Page 14 of Where the Wind Whispers

Kaz’s eyebrow lifted at that statement. “What threat is that exactly?”

“When he had me in the elevator, he told me the same thing he told me before we married,” Violet said, picking her purse up from the floor to find the plastic bottle she needed inside. “That nothing was unfixable—he’d forgive anything I did if I just went with him.”

“That tells me nothing.”

“Cut the attitude, Kaz. Between the way I feel and the headache I have, there’s no need to add to it with your mood.”

Surprisingly, he rested back on the bed, arms behind his head. “You don’t look sick, Violet. Tired would be a better word, no?”

“Funny thing, that is. It’s all the fucking same. Or so I’m learning.”

She chose not to elaborate when he stared at her, waiting for her to explain. She wasn’t quite sure how to go about telling him that she was pregnant. And with his current mood and the conversation they were having, it probably wasn’t the best time to blurt out the news of the pregnancy.

“I handled him,” Violet said, “just like Rus showed me how to.”

Kaz relaxed—barely, though—at her admission. It wasn’t like she needed to further explain the statement about Ruslan, as her brother-in-law had only really taught her one thing—how to use a damn gun.

“I assume that went over well,” Kaz muttered heavily.

Violet actually thought it had gone well. “He hasn’t come back.”

“He will.”

“I don’t think so—not anytime soon,” she replied.

Kaz shook his head. “Violet, you know as well as I do that your father isn’t the kind of man to just give up something he wants.”

“But I don’t want him. And he knows that now.”

Grabbing a straw, Violet stuck it in the top of the water bottle and pushed out of the chair, strolling over to offer the drink to Kaz. He took it, looking unhappy the whole goddamn time he sucked from the straw.

“Sullen is a cute look on you,” Violet told him, grinning.

Kaz sighed. “I’m not sullen. I’m sick of being in this bed.”

“You should use your pen and pad.”

“I can talk.”

“But it hurts,” she said.

Kaz scowled again. “Compromise, yes? That’s what marriage is supposed to be about.”

Violet didn’t see how that had anything to do with making Kaz follow the doctor’s orders, but she still shrugged and let him go on.

“I’ll drop the attitude if you drop the nagging,” Kaz said.

She almost felt offended.

Almost.

Except she had hovered, and fretted, and worried.

For every moment he wasn't awake, and then again when he was. It never ended. Kaz wasn’t exactly a touchy-feely kind of person, either, yet he had nurses and doctors coming in and out of his room all the fucking time checking him or doing some test or another.

He was probably going stir-crazy.

“You know,” Violet said, offering the bottle of water for him to take another drink, “I’m surprised you haven’t had a fit on someone yet.”