Page 115 of The Devil's Thorn
“So now they’re sleeping outside her door like rabid dogs again.”
“Probably.”
“And you let her go.”
“I didn’t own her to begin with.”
“No. But that’s not usually what stops you.”
I walk toward the bar again, refilling my glass, this time without the theatrics. No clink. No commentary. Just the warmth, and the silence between the words.
“They didn’t lower their guns at first,” I say after a moment. “But they listened. That says something.”
“That you’re still breathing?”
“That they’re smart.”
“Or just obsessed with her.”
“It’s not obsession.”
“No?”
“It’s loyalty.”
“Same thing. Different packaging.”
I swirl the drink in my hand. Watch the way it coils in the glass like it wants out. “You should’ve seen them, Nik. Standingthere like I was holding their entire fucking world hostage. And maybe I was. But I didn’t make a move. I didn’t need to.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because someone has to know where the fault lines are before they crack.”
“And you think it’s going to crack?”
“Iknowit will.”
Another pause. Then Nikolai sighs, quieter this time. “You’re not usually like this.”
“Like what?”
“Thoughtful. Careful.”
“You think I’m being careful?”
“Too careful.”
“Maybe. Or maybe I’m just planning for something I actually want to keep.”
The words hang there. Heavy. I don’t walk them back. Iwon’t.
“So what?” Nikolai mutters. “You planning on putting a ring on her finger next?”
I lean back against the bar, smile twisting slowly. “If I ever get married,” I say, low and certain, “if I ever have kids… it’ll be with her.”
There’s silence. Not the kind that waits to be filled. The kind thatstaresat you. That demands to know if you meant it.
“Jesus,” Nikolai mutters finally. “You’re really fucked.”
