Page 46 of Deal with the Devil

“I’ve been having the nightmares every night, haven’t I?” Her voice is so small, I want to deny. Lie. Anything to take away the look of pain in those warm brown eyes.

“Sunshine.”

“Tell me, Kane.”

“Yes.”

“How—why don’t I wake?” Understanding settles and she whispers, “You come to me. You come to me every night.”

I shift on the spot as her eyes take me in from head to toe. I don’t sleep in clothes, but since I’ve been coming to her, I’ve made it a point to hit the sac in black boxers. But that’s the most I’m able to handle. Right now, her eyes take in every stroke of ink on my body before hers gives a little shiver that has something inside me—the monster I restrain deep inside—wanting to devour the space between us, wanting to devour her.

“I just sit with you for a while.”

“How long?”

“Anything less than an hour and the nightmare returns.”

Her eyes widen. Hell, she looks sweet and so temptingly corruptible sitting in the middle of the messed-up bed. “You sit with me for an hour? Every night?”

I give her a single nod.I want to go to her now.

She cuts her gaze from mine, her brows knitting in a frown. “That’s why you’ve been so tired. I’m keeping you up.”

“You’re calm when I’m here, so I’m here,” I tell her. “If I didn’t want to be here for you, I wouldn’t. Stop thinking you’re a burden.”

Her eyes flash to mine. “I am, Kane. You’re losing sleep because I have nightmares like a child.”

“You suffered a violent attack, Nevaeh.”

She grinds her jaw, not looking at me as she processes my words. But I’m sure I see her shoulders tremble before they deflate. Then she says softly, “I’m sorry.”

“Stop saying sorry.” I’m losing my patience with the way she carries everything on those thin shoulders. Before Ian left tonight, I’d asked him to do all he could to find the fucker who is playing with her—stalking her. Then I called my brother, Ilya, and asked him to pay a certain Senator’s son a little visit. I couldhave had any number of Volkov henchmen see to the little shit who thought political ties bought him the right to bullymywoman, but this is personal. I’d have preferred to visit the fucker myself, but he is a law man and there are some things I’m not willing to risk when it comes to Nevaeh. So, I’ll sit on the sidelines for this one, but the message will be clear. And even though I’ll have an airtight alibi, Antonio Diaz will know exactly who the message is coming from, and exactly what will happen to him if he persists in threatening my girl.

Fuck, the last time I called home had been for help when Wrenlee had been taken. I’d called to activate my brother’s henchmen in the city to be on the lookout for her, their ears to the pulse of any crimes committed. It had been a tall ask for me, because I’d decided to mostly leave that life and build my own when I’d met my brothers here. Still, blood bonds don’t break easily, and even though I’m not submerged in the family businesses anymore, I’m only a call away.

Because the fact of the matter is, family means everything to me.

My family here and my family in Russia. I may be the spare there, but here, I’m the Devil calling the shots in my own life.

Nevaeh shifts on the bed when I start toward her door, calling softly, “Wait.”

I turn to face her again, waiting.

“Stay.” Blood rushes through my veins, warming every inch of my skin.

“You want me to stay?”

She quirks a nervous smile, like she’s not sure of the decision she’s made as she nods. “You say I sleep better when you’re close. Besides, you can’t keep going night after night with no sleep. So, yeah. I want you to stay.”

“Then I’ll stay.” Closing her bedroom door, I start for the bathroom. “But I can’t sleep with this much light.”

She huffs a laugh as she shimmies nervously in her bed. “Neither could Candace. You can turn it off.”

I hit the light and the room floods with darkness that is lit only by a white moon that overlooks the sea. Both rooms are upstairs at the back of the house with a killer view, but my room is way better. She doesn’t know it yet, but tomorrow she’ll be moving in there with me.

My wife doesn’t sleep in a separate bed. Besides, now that we’re breaking the seal of yet another one of her boundaries, there’s no turning back.

Moving to the side of the bed closest to the door, I lower into it. I can almost hear the nervous thundering of her heart echoing through the short breaths that pant from between her lips. She’s nervous. She’s also fucking cute.

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