Page 64 of Viktor

“They’re amazing! So many people, readers, bloggers, photographers. I remember the first one I went to, I was so nervous. I was afraid no one would even come to my table, but when they did, I lost track of time. It’s the best feeling in the world when a reader tells you how much your book affected them. It’s why I continue to write. To know my words moved someone to cry or laugh and smile from happiness, it gets me right here.” She placed her hand over her heart.

“How many have you been to?”

“Not as many as I would have liked. I wasted so much money on table fees because of Roger.”

“You said something about that earlier. He would…hurt you to keep you home.” It was hard for Viktor to get the words out. The thought of anyone hurting her made him see red. He worked to keep his anger under control. She was just starting to trust him, and he didn’t want to see her flinch away from him.

“He was a control freak dished out with a side of extreme jealousy. A lot of it boiled down to Dimitri. He hated your brother. Dimitri and I talk a couple times a week. We have since we first met. Roger accused me of wanting him and using the book signings as a way of hooking up. I took several beatings because of it. I never told Dimitri.”

Viktor clenched the steering wheel. Had Dimitri known that, he would have beaten the ever-loving shit out of Roger. Hell, he’d have called all his brothers to teach the bastard a lesson.

“After a while, I stopped trying to go to them. It was just easier than fighting with Roger.” Her shoulders slumped, and he grabbed her hand, twining her fingers with his. He counted it as a win she didn’t pull away from him.

“So, this last one was the first you’d been to in a while?”

“Yeah. My readers were as excited as I was. Truthfully, I wasn’t going to go, but my mom pushed me. It was good for me.”

“Remind me to thank your mother when we get back. If she hadn’t pushed you, I might not have met you.”

She gave him a hesitant smile, and he crowed on the inside.Score two!

When he pulled up in front of the UPS store, he debated leaving her in the car. He knew her back was hurting her, but he couldn’t guarantee Roger wouldn’t approach the car while he was inside.

“You hold the door open for me while I unload all this shit.”

She rolled her eyes at his foul mouth, but she was finally starting to learn it was simply who he was. He cussed. Hell, all his brothers did. She was going to have to get used to it, or she’d drive herself crazy around them.

“Hey, Ben!” Sara called when she opened the door. What was her brother-in-law doing here? Then she noticed he was wearing a name tag. “Did you get a job here?”

He grinned, and then he saw her face. “What the hell?”

“It’s a long story.”

“Did my brother…?”

“No, but I think he had something to do with it.”

Ben came around the counter and hugged her. “I am so sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, honey.”

“What the hell, woman? I thought you were supposed to be holding the door for me?”

Oh, no! She rushed to help Viktor, who was struggling with the boxes and the door. “I’m sorry.”

“No worries, darlin’.” He came in and set the first boxes down on the counter. He noticed Ben a second later. “Ben, right?”

“I thought you were here to keep that from happening again.”

Sara groaned. “It wasn’t his fault. I was the one who didn’t listen.”

“I’m not proud of it.” Viktor wiped his palms on his faded jeans. “Trust me, she’s not getting out of my sight again.”

Ben eyeballed him for a moment then nodded. “What’s all this?”

“Shipping everything to Texas for my signing. We’re flying down, so we need this overnighted to the hotel. There’s more in the Jeep.”

“More?” Ben looked from the heavy book boxes to her. “What are you taking, the farmandthe kitchen sink?”

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