Page 97 of Gilded Locks

Heavy footsteps echoed in the corridor, cutting off Katya’s question. Both women turned as Stone appeared in the doorway. His pale eyes immediately sought Katya, scanning her with the protective intensity of a guardian angel.

“How are you feeling, little bird?” His voice, so cold when he spoke to others, went warm as honey when addressing his sister.

“I’m fine. Marigold and I have been getting acquainted.”

Stone’s winter-green gaze shifted to her and then back to his sister. “I hope you’ve been making her feel welcome.”

“She has.” Marigold said, before Katya could answer. He’d been avoiding her since she found him strung up in the dungeon with Ash.

Katya stood gracefully, moving to her brother’s side. Even standing, she barely reached his shoulder, but there was nothing fragile about her confidence. “I like her, Stone. She understands.”

“Good.” Stone’s arm came around his sister with careful gentleness, as if she were made of glass. “Because we need to discuss tonight.”

“When we have that discussion,” Marigold said, “will you finally look at me?”

The room chilled as his sharp gaze cut to her. “Excuse me?”

“I think I’ll take a walk,” Katya said, untangling herself from her brother’s heavily muscled arm. “It was nice chatting with you, Marigold.”

“You too,” she said, without taking her eyes off Stone.

When the glass door closed, Stone snarled, “What the hell was that comment?”

She shrugged. “You’ve been avoiding me.”

“I’ve been busy, tracking your piece if shit, brother.”

“Whatever you say.” She moved to stand, but he shoved her back into the chair, bearing down on the arms and caging her in.

“Are you calling me a pussy.”

“No.”

“Then what? You think you saw something the other day that you understand? Trust me, you don’t.”

She tried to picture a weaker version of him, terrified and chained, beaten down by men forced to kill. Her hand slowly lifted as she cupped the side of his jaw where a long scar hid beneath his dark stubble, and she softly whispered, “Katya told me what happened to you.”

His entire body stiffened. “That was a long time ago.”

“But you still carry it with you, don’t you?”

His nostrils flared. “It builds. Ash lets it out.”

“That should have never happened to you.”

“We can’t undo the past, Zayka.” He pushed back from the chair and turned away. “I survived. So did you. Our minds are better served by looking forward, which is why we must discuss your brother’s arrival. We expect him in a few hours.”

Rising from the chair, she quietly stepped behind him and banded her arms around his thick waist, resting her cheek on his back, her touch saying all she needed to convey.

Stone’s stiffened, then rested his hand softly over her interlaced fingers. He uttered something delicate in Russian that she didn’t understand.

They stood like that for several beats, dredging through things that would only be cheapened by words.

Finally, he said, “Come to me tonight, when everything’s over. I want to be with you. Alone.”

She released him and nodded.

He caught her chin, and looked into her eyes. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”