Where the Snow Falls (Seasons of Betrayal #2)(8)

At the moment, his only concern was Violet.

He doubted she had ever seen someone die—not this way, at least—and as he glanced back at her, her expression confirmed his thoughts. There was horror, maybe even a little disgust, but she hadn’t screamed nor did she throw up—as someone he knew had once done after seeing a body.

Truthfully, she was handling it far better than he thought she would.

When he placed a hand on the small of her back, urging her forward and toward the elevator, he could feel the slight tremor working through her, but even still, she said nothing.

Not when they boarded the elevator, the doors closing off the sight of the enforcer bleeding out in his chair, or even as they made their way through the lobby of her apartment building.

He used to be so careful when he came here—always making sure to take the back entrance to avoid any cameras and steer clear of the front desk staff he knew were in Alberto’s pocket. But as he walked with her, briefly meeting the gaze of one of the receptionists standing behind the counter, he didn’t give a f*ck.

Outside, Rus’ car awaited them—his Porsche already shipped to Chicago ahead of them. Grabbing her bag, Kaz circled the car, opening the passenger door for her before dropping her bag in the backseat.

Once he was inside, he checked his watch, gauging how much time he had before they needed to be at the airstrip. Minutes to spare.

Pulling out, Kaz navigated them through the traffic, leaving Violet to her thoughts for the time being. He didn’t doubt that she was still trying to process what she had seen. She probably wasn’t particularly comfortable with what he had done, but he didn’t want there to be any confusion as to who he was.

Would he ever harm her? No. He would go to the ends of the earth to keep her safe. But others? If they thought to cross him or attempt to keep him away from her, they wouldn’t be as lucky.

By the time they reached the airstrip at ten minutes to eleven, the jet was already waiting, the lights of the interior dimly illuminating the strip. There was a car nearby, its owner sitting on the hood of it, but as their car rolled to a stop, he dropped to his feet.

Alfie was one of the few men Kaz knew he could trust, so when he reached out for his assistance in setting this up, Alfie hadn’t hesitated. While he knew very little of Alfie’s business practices, he knew the man could get his hands on just about anything.

Like the jet waiting for them.

“I wanted to see for myself,” Alfie said once he got close after they exited the car.

“See what?” Kaz asked as he grabbed Violet’s bag from the backseat, along with his own.

“If she would be at your side. Words are easy. Actions … that’s when you see what a person is worth.”

Alfie wasn’t one to bite his tongue, even when the person he was speaking about was standing right in front of him. But Violet wasn’t a shy little thing and boldly stared at him, unblinking.

“Yeah?” she asked. “Then what am I worth?”

Alfie smiled. “Guess we’ll find out. Safe travels. And Kaz? Watch your back. You’ve been out for less than a few days, and you’re already making noise.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Kaz said in return. “You done?”

Alfie didn’t take offense. Kaz wondered if anyone could make him lose his cool.

Taking hold of Violet’s hand, Kaz led the way to the jet, letting her go up first before he boarded behind her. A flight attendant was already waiting for them to offer refreshments, but Kaz dismissed her as he left Violet in the cabin and went to speak with the pilot.

One quick conversation later, Kaz was back, taking the seat opposite Violet. He was reaching to buckle his seat belt when Violet’s voice cut through the silence.

“What’s in Chicago?”

He wished she would look at him instead of out the window so he could see what she was thinking. “Friends.”

She nodded, but he could tell that she wasn’t satisfied with that answer. But he wouldn’t elaborate, not yet. It would only be a few hours until she met them anyway, and she could form her own opinion.

Violet fell silent again, her thoughts somewhere else.

Kaz wasn’t usually one to explain his actions and the decisions he made—his position afforded him that luxury—but he knew he wouldn’t be able to do that with her. He wanted her to understand.

It wasn’t until the jet was in the air did he snap off his belt and cross the short distance to her, taking the seat beside her. She didn’t hesitate to shift, turning so she was facing him better.

“You have a question? Ask.”

“You … Did you really have to kill him?”

Kaz sat back, thinking about his answer before he spoke. “A message had to be sent. Sure, I could have knocked him out, and we could have left then too, but you know your father and the men who work for him. He’ll still send someone for you, undoubtedly, but now, he’ll think twice.”

Unable to help himself, he reached out to finger strands of her hair. Even as he did so, his attention on his task, he still said, “Men like me … We need a declaration. It’s no longer just about bending rules or breaking them even. Vasily asked me back before he set me up whether I would stay away from you. Tony was my answer. I won’t let anyone stand between us, Violet. No one.”

Violet shook her head, meeting his gaze. “You can’t kill all of them, Kaz.”