Page 72 of Ruthless Salvation
His grip in my hair tightened as he tugged my head back a fraction further. “Why? Why the fuck would I not want you?”
My vision blurred with tears. “Because I come with baggage.”
“And I don’t?” His hands released me before he stood and set me on my feet in front of him, his arms spreading wide. “You can tell by now that I’m no white knight, Storm. But I’ll slay your demons because your demons are mine.Youare mine.” Each word was more adamant than the last, finishing with a fist pounding against his chest.
Energy buzzed the room the same way it did when lightning was about to strike.
My lungs felt like they couldn’t get enough air. “I’m scared, Torin. At first, I thought I was scared of you, but now…”
“Now?” he demanded.
I met his stare, the first of my tears falling free. “I’m scaredforyou.”
“What the fuck for, Stormy?” he asked in exasperation. “I’m not afraid of some ex-boyfriend asshole.”
“It’s not that simple.” I shook my head, my words almost inaudible.
“What’s so fucking complicated? Just tell me his goddamn name,” Torin roared.
My legs collapsed beneath me, sending me to my knees.
“His name is Damyon.” I forced past my lips, eyes squeezed tightly shut. “Damyon Karpova.”
Present
Storm didn’t just swipethe rug out from under me; the whole goddamn building was gone. I wouldn’t have been more surprised if she’d said her ex was Genghis fucking Khan. At least then I could have laughed it off as a delusion. But this? Despite the insane unlikelihood, I didn’t think she was joking.
How the fuck could sweet Southern Stormy have ties with the man who owned half of Moscow? It didn’t make sense. The Russian Shadow—a name he’d earned in the streets—was the last person I’d expected. It was so outlandish that I couldn’t figure out how I felt beyond my disbelief.
“How long have you been on the run from him?” The timeline would give me a clue about the severity of our problem. I would focus on finding a solution because I had no idea what to do about the rest.
“Five years,” she said softly.
Jesus.
All that time—for her to be on the run—for him to keep hunting her.
This was a fucking catastrophe.
A blur of questions surfaced, but we didn’t have time. If we were about to face off with Damyon Karpova, we’d already wasted too much time.
“Get dressed and pack an overnight bag. We’re leaving.” I had to bring in my family. They needed to know what we were facing and help me devise a plan.
Storm gave a defeated nod and rose to her feet. I hated seeing her so meek, but there wasn’t time for gentle assurances. Our only hope of winning this war was with absolute ruthlessness.
Judging by her reluctance to tell me about Damyon, she knew exactly how dangerous he was. She’d also known that we were familiar with the man. How long had she known? Was that why she’d stuck around—hoping my family would shield her? Would that bother me if she had?
Fuck, I didn’t know.
Setting aside my trust issues to sort out later, I called my cousins to arrange a gathering. We decided to meet at a basement property we rarely frequented—somewhere unlikely to be on Damyon’s radar. For all we knew, he could already be watching us. I didn’t want to tempt fate by appearing at one of our regular haunts.
Once we were both ready, I led Stormy to the car I owned but rarely used.
“For what it’s worth, I’m sorry,” she said, cutting the stifling silence. Her voice was wrought with remorse.
I wanted to believe her, butJesus, she’d kept so much from me already.
You don’t owe me anything.