Page 38 of Serpent & Saviors

“Pasha?”

“The Russian.” I laughed as she raised an eyebrow. “Yes, now you know his name. I trust I made the right decision in letting you in on it.”

“I won’t say anything ever, I promise.”

“It’s okay. I’m teasing. It’s not that serious.”

Relief visibly loosened her frame, the tension slipping from her shoulders. I motioned toward the sitting area, keeping my movements calm, and poured a glass of wine once she was settled.

The way her fingers curled around the stem gave away everything her composed expression attempted to hide. Poor thing. Her nerves were frayed. Keeping this meeting small had been the right call. A knock sounded. I rose and crossed the room to let Pasha in.

“Good news, I hear,” he said, but something was off.

I stepped into his path, watching him closely. His jaw ticked as he looked away. My hand shot out, stopping him.

“What is it?”

He hesitated. “Nothing important. Got into it with Hannah.”

“Then it’s important,” I countered. “Do you need to handle that? I can take this meeting. It’s mostly asking questions and feeling things out.”

“No,” he blurted. “This matters a hell of a lot more. And trust me, talking to Hannah right now would only end in another fight. They all do lately. I could use the distraction.”

“If you’re sure…”

He nodded and moved past me toward the bar. “Evening, Victoria. Can I get you a refill?” he asked, his tone shifting into something lighter as he addressed her directly.

“N-no, I’m go-go-good,” she stammered before taking a deep breath. Clocking her body language, I could tell she was having second thoughts.

I walked over to her and knelt down next to her chair. “What you’re feeling right now is completely normal. You’re not betraying anyone.”

Her head whipped up, and panic filled her eyes. “H-ho-how did you know?” she whispered.

“I told you I get paid to listen to women. I’ve seen this exact look a thousand times before. You’re free to share as much or as little as you want. You’re free to stop talking altogether with no consequences. We want to help, but what that looks like depends on what you ultimately want as the outcome.”

With the awareness that she needed space, I moved to sit across from her. Pasha joined me on the couch.

“Where do I start?”

“Start wherever you’re the most comfortable.”

I took a deep breath as her palms made slow passes against her upper thighs.

“Before I say anything, I need assurances. My son’s safety is my number one priority, and there isn’t anything in this world I wouldn’t do to keep him from harm.”

“That’s understandable. No harm will come to your son. I swear it on my life.”

She was quiet for a long moment, then her eyes flashed to Pasha.

“You don’t need to ask. When one member of the crew swears, it becomes a group vow,” he declared, voice thick with emotion.

Much like the moment between Ivan and me at thirteen, a bond was solidified with the man sitting next to me. Brotherhood and loyalty were everything. The beauty before me nodded, accepting his version of the promise.

“The beginning then. I was fifteen when I met Cameron for the first time. It started shortly after. It wasn’t like what he does now. It was more looks and always being where I was,” she said, almost to herself.

My stomach dropped. Christ. He’d groomed her. An invisible wire tightened around my heart. She cleared her throat.

“Even back then I knew it was wrong. But…I didn’t know how to stop it. I’m as much at fault. Maybe if I’d—”