Deceitful Vows by Brook Wilder
Chapter 46
Paige
I’m a black hole in the center of the bar, and any ounce of joy is sucked into my sadness. The other patrons don’t know the reason, but I’m giving off a vibe of regret that can’t be ignored. My body can’t move off the stool, so I order another beer and stare helplessly at it when it arrives.
I was hating my mother while she was dying from a senseless and brutal act. I sat in that restaurant playing the role of a rich man’s wife while hating her. I called her every nasty name I could think of, convinced of the worse.
And not once did I consider that it might not be her fault.
The door flies open, cracking against the wall, and my guards immediately rise. Hands reach for concealed weapons and then Andrei appears, followed by Dmitri. The bartender watches everything as he slowly wipes the stained oak counter.
My lips quiver as Andrei approaches me. His face is contorted with worry, and his eyes are wide with concern. Without another thought, I rush into him and hug him tight, not waiting for him to hold me. But his arms never lift; they stay by his side. I pull back to look at him, and my heart shatters.
Andrei knows.
He knows because he must have had something to do with it.
“We’re going home,” he says.
“You know?” I ask the obvious question because he has to admit it, or I won’t get into that car.
He doesn’t answer me and holds my upper arm tightly. I slide off the stool, and Andrei holds me up as I stumble. Of course he knows. He knows everything. Even things that he shouldn’t know.
My mind wants nothing to do with him, but my body lets Andrei guide me to the door. But before we can leave, Kenney returns with a man—another cop. One look at Andrei and how he’s holding me confirms his worst thoughts.
“Paige, we need to talk,” says Kenney. “I’ll drive you home to your father.”
Kenney is giving me an excuse to leave, so I can get away from my criminal husband, but Andrei is not going to let me go. Kenney reaches for my other arm and holds tight. The two of them yank at me like I’m a rag doll, ready to split me in two as I teeter on my heels. I don’t know what choice I should make.
Neither is good.
“And who are you?” Andrei’s voice drips with sarcasm.
Kenney pulls back his blazer, flashing the badge on his belt. “I’m her cousin.”
Andrei laughs. “Don’t recall you at our wedding.”
“Not surprised I wasn’t invited,” replies Kenney. “Who the fuck are you?”
Andrei stands tall, pulling my body against his. He tilts his chin and looks at Kenney as if he should bow in front of him and not ask dumb questions.
“Andrei Barinov.”
I feel a thrill shoot through my body as he says his name in a commanding voice. Unashamed of what he is, my body chooses for me as I lean heavily into Andrei and clutch his arm. His sharp eyes stare Kenney down while his jaw clenches. He’s not afraid of anyone, not even the law.
I gaze up at Andrei like a fool because I am one.
Kenney’s grip loosens on my arm, and then he lets go. I look at Kenney, but he’s not afraid either. His expression is of revulsion, and it’s directed at me. He gives us space as if he no longer wants to touch me or have anything to do with me.
“My condolences, Mr. Barinov,” he drawls. “I heard about your father. It’s a shame we didn’t get our chance to work him over.”
Andrei pulls me closer, and his arm wraps protectively around my body. I lean into him, feeling his warmth and strength seeping into the numbness and cold flowing through my body. I need him and no one else.
“Paige, I don’t know what you’re doing with this man,” Kenney speaks under his breath, but everyone is listening. “But he is a criminal. A thug.”
“I’m a businessman.” Andrei laughs. “And your cousin-in-law.”
Kenney’s smirk of superiority slips off his mouth. And though I shouldn’t be happy, I’m glad to see someone get the upper hand over him. My head swims, and I lower my forehead to Andrei’s chest.
“My mother is dead,” I mutter. They both know, but I say it anyway. My voice sounds so far away.
Kenney reaches his hand out toward me. “Paige, come with me, and we can figure out the next steps. We need to tell your father.”
I want to lash out at Kenney and remind him that he hates my father. I don’t know why. It wasn’t always that way. As a kid, he looked up to Dad. But once he became a cop, he changed. And the same change took over my dad as well. The two of them haven’t seen each other since.
I place my hand on Andrei’s chest, and my fingers toy with the shirt buttons. “My husband has to come with me.”
“Fine.” Kenney stares at us; his gaze becomes colder as he focuses on me. “Leave with your husband.”
He reaches into his jacket, and the silent room whips into instant action. The guards immediately reach under their jackets. The other cop reaches for his gun. Dmitri steps toward Andrei, and Oleg races to my side.
Smirking, Kenney holds a business card up in the air and presents it to me with a flourish. “Please let me know when the funeral is, Paige.” He gives Andrei a glare, and Andrei returns it in kind.
“I will take it from here.” Andrei snatches the business card from his fingers and reads it aloud. “Officer Kenney Grant.”
I let Andrei guide me toward the door, the bartender giving us a hateful look. The bar empties out except for a few customers seated in the dark corners, waiting to provide commentary on what just happened. Kenney watches us leave as if it’s by his permission.
“I don’t want any of you back here again!” the bartender shouts out behind us. “This used to be a decent neighborhood.”
Maybe it was a decent neighborhood once upon a time, and maybe it still is.
But it’s a world that I’m not a part of anymore.
