Page 44 of Savage Truce

“Stay with me?” I ask, my tone pleading.

He nods, and slipping his hand into mine, he begins to draw squiggly patterns on my forearm. Looking away, he hums softly in the back of his throat.

“Is this Anastasia?” one of the women suddenly asks, much closer and louder.

I was so focused on Artem that I startle, and Artem quickly begins to pat my arm. “It’s okay. Shh-shh-shh.” His blue eyes touch mine for a couple of seconds, and his lips turn down as if he’s sad. “It’s okay.”

It feels as if he can sense my pain and is trying to comfort me while glancing at the woman and saying something in Russian.

“Only English around Anastasia, Artem,” Rodian tells his cousin.

“I said they must talk softly to you. Like they do with me because we’re the same.”

Bless his sweet heart.

Needing all the support I can get, I grip his hand tighter before I lift my eyes to the women. What I see is the absolute last thing I expected.

One looks overjoyed, a wide smile on her face, and the other has the same sad expression as Artem. She’s the first to incline her head and say, “I’m Marina, Artem’s mother. Let me start by saying I’m very sorry for the losses you’ve suffered and for what you went through. I hope you’ll be happy here with us.”

“I’m Irina,” the other one says, her accent very thick. “Rodian’s mother. So happy.” She presses a hand to her heart and comes closer, looking at me like I’m some miracle that’s appeared before her. “My boy’s heart crushed when you gone. Very glad he found you again.” She lightly touches my cheek, admiration in her eyes. “Such beautiful face. Welcome, daughter.”

Someone catches her eye, and she calls out, “Come, Ruslan, meet Anastasia.” I glance in the same direction as her and see a man who looks like he could be Artem’s father coming closer.

“This is my husband. Rodian’s father. Ruslan Volkov,” she introduces with pride in her voice.

He stops beside her and nods at me. “Welcome.”

Then everyone stares at me, and realizing I have to speak, my tongue feels heavy and my face flushes with heat. “Hi… Ah… Thank you for the warm welcome. It’s so nice to meet you all.”

“Sweet voice,” Irena beams. “Let’s have tea.”

Artem pulls his hand out of mine and saunters away while resuming the nervous finger-tapping technique, and I begin to do it as well.

The women and Ruslan head into the kitchen, but Rodian hangs back, giving me a worried look. “Too much?”

Sucking in a deep breath, I nod. “It’s a lot to take in all at once, but your family seems kind.”

He holds out his hand to me. “We’ll skip tea. I have a surprise for you. It arrived right before my family returned, so I had to wait to give it to you.”

Relief loosens some of the tension inside me. Meeting so many new people at once has left me feeling overwhelmed, and I desperately need a few minutes to gather myself.

“A surprise?” I slip my hand into his. “For me? What?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.” His strong fingers wrap around mine, and a mischievous grin tugs at his mouth, robbing me of my ability to think as he leads me through the kitchen.

As we head across the foyer, his family’s voices carry through the house, along with the clinking of teacups and cutlerly.

That’s what I always thought a home would sound like.

We pass a living room, a dining room, and a set of sliding doors that lead to another part of the garden I haven’t explored yet.

Since my strength has been returning, I’ve walked around the property, playing dodge-a-guard with Rodian’s men while trying to get some fresh air. Yesterday, I noticed they hurried away from me when they saw me coming, and I think it’s because Rodian ordered them to do so.

Stopping outside a shut door, he looks down at me and says, “It’s a work in progress. You can change it however you want and just tell Miss Zoya if you need something and she’ll help you order it.”

Curious, I nod, and when Rodian opens the door and I step into the room, my lips part and I’m hit with such an overpowering emotion, the tears come instantly.

“Oh, my God!”