Page 102 of The Grief We Hold

Wraith takes the phone from my hand. “You gave your wife and kid nothing, you fuck. Left them alone to pay for your sins. What kind of man does that to his family? Get the fuck out of here and leave Raven alone.”

I lean my ear close to the phone, and Wraith tilts it a little so we can both hear.

“Who am I talking to?” Marco asks.

“Name doesn’t matter,” Wraith says. “What do you want with Raven?”

There’s a pause. “Put her back on.”

“He doesn’t know where I am,” I whisper to Wraith.

Wraith runs a finger over the frown lines on my forehead. “Not gonna do that, Marco.”

“Where is she?” he asks.

“In bed with me,” Wraith answers unhelpfully. “You got something to say to her, you say it through me.”

Wraith strokes a hand along my hair, and I lean into it.

“You’ve got some fucking nerve sleeping with my wife,” Marco yells.

“Axel,” I plead quietly. “Don’t make it worse.”

“Somebody had to, seeing you weren’t around to do it. And she’s your ex-wife,” Wraith says.

“Not yet.” Marco’s staccato response snaps through the line.

“But the fact she wants rid of you is enough for me. She isn’t coming back to you. She isn’t helping you with anything. And she sure as shit doesn’t need to speak with you in the middle of the night.”

“So, she’s on the West Coast somewhere, because it’s early morning here.”

“Shit,” I mutter beneath my breath, though I know he’s guessed wrong. I’m not on the West Coast. And this country is so huge, he’s still no closer to finding me.

But a band tightens around my chest.

“Tell you where she’s not,” Wraith says. “She’s not with you anymore. And you asked who I am. I’m someone you don’t want to mess with. Because those Russian fucks on your ass? I’mtheirnightmare. They sleep with one eye open because of me. You do not want me as your enemy. Don’t dial this number again.” Wraith hangs up before switching my phone off. “That fucker been bothering you?”

He opens his arms so I can curl up against his chest. “When I decided to run with Fen, I opened the safe that usually kept cash, passports, and some of my more expensive jewelry, but it had been emptied. Only things like mine and Fen’s passports were left behind. But there was a second safe I didn’t know about. Onehidden in his closet. He thought I was still in the house, and he needs everything that’s in there.”

Wraith strokes the side of my head, gently. “If he’s up against the Bratva, he’s out of his league. Where is he?”

“New York. At least that’s what he said the last time he called.”

Soft lips plant a kiss at my temple. “In the morning, we’ll block him from contacting you. But for now, we need to get back to sleep.”

I sigh. “I’m not sure I’m going to be able to.”

“You want comfort or a distraction right now?”

I glance up at him. “I might need examples to choose.”

Wraith leans closer to my ear to whisper, “Comfort is cuddling and shit. I hold you until you feel safe enough to sleep. Distraction is me guiding your head to my cock so you can suck me off and get familiar with my piercing.”

I go to answer, but Wraith puts his finger over my lips. “I’m gonna give you twenty seconds to think about it.”

“Why?”

“Strikes me you haven’t been getting what you need from your man. And now you’re going to bring that shit to our bed. You’re gonna think about what you should do instead of what you want to do. You’re gonna think you should say yes to sex, even when you don’t feel like it. So, I want you to just sit here, in my arms, and think about what you want. I’ll tell you when I want an answer.”

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