Page 19 of Where the Wind Whispers

“Safer than you know,” he said, staring over her shoulder at the bedroom. “No one is getting inside this place, Violet.”

She wanted to trust him on that—she really did—but shit always seemed to happen. Nothing was infallible; there was always an opening somewhere.

Violet glanced at the watch on her wrist, noting the time. “Where did you go?”

“Business.”

She chose not to press him on that.

Frankly, because she didn’t want to know.

“It’s awfully empty in here, no?” Kaz asked.

Violet glanced over her shoulder at the white walls staring back at her. “I was going to have Vera come in and see what she could do with it.”

“It is her job.” Kaz managed a smile, though Violet could see a hint of darkness in his gaze all the same. “It’s a good spot for a nursery, yes?”

“I thought so.”

Kaz’s hand came out, his fingers wrapping snugly around Violet’s wrist before he tugged firmly, bringing her closer to him until his arms were wrapped around her and she was burying her face into his chest. She fisted his shirt, keeping him there for the moment.

Quiet.

Still.

Breathing.

Alive.

“It’ll be fine,” he told her.

“Will it?”

“Eventually.”

Violet let out a heavy sigh, wishing his reassurance didn’t feel so goddamn foreboding to her. Kaz pressed a soft kiss to the top of Violet’s head, holding her tighter. She briefly considered telling him to be careful—his throat and all—but she decided to stay quiet. It’d been weeks of hell while he was in the hospital, and then when he was finally awake, he’d been almost like a shell of himself.

Too weak to do much. Tired. Distant.

This was … good.

Perfect, even.

And then he had to go and open his mouth again.

“But we do need to talk, krasivaya,” Kaz said.

“Tomorrow, okay?”

Kaz shook his head and took a step back as he released her. “Tonight—it can’t wait for tomorrow.”

“That doesn’t sound like it’s something I’m going to like.”

He didn’t even bother to sugarcoat his next words with so much as a smile. “You won’t—I sure as hell don’t.”

Great.

Knowing she probably needed to be sitting down for whatever Kaz was going to say, Violet pushed past him in the doorway to make a beeline for the downstairs. She headed for the kitchen, grabbing a bottle of vitamin water from the fridge just as he strolled through the entrance behind her.