Page 294 of Ruins
“They’ve had me on their radar since I was young.”
My stomach twists. The realization—how deep this goes, how long I’ve unknowingly been hunted—brings a kind of fear I wasn’t prepared for.
“What if—” My voice falters. I swallow the knot in my throat. “What will we do if they keep coming for me?”
Santo doesn’t even pause.
“I thought about this since the moment I knew your father was involved,” he says, his voice hard, resolute, the voice of a man ready to wage war for what he loves. “I’ll take you away. We have safe houses in Alaska. I’d bring you there.”
Alaska. Far.Cold. Lonely.
The thought of being alone in an unfamiliar place fills me with dread.
I shake my head. “No, I don’t want to be alone.”
His expression softens. But his resolve doesn’t.
“Then I’ll go with you.”
My breath catches.
“I would leave Cosa Nostra in a heartbeat if it meant keeping you safe.”
His words floor me.
“But it’s a part of you,” I whisper. “Your family—”
“Vasilisa,” he interrupts, firm. His eyes bore into mine, unflinching. “Youare a part of me. You are the only family I need.”
His voice carries no doubt. No hesitation. Just love. Pure, unwavering devotion.
With a small smile, I suggest, “Then maybe we should stay.”
Santo studies my face, searching for any hesitation. Any doubt. When he finds none, he nods.
“If you want to stay, then we will stay,” he says, firm. “But I amneverleaving your side again.”
A small giggle escapes me at the thought of us being together at all times. “Santo, we can’t be together every moment of every day. I have courses to complete and you have work.”
He doesn’t even blink. “You can work for me.”
I stare at him.
“You can take your classes. We ‘ll set up a desk in my office, just for you.”
I arch a brow. “I guess you’ve thought this through then.”
His smirk is low and lazy, despite the exhaustion in his eyes “I’ve given it a thought or two.”
He watches me with that same quiet reverence, the look that makes my heart ache in a way I’ll never quite get used to. I exhale softly.
“Okay, then that’s our plan,” I whisper into the quiet room.
“That’s our plan.”
Chapter 60
Santo
