Where the Wind Whispers (Seasons of Betrayal Book 3) (4 page)

To his siblings, Kaz was Vasily’s favorite. His boy. His pride and joy.

But not knowing what to say, even if he could, Kaz shrugged.

There was no rational explanation. Not one he could think of, anyway.

Tapping out a cadence on the arm of the chair he was sitting in, Alfie glanced down at the watch on his wrist. “Men do dangerous things when backed into a corner. Nature of the beast.”

His remark drew the attention of the room, and after a beat, Rus asked the question Kaz was thinking. “What are you doing here, Alfie?”

Out of the corner of his eye, Kaz thought he saw Vera tense.

“Came to offer my services, mate,” Alfie responded, gesturing to Kaz with ringed fingers. “Three weeks in this place can do things to you. Besides, I owe Kazimir a debt.”

Rus’ expression didn’t shift from the look of discontent. “Right. You’re here for Kaz …” He couldn’t sound more disbelieving if he tried.

“At the moment, but in the interest of time, how about we ignore me, yeah? And get back to Kazimir. As you were saying, I’ve not found your father, but I was told he’s left the country. Probably gone off back to your motherland.”

It made sense.

Especially with Vasily’s ties to some of the men there. They ensured him a level of protection that he wouldn’t otherwise have, especially here. By now, he had to know he didn’t kill Kaz—word would have eventually found him—so not only was Rus after him, but Kaz wouldn’t be far behind.

As soon as he got back on his feet.

Or even if he wasn’t.

Gesturing to the pad, Kaz wrote something else once Vera handed it over. This one was for Alfie.

What are you offering?

“Medical care. I—”

“We have doctors,” Rus said, taking another sip of his coffee.

Rus hadn’t been in a particularly good mood when he came in the room, but now, with Alfie, he was just being antagonistic.

“Sure. How many have you threatened into working for you, hmm? You Russians are more brawn than brain. I have a team of surgeons on call, not because I promised to cut off their fucking fingers, but because I do good business.”

“If my brother hadn’t vouched for you,” Rus returned darkly, “you would be dead.”

“And by whose hand, mate? You wouldn’t make it past the door.”

“Stop it,” Vera said, daring to wade into the middle of the two.

“This is where you’ve been?” Rus asked, switching to Russian as he glared at their sister. “Of all the bastards in this city, you pick Alfie fucking
Shelby
.”

“It’s not like that.”

And if Kaz hadn’t heard the way her voice wavered as she said that, he would have never believed it. Vera didn’t just dislike their father, she hated everything he stood for. Including the lifestyles they led. She’d made it a point to avoid as much of it as she could since the day she left home.

The idea of her with someone like Alfie—
especially
someone like Alfie—was unreal.

“Then what
is
it like?” Rus demanded.

“We’ll talk about this later.” Her tone was firm.

“No, no,” Alfie said as he relaxed back further in his chair with a lazy smile on his face. “I’d prefer you talk about me in my face and not behind my back, thanks.”

Now, all eyes turned to him.

“You speak Russian?” Rus asked, as though that fact was just another thing to add to the list of shit he disliked about the man.

“I’m a man of many talents, mate. Many talents. Now, go on. Finish your little discussion—pretend I’m not even here.”

Before Rus, or Vera for that matter, could get another word in, Kaz decided it was time to break this up. The last thing he needed was the three of them going around in circles—not right now, at least.

He needed to take care of Vasily first. Whether he liked it or not was immaterial. His sister was an adult and wouldn’t listen to a word of caution if her mind was made up on something. Later, once Vasily was in the ground and no longer a threat, Kaz would get an answer from Alfie as to when he had gotten involved with his sister.

“Now isn’t the time,” Kaz forced himself to say, his voice coming off high and scratchy. He sounded nothing like himself. “One problem at a time.”

“Two problems,” Alfie spoke up. “Two problems on your hands, mate. Don’t forget you didn’t just piss off Vasily, but you’ve made enemies of the Italians, too. Or did you forget Alberto’s visit a few days ago?”

What the fuck?

Alfie looked surprised. “You didn’t know? Maybe he wasn’t here for you.”

Violet chose that moment to come back into the room saying, “The food down there was—oh.” She came up short when she saw Vera at Kaz’s side and Alfie seated. “Why does everyone look like that?”

“Rus, find the doctor and get me out of here,” Kaz demanded. “Alfie, set up whatever you were… setting up. Vera—” He looked at his sister, making sure she understood just how serious he was. It didn’t matter that she was older, he was still her brother. “We’ll talk later.”

She nodded, obviously not expecting otherwise.

“Now, give me the room.”

It wasn’t long before the three of them shuffled out and Violet watched them go a moment before walking to his bedside. “You have that look on your face.”

Raising his brow, he asked, “What look?”

“Where you’re about to do something reckless.”

“I won’t, not yet at least. But tell me,” he said as he sat up a little straighter. “What was your father doing here, and why didn’t you tell me?”

Violet refused to shrink under the hard stare Kaz was currently leveling her with, despite knowing she
should
have told him about her father’s appearance a week before.

“Well?” Kaz asked, his voice scratchy and higher than normal. “Are you going to stand there and say nothing?”

“You’re not supposed to be talking,” Violet settled on saying.

Kaz’s jaw clenched. “That is not what I asked, Violet.”

“I know what you asked. The fact remains that you’re not supposed to be talking. That’s why you have a goddamn pen and pad.”

If Kaz’s scowl could have gotten deeper, Violet was sure it would have at that moment. Silent, he leaned over and grabbed the pen and pad, marking on the lined paper with hard, fast strokes. Then he turned it around for her to see the one word he’d written in the large space.

TALK
, it read.

Kaz tossed the pad aside, the pen following right after. “There I used the fucking things.”

Violet tampered the flare of annoyance at his show, knowing damn well it wouldn’t do either of them any good to get into an argument while he was like he was, and she was like she was. It certainly wouldn’t help them.

“Alberto did show up,” Violet said. “Cornered me in an elevator, actually.”

Kaz did not look pleased. “Why didn’t you say something?”

“
You
were in a coma, Kaz.”

“Rus—”

“Had people all over this hospital—inside and out—yet my father still managed to get in. He still found me. It happened, it’s over, and I handled it.”

Kaz let out a sound that resembled a scoff, but Violet couldn’t be sure what with his voice the way it was. “I’m sure.”

Violet let that comment roll off her shoulders, not willing to take the bait.

“Why not tell Rus after, then?” Kaz asked.

“What good would it have done?”

He threw his hands high, frustration writing heavy lines across his brow. “You do realize we’re not playing games, yes? The entire point is to keep your father
away
.”

“You’re being an asshole.”

“No, I’m being—”

“An asshole,” Violet interrupted softly.

Not saying another thing, Violet snatched one of the many unopened bottles of water sitting on a side table, cracked the top off, and took a long drink as she made herself comfortable in one of the chairs against the wall. For a long while, the two said nothing to one another, letting the thick tension hang in the air.

Kaz broke the silence first, speaking quieter than before. “I want to keep you safe.”

“All these people—all the men Rus had watching the place—and he still found me,” Violet repeated with a shrug. “Maybe you don’t want to admit it, Kaz, but your threats aren’t working where Alberto is concerned. If they were, he would have stopped by now.”

“Violet—”

“Let’s see if mine did, okay?”

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.”

“Give it time,
krasivaya
. It could still happen.”

“I’ll lay off the nagging.”

Kaz smirked. “Thank you.”

“And?”

“I’ll be
less
difficult.”

Violet tried not to laugh and failed miserably as she took her chair again on the other side of the room. “That wasn't the deal.”