sink, why he’s gingerly patting it with a clean towel.
Nothing is said between us as he tends to my wound.
I watch the muscles in his arms flex and tense as he works, each one covered in ink, ink that hides a web of scars. Some scars are jagged, looking accidental. Others are straight, clean lines. Patterned. Intentional.
“What did you do to deserve this?” His voice is gruff, and I love it.
“I didn’t deserve this,” I say, and my gaze flicks to his face.
He looks straight into mine, holding my gaze.
“Dear old dad has his reasons,” Kiev says bitterly. “No matter how fucked up they are.” He lets go of the towel and looks at the torn flesh. “You’ll live.”
He walks out of the small bathroom.
“Wait,” I blurt.
He spins around. “What do you want?”
“Answers.”
For the second time that night, the hardness instantly vanishes from Kiev’s face. “Answers require questions.”
“I have a few of those.”
Kiev looks out at the hall. “Don’t lock your door tonight.”
“I won’t—wait, how do you know I lock my door at night?”
He just grins and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
*
“Audrey, wake up.”
I inhale and sit up, hardly able to make out Kiev’s dark outline.
He’s in my bed, next to me. My heart flutters. Should I be afraid there is a man, a man I’ve hardly spoken to, next to me? I’m not. His presence comforts me, and I want him closer.
“I’m awake,” I grumble. “What time is it?”
“Three a.m., give or take.”
I nod, running my hands through my messy hair. I tried staying up until he came in but obviously failed. “Aren’t you afraid Father Weston is going to catch you in here?”
Kiev chuckles. “Not today, Little Bride.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“What are your questions?”
The question Will you kiss me again? burns on my tongue. I shouldn’t want him to, yet I do. I’m yearning for more. To feel his skin close to mine, to be touched with passion and not ownership. Being close to Kiev makes me feel like the woman I’m supposed to be, awakening things inside I’ve only read about in romance novels.
I lick my lips, my eyes slowly focusing in the dark. “I have so many, they’re getting jumbled in my head.” I tip my head up, imagining the heavens above me. “None of this makes sense.”
Kiev laughs again. “That’s not a question. I’m starting to think you lied to get me in your bed.” He advances, putting his hand on my waist.
The warmth of his skin feels good.
I close my eyes, drink him in, then shove him away. “You were the one who suggested coming in here.”
“Damn, you’re right.” He leans back on the pillows. “None of this fucked-up shit makes a bit of sense.”
“Why?”
“Why doesn’t it make sense?”
I nod.
Kiev turns to me, shadows staining his face. “Because it’s a bunch of bullshit.”
“No, it’s…it’s...” I let that go. “What’s The Reckoning?”
“Fuck if I know. Some other made-up shit that I’ve never heard of.”
“Oh.”
“You sound more disappointed that I expected,” he says, angling his body toward mine.
I can feel the heat of his skin drawing me in like a magnet. Warmth rushes between my legs, stirring desire deep inside.
“Father Weston says I’m to be saved until then.”
“Saved?” Kiev asks, then it dawns on him. “Cunning bastard. That’s how he’s keeping things from you,” he says, as if to himself.
“Keeping what?”
“I’ll tell you later. Next question.”
“We sinned.”
“You’re bad at this asking questions thing. You do know what a question is, right?”
“Of course I do,” I snap. “What I mean is, the kiss was a sin. Why hasn’t God punished me?”
“Because he doesn’t exist,” Kiev says harshly. “Not in the way my father wants you to believe, and Weston doesn’t have a fucking crystal ball where he can see everything you do, no matter what he says. He doesn’t know what’s
Nothing is said between us as he tends to my wound.
I watch the muscles in his arms flex and tense as he works, each one covered in ink, ink that hides a web of scars. Some scars are jagged, looking accidental. Others are straight, clean lines. Patterned. Intentional.
“What did you do to deserve this?” His voice is gruff, and I love it.
“I didn’t deserve this,” I say, and my gaze flicks to his face.
He looks straight into mine, holding my gaze.
“Dear old dad has his reasons,” Kiev says bitterly. “No matter how fucked up they are.” He lets go of the towel and looks at the torn flesh. “You’ll live.”
He walks out of the small bathroom.
“Wait,” I blurt.
He spins around. “What do you want?”
“Answers.”
For the second time that night, the hardness instantly vanishes from Kiev’s face. “Answers require questions.”
“I have a few of those.”
Kiev looks out at the hall. “Don’t lock your door tonight.”
“I won’t—wait, how do you know I lock my door at night?”
He just grins and walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.
*
“Audrey, wake up.”
I inhale and sit up, hardly able to make out Kiev’s dark outline.
He’s in my bed, next to me. My heart flutters. Should I be afraid there is a man, a man I’ve hardly spoken to, next to me? I’m not. His presence comforts me, and I want him closer.
“I’m awake,” I grumble. “What time is it?”
“Three a.m., give or take.”
I nod, running my hands through my messy hair. I tried staying up until he came in but obviously failed. “Aren’t you afraid Father Weston is going to catch you in here?”
Kiev chuckles. “Not today, Little Bride.”
“Don’t call me that.”
“What are your questions?”
The question Will you kiss me again? burns on my tongue. I shouldn’t want him to, yet I do. I’m yearning for more. To feel his skin close to mine, to be touched with passion and not ownership. Being close to Kiev makes me feel like the woman I’m supposed to be, awakening things inside I’ve only read about in romance novels.
I lick my lips, my eyes slowly focusing in the dark. “I have so many, they’re getting jumbled in my head.” I tip my head up, imagining the heavens above me. “None of this makes sense.”
Kiev laughs again. “That’s not a question. I’m starting to think you lied to get me in your bed.” He advances, putting his hand on my waist.
The warmth of his skin feels good.
I close my eyes, drink him in, then shove him away. “You were the one who suggested coming in here.”
“Damn, you’re right.” He leans back on the pillows. “None of this fucked-up shit makes a bit of sense.”
“Why?”
“Why doesn’t it make sense?”
I nod.
Kiev turns to me, shadows staining his face. “Because it’s a bunch of bullshit.”
“No, it’s…it’s...” I let that go. “What’s The Reckoning?”
“Fuck if I know. Some other made-up shit that I’ve never heard of.”
“Oh.”
“You sound more disappointed that I expected,” he says, angling his body toward mine.
I can feel the heat of his skin drawing me in like a magnet. Warmth rushes between my legs, stirring desire deep inside.
“Father Weston says I’m to be saved until then.”
“Saved?” Kiev asks, then it dawns on him. “Cunning bastard. That’s how he’s keeping things from you,” he says, as if to himself.
“Keeping what?”
“I’ll tell you later. Next question.”
“We sinned.”
“You’re bad at this asking questions thing. You do know what a question is, right?”
“Of course I do,” I snap. “What I mean is, the kiss was a sin. Why hasn’t God punished me?”
“Because he doesn’t exist,” Kiev says harshly. “Not in the way my father wants you to believe, and Weston doesn’t have a fucking crystal ball where he can see everything you do, no matter what he says. He doesn’t know what’s
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