Page 47 of Viktor

“Viktor loves me. He wouldn’t ever hurt me.” She tucked her head back in the crook of Viktor’s shoulder and sighed happily.

Viktor’s arms tightened around Delia, and he took several deep breaths. Sara watched him fight back the anger he was feeling. Delia’s words had struck him as deeply as they had her. Her baby, terrified of so many people, especially men, said flat out Viktor loved her, and despite the anger radiating from him, she only snuggled deeper into his arms.

“I do love you,malyshka. No matter how angry I am, I will never hurt you.”

“I know.” Delia pulled back long enough to kiss his cheek. Sara watched the stark wonder eat away at the anger in his eyes. He hugged her before sitting in one of the chairs, holding Delia like she was a lifeline in a raging storm.

How had he won her daughter’s heart in so little time?

It was a question that rattled around in her head over the next two hours as they sat quietly and waited for Mason to wake up. Delia usually ran from anyone who showed even the smallest sign of anger. And here she was, curled up against a man who was so angry Sara herself flinched away from him.

She needed a breather.

“Hey, I’m going to go grab a cup of coffee. Do you want one?”

He looked up and frowned. “I don’t want you going anywhere by yourself, Sara, not after what happened with your mother.”

“Viktor, we’re at the hospital. I highly doubt Roger will even know we’re here.”

“If he was the one who shot my brother full of tranqs, he’ll be here.”

That thought never crossed her mind. Well, truthfully, she hadn’t stopped to consider how it happened. But why would Roger target Mason?

“Even if that’s true, here is the last place he’ll be. Roger’s smarter than that.” When he started to argue, she held up a hand. “I need a few minutes by myself, okay? I’ll see if the nurses’ station has coffee they can give me. I won’t leave the floor.”

He looked like he was ready to argue, but Delia muttered in her sleep. She’d dozed off on his lap about an hour ago. Sara left her there not only because it was where Delia wanted to be, but holding the little girl seemed to calm Viktor. He wouldn’t argue and risk waking her up after she’d cried herself to sleep, worried about Mason.

“Five minutes, or I will call security to track your ass down.”

She rolled her eyes and wasted no time in leaving, afraid he’d change his mind. Five minutes away from him would help her collect her thoughts. And she’d find him a damn shirt to put on. They’d rushed to the hospital, none of them thinking about his lack of clothing, but the nurses were more than aware of it. Every time they came in to check on Mason, they stared at Viktor’s naked chest.

The nurses’ station did indeed have coffee, and they gave her a cup, but no scrubs. They did offer to try to find a scrub top for him, but Sara wasn’t counting on it. They liked looking at him as much as she did.

She didn’t go straight back to the room. Instead, she walked down the hall a bit to think. Her concern for Delia died with her daughter’s statement that Viktor wouldn’t hurt her. Her baby stayed in Viktor’s arms even when he was shaking with rage, secure in the knowledge she was safe with him.

So maybesheshould stop looking for Roger in him. He’d proven time and time again he wasn’t her ex. She’d seen him angry, but every time he touched her, none of that rage transferred to her. He’d been gentle and caring. He was a bossy ass, but she could even overlook that because he was only trying to keep them safe.

Her thoughts wandered back to the barn. He’d been pressed against her so tight, she had nowhere to go, couldn’t move if she’d wanted to. He’d been earnest when he told her what he wanted. To be her forever guy. Should she stop getting in her own way?

Sara was honest with herself. She was attracted to the man and wanted to kiss him even though he seemed determined not to. Get to know her, he said. What did that entail, exactly?

Confusion plagued her. Sara wanted to kiss him, yet she held herself back. She was afraid. Not of him physically hurting her. That fear all but died, thanks to her daughter. She was afraid of what he could do to her heart. This man had the potential to cause her more pain than anything Roger could do to her.

But in her heart, she knew he had the potential to be the best thing that ever happened to her. There was such kindness in him, even when he was being a bossy ass.

Everything was happening too fast. She’d barely left her husband and was trying to rebuild her life and learn to be the woman she’d shoved down so far inside herself, Sara wasn’t even sure she existed anymore. And then Fate plopped Viktor right into her lap. She probably had a good ol’ laugh at the havoc he was going to create in Sara’s life when she did it.

And she was still married. Granted, she’d filed for divorce, but that didn’t negate the simple truth of her marriage. While she wasn’t overly religious, the bonds of matrimony meant something to her. That was another reason her attraction to Viktor bothered her and she held herself back.

If she gave in and allowed herself to fall for Viktor, what would people say? They’d judge her for it and doubt her accusations aimed toward Roger. All they’d see was a woman trying to escape her marriage so she could fall into bed with another man. She’d endured years of abuse at Roger’s hands, and if she listened to her heart when it came to Viktor, she could potentially endure years more of whispered slander.

Why did everything have to be so complicated?

She rubbed her temple and started to walk. A headache was threatening. A lap up and down the floor might help take some of the edge off.

Distracted, she didn’t notice the stairwell door opening or the hand that reached for her until it was too late. Jerked into the stairwell, there wasn’t even time to scream before a hand clamped over her mouth and dragged her down the stairs.

Viktor shifted Delia and pulled out his phone. He called Gabe first, who informed him the cameras were down. Mason must have been installing the motion sensors and powered off the system until he was done. Or maybe he’d been rebooting everything to bring the sensors online. There would be no video of Roger unless he happened to show up before the cameras were powered off. Given the bastard’s luck, Viktor would bet good money there wouldn’t be a trace of him anywhere.

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