Page 34 of Shielded Secrets

“Maybe she’s seen someone killed before,” Vik guessed, shrugging. “If she had a hard life, it’s possible.”

I nodded. “I hate that, though. She never deserved that kind of a childhood.” My heart hurt at the thought she’d been desperate for someone to count on all her life. Now that I could be there for her, I wanted her to accept me. I wanted her to trust me, hopefully to the point that she’d tell me whatever secret she was hiding.

“I could only hope that whatever secret lurks in her past isn’t something that would impact our futures.” I ran my hand through my hair, annoyed with this worry being an obstacle to having—and keeping—Kelly in my life. I’d finally reunited with her. I’d finally had a chance to show her how I felt about her. I’d finally taken the risk to love her and pleasure her. And nowsomething could threaten us from moving forward. Whether it was the danger of her working for the family as a spy or her keeping a secret from me and being skittish, it didn’t look like this would be smooth sailing between us.

“But how could it?” Lev asked. “We ran a check on her when we got to campus for Eva’s classes.”

We had. We’d also run background checks on the profs and faculty she’d be near. That was the thorough kind of care we had to use for all members of the Family, but especially those at the top of the organization.

“You didn’t see anything that would hint at her being associated with any enemies?” Vik asked.

“No.” Lev shook his head.

“We saw that her biological parents were addicts, but they died years ago, when she was still in the system,” I replied.

They both looked at me expectantly, letting me know that if I wanted to keep her close and protect her, I’d need to get her to open up.

I would. But I had to approach the mystery surrounding her with caution.

I’d already spent far too long away from her. And I didn’t want to risk losing her or missing her again.

No matter what the secrets were that she hid from the world, I wanted her in my future. I didn’t need any more time to know that. I felt the depth of our connection every time she allowed herself the vulnerability to look into my eyes and allow me to see that she cared for me, too.

15

KELLY

Eva and Irina showed me the kitchen and we made coffee after our chat. This wasn’t anywhere near the amount of coffee I would’ve normally had by now. On a normal day, I was three cups in by this hour. Nothing was normal about being here, though. Surrounded by state-of-the-art appliances, stainless-steel surfaces, and so much room it surpassed the total square footage of my apartment, it was as though Rurik had saved me and whisked me away to another dimension, one full of expensive things and immaculate cleanliness, not a hint of poverty in sight.

I stared at the dark brew before sipping it, savoring both the aromatic steam wafting up to me and the warmth of the cup in my hands.

This was a far cry from the crappy coffee I had at my place, the cheap ground beans and flimsy dollar-store thermos mug. And standing around while Eva talked about wedding plans was nothing like the hectic mornings I was used to, where I didn’t have the downtime to stand around idly and merely catch mybreath. By now, I would’ve gone from one class to another, then rushed to something else.

Spring break would start after this weekend, but still, I’d be busy. Without classes to fill my days, I’d pick up more shifts at the bar and work extra in the admin office.

Ugh. The admin building…

I didn’t even want to think about that place right now, not with the “suggestion” from Oleg Baranov hanging over my head about it. What he’d so casually said was a lot like what that other student worker seemed capable of doing, spying and snooping with access on the computers. Oleg wanted me to go further than that and actively seek out information about Marcus James and Eric Benson, and that felt like committing a crime.

But that’s nothing new. I’ve already done worse than snooping and eavesdropping…

“Kelly?” Eva asked, noticing that I was zoning out. “Are you all right?”

I nodded. I would be. It seemed so silly to be dramatic and undecided while I was here as a guest. Like Irina had challenged me to consider, what was the worst that could happen? I could be pampered here and never have to worry about a thing. But was it worth the sacrifice of my independence? The dream that got me through all the bad days was the hope that one day, I’d be able to control my fate, that I could work hard, earn and save up, and know that all the good I had in the world was due to me and my determination. I wanted to be successful in my own right, to provide for myself when no one else wanted to. Here, I would be provided for in ways I could only dream of. Rurik couldspoil me rotten if I let him, and that hovered as a looming threat I couldn’t analyze.

“There you are,” Rurik said, entering the room. He saved me from having to answer Eva or try to explain why I felt—and likely looked—so bewildered.

I sighed at the sight of him approaching me, and when he reached out to hug me, I sought the now-familiar warmth of his body to sink against him.

“Have they been overwhelming you?” he teased.

Eva sighed heavily. “How could I be overwhelming her?”

Rurik pointed at the counter. “Based on the number of bridal magazines and planners you have spread out there, a lot.”

“Oh, be quiet.” Eva rolled her eyes at Irina laughing lightly as she left the room.

Before she was gone, she turned and pointed at me. “You think about what we talked about, huh?”

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