Where the Snow Falls (Seasons of Betrayal #2)(27)

Violet’s head snapped up at the sound of screeching tires coming from outside of the townhouse. The shower upstairs didn’t turn off as the front door was opened and then slammed shut, a familiar voice ringing out.

“Maya!”

On the loveseat in the corner, Maya pushed up from her seat just as Kolya stormed into the living room, his gaze sharp, dark, and a little … crazy, even.

Wild might have been more appropriate.

Violet wasn’t quite sure she had ever seen someone look so out of their f*cking mind while at the same time, managing to maintain an outward composure.

She wondered what kind of man Kolya was in his mind to have that sort of control.

The second his gaze landed on Maya, Kolya softened a bit in his stance, but barely. He didn’t even pass Violet a look as he said, “Go.”

Maya gave Violet a small smile. “It’s all right. He doesn’t have manners, but he meant to say please, too.”

Violet put her hand up, waving it all off as she got up from the couch and strolled past Kolya, making her way toward the kitchen. He didn’t look at her as she passed, either. He was far too focused on his wife, not that Violet minded.

She hesitated in her steps when the voices echoed from back in the living room.

“Why lie?” Kolya asked.

“Because look at how you reacted, Kolya.”

“Because you lied.”

“Wrong,” Maya said.

“No, I’m right. I reacted the same way I would have.”

“I was fine.”

“You were—”

“Fine, Kolya.” Maya sighed loudly. “I was doing exactly what I needed. I had it under control, and you would have gotten there in plenty of time.”

“I saw the marks on the back of your bumper. You’re placating me—he is already dead. It’s pointless to lie in the hopes of keeping me from going back to the bastard driving. He is dead.”

Violet swallowed hard, ignoring the sliver of ice crawling up her spine.

“You always do this, Kolya. You go crazy, and there’s no calming you—no helping you. You would have gotten there in plenty of time.”

“I did,” Kolya replied. “And look how it turned out, no?”

Violet decided to keep walking, but the conversation continued behind her. She could still hear them talking even as she opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of wine.

Drinking might calm her nerves, but who could say.

“There’s no switch for you, Kolya,” Maya continued.

Violet caught sight of Kaz coming to stand in the kitchen entryway. Shirtless, with just a pair of cotton sleep pants on and his hair still damp, he watched her with his arms crossed as she searched for a wine glass.

Kaz acted like there wasn’t a private conversation going on—she figured he probably had a better idea of what was going on than she did.

“No switch,” Maya continued, “where I’m concerned.”

“There is,” Kolya shot back. “You are the f*cking switch. I shut off—that’s it. When someone hits that switch, I have no care. You know this, dushka.”

“But—”

“Because you are,” Kolya interrupted quieter. “My dushka—my soul, Maya. I turn off. I’m not sorry for that.”

Eventually, the conversation died down, and Violet heard footsteps a second before Kaz glanced over his shoulder with a frown and a nod. Shortly after that, the front door closed.

The silence practically echoed as Violet lifted a full glass of wine to her lips.

“Eventful day,” she mumbled around the rim.

Heady, red wine covered her tongue, but it didn’t help the anxiety.

“I know,” Kaz murmured. “But everything turned out fine—the message that was sent ended up being a massive failure on your father’s part.”

“But he’ll try again.”

Kaz’s jaw ticked. “Likely.”

Or maybe Vasily would.

Violet chose not to ask.

“Do we leave now?” she asked.

“Run, you mean?”

“Do we?”

Kaz pushed away from the entryway and strolled farther into the kitchen. “We didn’t run in the first place. I never intended to hide where we were.”

Huh.

“This was only a matter of time,” he added.

“They came a little too close, Kaz.”

He came to stand behind her, placing his palms flat on the island counter on either side of her body. For a long while, he just stayed there, letting her sip her wine while he said nothing.

Violet hadn’t realized it, but she’d needed that. As simple as it was, it calmed her as nothing else could. He calmed her.

“Don’t take it personally if Maya stays away for a bit,” Kaz said, his words whispering along the back of her neck as his lips brushed her skin.

“Why?”

She found it was easier to talk if she focused on his words and not the heat traveling through her blood.

“Because Kolya is … well, he’s a little insane where Maya is concerned,” Kaz explained. “It’s better to just let him do what he needs to do to get back to his normal, nasty self.”

“All right.”

“You’re taking this all well, hmm?”