Where the Snow Falls (Seasons of Betrayal Book 2) Page 3

  “I told you what I wanted.”

  “Yeah, I guess you did.”

  “Tony is still out in the hallway, Kaz.”

  He didn't even blink when he said, “I know. Don’t look.”

  Violet wasn’t quite sure what he meant by that, but when he held out his hand, she took it without hesitating.

  “Got everything you want?” he asked.

  She passed a look at the framed photographs on her corner desk. She rarely used it for anything, preferring to be lying in bed when she was on her laptop. Over the years, she’d just filled the desk with pictures of her family and a few of her friends.

  “I’m good,” she said.

  Kaz drew her into his side and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Let’s go then.”

  He tucked her hand around his arm as he directed them back through the apartment and toward the front door. She slipped on a pair of sneakers, foregoing the heels she had kicked off earlier.

  Kaz’s hand landed on the doorknob, and once more, he said, “Just don’t look.”

  Violet wasn’t sure what she thought she would see when he pulled the apartment door open. Maybe that Tony had skipped off, thinking she’d settled in for the night, and that was it.

  Or maybe that was what she was hoping for.

  She was wrong.

  Tony was right where she had left him, still looking down at that phone of his and lost in whatever game he was playing. Violet’s fingers dug roughly into Kaz’s arm at the sight of the enforcer, as if she was subconsciously trying to pull him back into the apartment and hide him.

  Kaz didn’t even react; he just kept moving forward, bringing her along with him.

  Clearing his throat loudly, Kaz effectively made enough noise to draw Tony’s attention away from his phone. The second Tony looked up, Kaz was reaching for whatever was at his back at the same time.

  Violet heard Kaz’s words from before still ringing loudly.

  Don’t look.

  How easy that should have been.

  Tony stood, reaching for the gun she knew he kept holstered at his side under his jacket.

  Kaz already had his gun aimed, and the hammer cocked back under his thumb.

  Don’t look.

  The noise was deafening when Kaz pulled the trigger. Louder than Violet realized it would be. She had never—despite growing up around men who always carried handguns—heard one fired before. Certainly not at close range.

  She should have turned away.

  Instead, she watched the bullet tear through Tony’s face.

  Kaz merely blinked as the man dropped back into his seat, his phone on the ground, whatever game he’d been playing still going. Whoever he was, he no longer mattered now that he was dead.

  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 fuck.

  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 answe
r. 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.”

  “I’ll do what I have to.”

  “Kaz—”

  “I love you, Violet. Don’t ever forget that. I’m sorry you had to see what happened with Tony, and I’ll probably be apologizing for many things in the near future, but when you took my hand tonight, you made your choice. And when I took his life, I made mine.”

  She was quiet for so long that he was afraid of what she would say next …

  “Is there a bed on this thing?”

  Kaz glanced back at the door he already knew was there. “Yeah. What of it?”

  “Let’s go to bed, Kaz—at least for a few hours.”

  As she led the way, he knew he would follow her anywhere.

  Kaz’s body, as his kiss had been, was still so familiar to Violet. Despite the short time they had spent together before their small, private world was ripped to hell, it didn’t make Kaz feel in any way unknown to her. Not to her hands, her kiss, or her eyes.

  All of his sharp lines and hard ridges had imprinted their way onto her memories and refused to let go. She had often dreamed of him when he was gone, waking up from dreams just before she had gotten what she needed from it.

  She always woke up cold.

  God.

  So fucking cold.

  But right then, as Kaz pulled the clothes from her body without so much as a word while lust burned brightly in his gaze, she burned red hot. All of the times they had fucked before flooded her memories, and one thing stood out above the others.

  Kaz had never shed his own clothes before he had taken his fill of her with either his fingers, his mouth, or both and couldn’t hold himself back any longer from taking the rest of her.

  This time, he’d started yanking his clothes off the second he had the cabin door shut to the private bedroom at the back of the plane until he was naked and reaching for her, demanding the same in that silent, harsh way of his.

  She still loved it.

  Loved how he pulled on her shirt a little too roughly, making the fabric bite against her skin as he yanked it over her head. Loved that he tugged her jeans down to her ankles and shoved her to the edge of the bed to sit so he could pull them the rest of the way off.

  Kaz stood back from her, straightening to his full height as he watched her silently.

  Clenched fists.

  Tight jaw.

  Steel gray eyes on only her.

  It unsettled her. How he watched her like he did, a mixture of adoration and want churning behind his gaze; it put her on edge.

  And she didn’t even know why.

  Any flaws she had, he’d already seen. Any imperfections to be found already were. He knew exactly what he was looking at, yet it was like he was drinking her in all over again.

  For the first time, even.

  Except it wasn’t.

  Violet took the moment he gave her to reach out and run the tips of her fingers down the railroad path of his abdominal muscles, letting her hand slow to a stop just above the spot where she really wanted to feel.

  He was hard under the only piece of clothing he still wore—his boxer-briefs.

  Hard, hot, and aching, she knew.

  Like she was.

  She traveled the expanse of his body with her gaze, over his intricate tattoos and down to where her fingers hooked around the waistline of his boxer-briefs. Something caught her eye on his side—something new.

  Slightly raised and pink, the scar couldn’t have been very old.

  Violet reached out to touch the mark, only to have her fingers caught by Kaz. She cut her gaze to his instantly, questioning without ever saying a word.

  “Caught the wrong end of a shank,” Kaz explained quietly.

  Her heart stopped as her chest clenched painfully. Kaz seemed to notice her silent reaction and caught the side of her face with his other hand. He tipped her chin upward, making her look away from the scar again and focus on him.

  “It’s fine, Violet.”

  “It isn’t fine. It’s—”

  Kaz’s hand slid from her cheek to her chin, where he pressed the pad of his thumb against her lips, quieting her instantly. Violet sucked in a harsh breath when he tipped her head up again, and his palm grazed lower on her throat until his fingers tightened just enough to make her blood run hot.

  “It’s fine,” he repeated. “I’m perfectly fine.”

  Swallowing under his hold, she nodded. “We’re revisiting this, Kaz.”

  “Not right now.”

  “No, but later.”

  “Later,” Kaz agreed.

  “It’s been a while,” she whispered.

  Kaz smirked. “Worried?”

  “About what?”

  “I don’t know—stamina, no?”

  Violet laughed. “No.”

  “Then what?”

  “I don’t need soft.”

  Kaz lifted a brow. “Oh?”

  “And I really don’t want easy.”

  “Ah,” he said, stretching the word out in what felt like approval and anticipation to her.

  Then again, everything he did felt like that in one way or another. It shouldn’t be surprising to her, but it was just the same.

  “Just wanted to make that clear,” Violet said, grinning up at him.

  Kaz matched the expression. “I said I loved you, yes?”

  “Yeah, but one more time isn’t going to hurt.”

  “Love you.”

  Violet’s eyes closed when she felt his thumb press into the hollow of her throat, and she echoed, “Love you, Kaz.”

  Maybe closing her eyes had been a mistake because all she felt was his arm circle her waist a second before she was airborne, and then her back was hitting the bed again.

  Her eyes flew wide as the breath rushed from her lungs. All she saw was his knees hitting the edge of the bed before he was looming above her. That hand was back on her throat in an instant, and Violet reacted to the rough touch by arching into his hold and widening her legs for him.

  “No soft, no easy,” he said.

  Violet shook her head, wetting her lips. “No.”

  She wished he’d move just a little bit closer, so then maybe if she could at least feel the weight of his body against hers, she could get some relief for the throbbing ache between her thighs.

  Something.

  Kaz grinned like he knew exactly what she was thinking. “Does it ache?”

  “Like you don’t even know.”

  “I bet you’re so fucking wet for me, and I’ve barely even touched you.”

  “Probably.”

  No shame.

  “Good,” he said, his gaze raking down her naked, trembling form and only coming to a stop at the small scrap of lace that was her thong. “We’re doing this again, huh?”

  Violet pressed her lips together, knowing damn well what he was referring to. “They’re not my—”

  She didn’t even finish the sentence—that the panties weren’t one of her favorites as she had always proclaimed—before he let go of her throat, took hold of the flimsy fabric, and fucking tore it from the top straight down to the middle until he could pull the ruined thong off her. Her skin stung from the roughness, but she couldn’t deny how the bite of pleasure and need followed right behind.

  Violet blinked, her air catching hard in her chest. “Jesus.”

  Kaz’s index finger stroked slow, lazy circles over Violet’s center, making her shake. “That’s better.”

  “You know I’m not really the demanding type, right?”

  “Not usually.”

  “You can draw this out another time—make me beg just the way you like. But not right now.”

  Kaz chuckled deeply. “Fair enough, I suppose. One question, though?”

  Violet let out a slow breath when a second finger joined his first; the circles stopped, and he deliberately began stroking her sex from her wet slit st
raight up to her clit. Unhurried swipes that pressed in just the right spots and made her whine.

  “What, Kaz?”

  “The last four months—”

  Violet grabbed onto Kaz’s wrist, stopping his movement altogether. She found his gaze with her own, holding it steady. She wasn’t sure what he was going to say, or ask, but she wanted to make one thing clear before he even bothered.

  “Nobody else, just you,” she told him.

  The bit of tension that had stiffened his shoulders left just like that.

  “I didn’t think so,” Kaz said, “but I never asked you otherwise, either.”

  “I was waiting for you. I don’t—didn’t—want someone else. I still don’t, Kaz.”

  She wasn’t all too sure where or what he had been doing the last few days since his release, but she didn’t feel like she had to ask him about women. Not if he had wondered because, to her, that meant he hadn’t even considered anyone else but her anyway.

  “Is that it?” Violet asked.

  Kaz smiled, flashing his teeth. “Yeah, that’s it.”

  “And we’re clear.”

  “Like crystal.”

  Violet didn’t get the chance to say another thing. Her words stumbled from her tongue in a high moan when his fingers found her slit again and pushed in deep. His thumb flicked up at the same time, pressing firmly into her clit. Violet’s hand tightened around his wrist as he fucked her like that, watching her every little movement, his grin deepening into something far darker and sexier with each thrust of his digits.

  No tricks, she had wanted to tell him.

  She just wanted him to fuck her stupid until she couldn’t think and was somewhere else entirely—somewhere sinful and beautiful with him.

  That demand was lost when Kaz curled his fingers on the plunge, and then widened them on the withdrawal. It’d been too long since she had him touching her like this, and she’d almost forgotten what it felt like.

  Almost.

  Except she couldn’t forget at all, her memories had not done his talents any justice, and her own hand had repeatedly failed to do what his could.

  This was perfect—bliss.

  So she took his fingers and lost herself to the sounds of his harsh breaths, the flickers of pleasure starting to lick through her veins, and the wetness of her arousal smearing her thighs.