Page 14 of Plaintive Vow


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But Niko deserves more than that, so I stew silently until Daniil finally comes back.

Turning toward him, I raise a single brow, but as pissed as I am, he looks even worse. His jaw is clenched, and his fists are held even tighter by his sides. He looks pale. I try to ask him what’s wrong, but he wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me into a tight embrace before I can.

“Let’s get out of here, yeah? I have to make some calls.” There’s a slight tremor in his voice I’m not sure I’ve ever heard before.

What happened to shake him up this bad? He was fine before he left the kitchen.

“Something came up, Moma. We have to head out.” He doesn’t wait for her to acknowledge him before he’s pushing me toward the door.

I pry myself free long enough to say goodbye to Niko, but Daniil hardly takes his eyes off me.

“Zhdat!Daniil!” she calls, and he turns around for a moment, but he doesn’t stop walking while I struggle to keep up with him. She gives me a brief look, grinding her teeth together. “Could you come over for dinner this week? You, me, and Nikolai?”

Like that, all my worries about Daniil’s sudden mood swing burn to ash as my anger rushes back in to take their place.

“Are you fuckingserious?” I hiss, hopefully quiet enough that Niko doesn’t hear me. I extended an olive branch, and she’s going to use it to beat me away? And of course, she had to do it in the language I actually speak. Where the hell does she get off?

“Da, sure, Moma,” Daniil replies absent-mindedly, already turning his attention back to his phone. Mila beams, and I’m ready to rip them both a new asshole, but he wraps an arm around my shoulder, urging me to the car before I get a chance. “Blair will pick him up at four.”

Four?That’s hours earlier than I typically pick up Niko. The whole point of letting Mila baby-sit him is so they get to spend a full day together.

He rushes us out the door before Mila’s even finished celebrating, the storm door slamming shut while I dig my heels into the ground, refusing to move.

“Nope. Absolutely not.”

I’m not dealing with that woman again until she manages to find a shred of decency in her spiteful, rapidly aging body.

He purses his mouth but doesn’t say anything, just keeps pulling me to the car like I’m not fighting him at all.

I slam my door shut behind me, tuning in my seat to glare at him.

“Listen, I know she’s unbearable, but I need you to do this for me,” he tells me.

I cross my arms, waiting for him to elaborate, but he doesn’t.

“No,” I object. “I’ve tried with her a hundred times, and I’m sick and tired of being invisible. And I’m sick of you letting her treat me like that.”

He checks the mirrors as he pulls onto the street, not sparing me a single glance. “Yeah, well, I had to move up a meeting that I can’t risk being late to, so I can’t do it.”

“And what part of that means I have to pick him up early? He’s going to be furious, and we both know Mila won’t backme up when I tell him it’s becauseyousaid so.” I’m so sick of being the bad guy. I’m always the one who has to tell Niko that plans have to be pushed back, or that he can’t do something, or to make sure he does the many little things he hates.

Daniil’s silent until he pulls into the driveway. I expect him to get out or say something else, but he stares straight ahead. Eventually he clears his throat and turns in his seat so he’s facing me, tension lining the corners of his eyes as he works his jaw.

“Daniil, what’s going on? Why are you changing plans last minute?” He wraps a hand around the back of my neck, pulling against me until he’s able to rest his forehead against mine. “Is everything okay?” He closes his eyes and swallows.

“Yeah, babe. It’ll be fine.” He presses his mouth against mine in a slow kiss. “I have to work late tonight. Someone made a big mess, and I have to clean it up. I just want to make sure you and Niko are home before I leave.”

We stay that way, breathing each other in until I nod. He might piss me off and make me miserable more often than not, but I’m not going to pretend that I want to make his life harder. If Daniil just wants to make sure we’re home so that he doesn’t have to worry while he’s working, then I’ll find a way to make it happen.

Chapter 4

Andrei

I’ve spent most of the past week chasing shadows that are leading me nowhere. No matter who I ask or where I look, it’s like there’s nothing to find. Not any evidence pointing me toward Pavel, and not anything that implicates anyone else, either. I haven’t gotten more than a couple hours’ sleep at a time, and if one more thing gets added to my plate, I’m going to fucking snap.

Which is why I’m pouring myself a shot of vodka at noon, ignoring my phone as it rings on my desk. If it’s Maksim, I’ll gladly deal with the consequences later. If it’s anyone else, I don’t give a fuck.

The crisp, smooth drink is exactly what I need.