Page 56 of Innocent Prey of the Bratva

Kaz looks at me for a long time, his expression unreadable. Then he leans in and kisses my temple so gently it makes my throat tighten.

“You did all of that alone?” he murmurs.

“I didn’t really have a choice.”

“You always have a choice, Violet. And you chose to live.”

I close my eyes for a second and breathe him in. His voice. His warmth. This strange pocket of peace under the tree. Kaz brushes a strand of hair behind my ear, his gaze steady on mine.

“You’ll never be alone again,” he says quietly. “You have me now.”

It hits me square in the chest—the weight of his words, the promise buried in them. I laugh, not because it’s funny, but because if I don’t, I might cry.

“God, you’re dramatic,” I whisper, smiling even as something in my chest squeezes painfully.

“I’m serious,” he murmurs, cupping my cheek with his hand. “Even if the world turns against you, you’ll still have me.”

Before I can answer, a voice calls out in the distance.

“Milo,” Kaz mutters with a sigh.

The man appears a moment later, his stance respectful but urgent. “Apologies, Boss. It’s important. You’re needed on the line now.”

Kaz’s jaw tightens. His eyes flick back to me, hesitant.

I give him a small smile and nod. “Go. I’ll be fine.”

He lingers for a beat longer, like he’s weighing something, then presses a kiss to my forehead. “I’ll be quick.”

Then he turns and walks away with Milo, leaving me under the tree with a breeze in my hair and the ghost of his kiss still warm on my skin.

And maybe, for the first time in a long time, I start to believe I’m not as alone as I thought.

The moment Kaz disappears around the corner with Milo, I rise from the grass and brush my dress off quickly, heart thudding in my chest.

This is the first time in days he isn’t within arm’s reach of me. I don’t know how long I have before he’s back—but I know I need to make it count.

I hurry through the winding halls of the estate, making sure no one sees me. Once inside my bedroom, I shut the door quietly and lock it. The curtains are already drawn. I reach under the bed for the burner phone I hid there. Still no messages from Noelle. Frustrated, my heart pounding, I hit “Video Call” on Noelle’s name.

She picks up in two rings.

“Violet?” Noelle’s face appears on screen, eyes wide and voice full of relief. “Holy shit, I’ve been going crazy trying to reach you!”

I nearly choke on a breath. “What are you talking about? I’ve been texting you for days.”

Since getting my old phone back, I’ve been tempted to call Noelle using it, but something tells me the phone is being monitored. Otherwise, Kaz would not give it back to me.

Noelle frowns. “I text back every single time. I even tried calling. Messages bounce. Calls drop. It’s like…you can message me, but I cannot respond to you.”

I freeze. “What?”

“It’s like a ghost line,” Noelle says. “I don’t know how to explain it.”

My fingers tighten around the phone. My stomach drops. “I thought you were ignoring me,” I whisper.

Noelle shakes her head. “God, no. Never. Vi, are you okay? Where are you now? Have you—”

“I can’t talk long,” I interrupt, suddenly paranoid. I glance at the door. “I…I don’t know where exactly,” I admit quietly. “Some estate outside the city. Remote. Guarded.”