Page 34 of His Ruthless Vow

"I can't stay there, Dimitri. My father might've pulled that trigger, but he's done nothing but betray me and be selfish ever since." She stutter breathes like she's been crying, but I focus on the road as I reach over and take one of her frigid hands.

"Okay, so we'll go somewhere safe to think tonight, then⁠—"

"No," she says, interrupting. "When I said I need you, I meant it. I don’t want to just think for the night. I want to be with you, Dimitri. I love you, and we belong together."

I hear what she's saying but my heart feels a little guarded after the way she rejected me. I don’t want to let myself believe something that might not actually happen.

"Okay, so take a few deep breaths for me, baby. Alright? I'm going to get us someplace safe where we can talk."

I turn the car toward our territory where I know of a safe house that's rarely used. I'm under no illusion that it will be safe long-term, but for the night, no one will come here. It's a condo on the second floor of a high-rise two blocks east of the city center reserved for housing men who are sick or recovering. Our family doctor lives in the building and sublets the condo to us. There's no other choice. Any of the other Sokolov safehouses are too hot right now.

When we pull up, Alana has finally stopped shivering. I climb out and round the front of the car, opening her door. She slides out and takes my hand, leaving her bag in the back seat. I'm not sure if it's absentminded and forgetful or if I can start putting stock in what she's said. She loves her family, enough to tolerate her father betraying her for years of her life.

"Your bag," I caution her, but she leans into me and kicks the door shut.

"Let's talk, okay?"

My heart is so conflicted, wanting to soar but afraid to get its feet off the ground in the same breath. The moment seems so right to just vanish together and never look back, but I could never take this woman from her sister and mother. Though, I'd kill her father with my bare hands if he showed his face around me, and not because I'd be avenging my brother. What he did to Alana is unthinkable.

"You own this?" she asks, eyes tracking up the exterior of the building.

"Nah," I mumble, unlocking the door and letting us in. "It's a family thing. My place is—" I stop myself. "Was across town." I can't go back there again. After burning that bridge, there's no turning back. I gave over my signet. I'm not only never going to inherit my father’s throne or his money, but I'll never use his name again.

We step into the elevator before she speaks again, and when she does she warps her arms around my torso and breathes me in. "I'm sorry you had to do that."

"Do what?" I ask, holding her as we rise a floor. The bell dings and the doors open and she looks up at me.

"You walked away from your family." Alana's eyes narrow on my face in confusion. I can see she thinks this must've been some huge sacrifice for me, but I'd already made my mind up months ago that if it came to forcing them to do the right thing, they just weren't my family anymore, anyway. Alexei would've come easily to my side if my father weren’t involved.

"They're not my family, okay?" I tell her, pressing a kiss to her forehead, but I resist telling her that she's my family now.

Holding the doors that try to close, she shuffles out onto our floor and I let her into the small condo. It's only a one-bedroom, but it's big enough to serve the family purpose, which tonight includes hiding me from my father. I'm sure as soon as he realizes I've been accessing his property, he'll change all the locks and I'll be an outcast.

But I've saved up a little nest egg, invested my money wisely and prepared for a rainy day. I'm not going to go hungry while I relocate and search for an honest job, and if I'm lucky I'll land where I want to be, in St. Petersburg.

"Make yourself comfortable," I tell her. "I'm going to get us a drink."

"Oh, just water for me, okay? I’m not feeling well. Tonight was a lot." When she says that, I pause and study her for a moment. Alcohol is my go-to when I'm stressed, but maybe Alana is different from me. She doesn't even look up at me as she rips off her coat and sinks onto the sofa, kicking off her snowy boots.

I duck into the kitchen and grab a bottle of vodka and a glass of water for the lady, then shed my coat and join her on the couch where she's curled into a ball, leaning sideways with her knees to her chest.

"Here," I say, offering the water, and she takes it and sips it. Her lips are chapped, cheeks windburned and tear-streaked. Nothing would've prepared me for a night like this where I rescue her and whisk her away off the street to safety. I thought we were done and I was venturing off into the great unknown to start over.

"So," she sighs, setting the water to the side as I swig from the liquor bottle. We barely know each other, but it looks like we might be on the run together now. I'm not sure what to make of that.

"Alana, I need you to know I had no knowledge of what Ivan was going to do that night. I would never have approved of my father covering it up." I feel confused. We're playing hot and cold and I don't know what we are right now, but it feels lukewarm. I could be an hour outside the city, but she said she needs me.

"I know. You made that clear already."

"Okay, so what's going on here?" I take another swig and set the bottle down, then reach for her hand and lace her fingers through mine.

"I just need you. Okay? And I don't want you to rush out of this city and leave me behind. I don't have anyone else now." She's talking like she's certain now, like she's made up her mind about me and I'm what she wants.

Scooting closer, I shake my head. "But you told me we were done, that you couldn't do it." It's hard to believe what I'm hearing. She's doing a one-eighty on me.

"I know what I said, and I changed my mind. I deserve to be with a man who treats me the way I should be treated. My father has done nothing but betray me, push me to the side, and criticize me for years now. I love you, Dimitri. I want to be with you."

I'm so overcome by emotion, I can't stand it. She's willingly choosing me, knowing what is likely happening outside these doors. Our families are set to tear each other apart and we're on our own out here. Yet Alana wants me, against all odds.