Page 54 of Corrupt: XXX Vadim 2
“I know.” I sense him come up behind me. When his fingers brush my sides, I don’t pull away, leaning into him instead. Two days alone create an unfair disadvantage as far as maintaining a grudge is concerned. Luckily for me, I have one powerful bit of ammo in my holster. Best to get it out of the way now. “Before Ena spills the beans, I took Magda to play with Maxim’s little girl.”
He sucks in a breath, backing away from me. “You what?”
I swallow hard before facing him. Meeting his gaze, I square my chin—but it’s a hard-fought bravery to keep up. I sway as his eyes touch on a terrifying shade of black. Soulless and cold at the threat of betrayal.
“You gamble her safety to punish me?”
“No! Of course not!” I scoff, insulted by the accusation. “I gambled your stupid pride and let your lonely daughter have some fresh air and play with a girl her own age because her father broke her heart over some stupid pony!”
He grunts as if struck, his gaze pained. I almost feel guilty for going there. Almost.
But if he wants to play the self-righteous indignation game, I can be just as petty. “Why did you go running off anyway? After how you made Magda feel, you better have one damn good reason—”
“I do.” He’s facing away from me, his tone hoarse. “I filed to adopt her the day she came here. The Robinsons had expressed no interest, and as her only previous foster family, I was assured that no one else could lay claim. I did everything in my power to expedite it legally.”
I bite my lip. Could that explain his disappearance the other day on that mysterious “business?”
“So, what happened?” I ask. Something in his stance draws me to him. I place my hand on his forearm and gasp. He’s trembling. “Vadim, tell me.”
“My petition stalled. Blocked, in fact, though the reasoning why was unclear. My lawyers assured me they could have the hold-up dealt with swiftly… But the other day, I learned the real obstacle barring me.”
He turns around, his expression shaped by such pain... I step into him, caressing the stern line of his jaw. I give him time to speak, sensing that whatever he means to say is hard for him to put into words.
“The person who blocked the adoption did so on the grounds of claiming to be Magda’s biological mother.”
“What?” My eyes go wide as a million implications come crashing down all at once.Irina? Some other mysterious woman?Overwhelmed, I stagger to the bed and sit down. “Is it the truth? C-can they prove it?”
“I don’t know.” He sits beside me and takes my hand, gripping it tightly. “I spent two days in the state of her birth, trying to learn the answers to those very questions. With all the fucking legal hurdles, I didn’t get anywhere. But unless the petitioner comes forward and files in person, they still have no claim.”
“But it’s still a hurdle,” I croak, panic constricting my throat. God, it’s like what happened at my church all over again. An adoption ruined on a selfish whim—but not my own. Right? Wrong. Even after a few short days… “Could it be her?” I ask, my voice breaking. “Magda’s mother? …Irina?”
He glances at me sharply, his eyes flashing with a million emotions ranging from suspicion to…resignation? I sense the bricks of his wall shifting, fighting to reform. At the last second, they fall, leaving his emotions accessible, as volatile as they are.
“So, youdidhear,” he says softly. “I don’t know if it’s her. But… She wasn’t well back then—” He frowns at the memory as his grip on my hand grows firmer by the second, tightening to the point of pain. It takes everything I have not to pull away, for his sake. Lost among the shadows of his past, I sense he needs physical contact now more than ever.
“I wasn’t either. You don’t understand what it’s like. I can’t explain. But, if this is her, she isn’t hiding out of shame I can tell you that. The girl I knew, she was broken. In her world, everything was a game. She needed that mindset, but I indulged her. Too much, I indulged her. If I had the choice, I’d pray to whatever God would listen that Magdaisn’thers.”
I swallow thickly. There goes my jealousy, at least, though I’m not sure if I like the emotion that replaces it. Fear? I listen to him ramble, hopelessly confused—but I don’t have the heart to prod for more. This seems to be the only way he can explain this at all—in disjointed bursts of information with little context sprinkled in between.
“Could it be her?” He shakes his head slowly. “Who knows.”
“But why not come see her? Why not visit her first? And if they aren’t her mother, who would be so cruel?”
“I don’t know,” Vadim insists. “But one thing could strengthen my claim over her, biological mother or not.”
“You mean claim that you’re her father to the courts?”
“No. Something even better.” He draws my hand to his mouth, planting a kiss over the knuckles. His eyes practically glow as they meet mine, brimming with conviction. Alarm bells go off at the back of my mind, even as my body heats in response to the naked passion conveyed in that one, searing glance.
Damn.I half-expect my clothing to melt, reduced to ashes by his desire alone.
“If I can prove that I can provide a stable home for her, no one could take her away,” he says carefully. “And, if you join my adoption petition. Marry me for real...”
Mental overload. It’s too much seriousness at one time. My brain can’t cope. All I can do is laugh, pulling my hand away as I lurch to my feet.
“We could ask Maxim to make his wedding a double,” I suggest, laughing. “His fiancée said they haven’t planned much. I’m sure they’d be down for it.”
I’m smiling, but as the seconds tick by, he doesn’t return it.
