I chuckle and she seems surprised. “I’ve had worse injuries. I’ve got thick skin. It’s used to taking a beating, angel’skoye lichiko.”
“Why do you call me that? You’ve been calling me that since you met me. I’m not an angel Aiden.”
“You are one to me”
A slight smile slides across her lips and the effect of watching it is so potent it’s priceless. It’s there for a few seconds then it’s gone, but for the fleeting moment it existed I wanted to stay there. To always see it. to see her look more beautiful than she already is.
As it fades, darkness and desperation comes back, along with pain
“If you knew what Jude did to me, you’d never call me that.”
The thought of what he might have done enrages me. “What did he do?”
A tear slides down her cheek. “Lock me in a cage and break me. Over and over again, until there was nothing left of me but a shell who agree to do anything to save her mother.”
I bite down hard on my lip until the metallic taste of blood flows over my tongue.
No wonder she freaked out when I threatened a cage last night. I hadn’t meant it. But she didn’t know that.
“I heard you and Maksim talking the other night,” she confesses and I hold her gaze. “I didn’t mean to listen in on the conversation. When he suggested killing me I thought…”
Her voice trails off.
I know what she’s thinking and I can’t correct her because she would be right to think I’d take the advice of my Sovientrik. I’m at the very least supposed to consider it. Except I didn’t, not for a second.
“No,” I say. “I wasn’t going to. I meant what I said last night. I can’t kill you, and by the same token I can’t let you go.”
She bites into her lip and the shadow of worry fills her beautiful face. It’s time to clarify the truth of what I mean and possibly delve into the idea that’s been brewing in my mind since last night. A plot which will undoubtedly fan the flames of war.
“I can’t let you go Olivia, because your safe with me,” I state and her eyes lock on mine.
“What?”
“Your safe with me, and I can’t let you go back to San Francisco because I can’t let Jude have you. That would be putting you in danger and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”
As we stare at each other, a moment of lightness passes between us in the space of silence. Like someone lit a candle in the dark and chased away the darkness filling the void.
One tear slides down her cheek followed by another, and another until her eyes brim with water from her soul.
Her hands tremble and I cover both with mine. Our joined hands is like looking at hell. Me with my prison tattoos on my fingers and her dainty small hands that look like they belong on a doll.
“You… care for me that much Aiden?” she mutters, her voice heavy with emotion.
“Yes.” I meet her eyes and squeeze her hands. “So you’ll stay with me until it’s safe. Things might get a little hectic here because I’m sure Jude knows I have you. And, yesterday we found evidence that Eric’s alive.”
Her mouth falls open and the blood siphons from her face. “What? What did you find?”
“His signature. It was retinal scanned. There was something he sent to Jude.”
“Oh my God. Do you know where he is?”
“Not yet, but we’ve got our best people looking into it. I am looking into it.” I need to make it clear that I’m doing it so she knows.
“My God Aiden, I can’t thank you enough. I can’t. I truly can’t.”
“Don’t worry.”
“I wish I didn’t have to, but I do. Jude will take out his frustration on my mother. He will.”