Page 112 of Vulnerate

The sun has been upfor hours when Dani’s lashes flutter and she lets out a groan of pain. Kissing her temple, I keep my voice low not wanting to wake Viktor on my other side.

“It’s okay rodnaya, I’ve got you.”

She lifts her head and can’t meet my eyes. Her face falls as she looks across my chest and tears fill her eyes at the angry red mark on his face.I want her to look at me, for those pretty brown eyes to suck me in and see them come alive. But she stares into space and croaks out, “I need a shower.”

Sliding out from under Viktor’s head, I pick her up and ignore the crinkling sound of the dressings on her back. She doesn’t wrap her legs around my waist or hold on to my neck, she simply places her hands on my shoulders.

I set her on her feet in front of the sink, she’s still avoiding my eyes as she fidgets looking at her feet. The weird guilty expression on her face is pissing me off and I stand back, leaving the door open enough so that I can hear if Viktor wakes up.

“I need to pee.”

Her dismissal doesn’t work as I cross my arms over my chest and lean against the wall.

My Dani only gets nervous when she’s scared, this bullshit isn’t due to fear. She knows she’s safe with me. When she doesn’t move I try to get her attitude back.

“Need me to wipe your ass or something?”

I would without a second thought, but she doesn’t need to know the depths of how much control she has over me.

A little flicker of fire comes back, and she points to the door being my stubborn artist. “How about privacy?”

My phone buzzes as I shake my head. I’ll give her privacy by looking down but I’m not leaving. Rian’s message sits above my father’s, the one I’ll continue to ignore.

Dani runs the water and grabs a towel to hide behind like peeing is embarrassing.

Rian Court:

Heard a rumour that hell has its master back

I was thinking about buying a bike, found a shop if you or Vitali want to tag along for a test drive

No one should know about Vlad, other than the people in this house and my father’s message follows the same topic as I translate it.

Fucking prick. Vlad raised his kids for him and the first reaction to his first child’s death is to call him weak. Before I can formulate an excuse another message comes through from Rian.

Every violent fuck is going to be pledging their help for destruction, but I get the details knowing it will make life bearable if I focus on other people’s pain rather than my own. Seeing it in Dani’s eyes is killing me, if I have to sit around it I’ll go crazy.

She keeps wincing when she moves her shoulders and I move automatically as she stands at the sink. Making sure my chest doesn’t touch her back, I kiss her shoulder and her tears fall with more bullshit coming out.

“I’m sorry, I tried to keep him safe.”

I turn her to face me and kiss her cheek trying to calm myself down, but it doesn’t work when she keeps apologizing for other people’s actions.

“Dani, shut the fuck up.” My voice is too harsh, and I temper it adding, “Respectfully.”

I swipe her tears away with my thumbs as I cup her cheeks with both hands and some of the nerves leave her. I rest our foreheads together and say with conviction, “Don’t blame yourself for anything that happened, Viktor’s safe and soare you. That’s all I care about.”

My perfect woman wraps her arms around my middle and breathes out in relief as though there’s any chance I’d hold her responsible for this shit. It’s all Carly and Leno, the fuckers were obsessed with money and if Viktor doesn’t choose to kill the bitch I’ll do it myself.

FORTY-SIX

Daniela

The water doesn’t go above my hips and there’s no pink bath bomb this time as Val gently wipes across my skin. He keeps kissing my head with every pass of the washcloth. A lump builds in my throat and I try to take it from him. It turns into an angry sob as he lifts his hand away from me, and my voice comes out too harsh.

“You don’t need to wash me. I can do it.”

I’m not inept, I might not know how to fight back or keep Viktor safe, but Icanwash myself.He pauses and tilts my chin up with his knuckles. There’s a war in his eyes and emotion in his low whisper,

---