Page 48 of Scarlet Secrets

Demyan’s tenderness and brutality are intrinsically linked. They were when we fucked, and they are now. The tenderness here is for Sasha, the brutality is aimed at me, and I drop my gaze first.

He just turns with Sasha and heads out.

Stumbling, I follow as a moment of panic flares. What if he takes him and leaves me, what?—

“Here.” The reluctance in his voice tugs at something deep inside.

Demyan stands at the open back door and gives me Sasha.

“Mama.” And I’m rewarded with a sleepy, tear-stained smile. His gaze drops to his baby goat. “Mine.”

I strap him in as he hugs the ratty thing, and then I tuck the blanket around him that Demyan dumped on the seat.

“Get in the fucking car, Erin.”

I do, because it’s my only option. He slams the door, then goes into the room. I don’t see what he does, but he’s tucking something away as he returns and gets into the car.

When we’re on the freeway, I ask for his phone.

He snorts and shakes his head. “Fuck no.”

“I need to call my friend.”

But he doesn’t answer, just punches a button on his phone, and a man answers. “Boss?”

“Ilya?”

There’s back and forth in Russian, started by Demyan. When he disconnects, he says, “Ms. Everton’s car is going to be picked up and returned to her. Ilya will explain you’re staying with a friend.”

Pressing my lips together, I nod. There’s no point in arguing over this. No point stating this Ilya’s got a fight on his hands when Kara hears that.

“She’ll call the cops.”

“No,” he says flatly, “she won’t.”

I shiver and turn back to look at Sasha, but he’s sleeping and I don’t miss the sudden grim set to his mouth as I do.

“What’s going on? I have a right to know now that you’ve dragged Sasha into it. He’s just a baby.”

He doesn’t answer, so I try another angle.

“Did you find Alina?”

That works. He nods. “She’s okay, I got her back. But you and our son are in danger?—”

I don’t miss the emphasis he places onour. “Because you grabbed us. No one knows.”

“I worked it out. Someone else will. And I won’t risk my child. I can protect him. And you.”

“We don’t need protection.”

“You do. As I fucking said, you’re in danger because I’m going after the men who killed Max, the men who kidnapped my sister. And when I do, when they find out what I’ve already done,” he says, sending a shiver of ice down my spine, “when they discover I’m going to destroy them all, they’ll most likely attempt revenge.”

My stomach churns, queasy and tender.

It sinks in. Down into my bones.

Sasha and I are in danger because we’ll be the obvious targets if we’re not already.

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