James’s house.

A week since my quiet life hiding out in the Rocky Mountains was turned upside down and unexpectedly filled with a handful of wonderful people. Every morning, I have coffee and breakfast with James, Oliver, Roman, and the twins, and every morning, I realize there’s so much that I’ve been missing out on.

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