He didn’t pull away, but she could feel the air shifting, filling the cracks between them with cool fingers.
“Babies,” he mused quietly.
Juliette nodded. “Not tomorrow, but one day, yeah.”
“I can’t give you babies.” His hands dropped away and she gasped at the loss. “Not because I don’t want to, but I … I can’t.”
“Because you won’t give up being the wolf,” she finished quietly for him.
“Not won’t,” he corrected sharply. “I can’t. You can’t leave this life. My father left Yegor Yolvoski and you know how that ended. Getting in is easy, but you never leave. Not unless you’re dead.”
She drew in a breath even as her heart cracked all over again. “I guess that answers my question, huh?”
“Juliette…”
Shaking her head, Juliette turned and hurried through the doors of the conservatory. Her heels clicked loudly despite the chatter and music. No one paid her any attention as she hurried towards the entrance.
It was only when she found herself standing on the sidewalk overlooking a packed parking lot that she realized she had no car and her great escape was ruined by having to wait for a cab, which she couldn’t call, because Killian still had her phone.
“Fuck!” she snapped to no one in particular.
The glass doors behind her flew open and Killian jogged out.
“Juliette, wait.”
She rounded on him. “Give me my phone back!”
“I will, but let me explain first.”
Her eyes narrowed. “Explain what? What is there to explain? We can’t be together. We can never be together. No matter how much we want to or how much it hurts to be apart, a fish can’t live with a bird.”
“You can if you have a sister like me.” Maraveet followed Killian out, a wide, sneaky grin on her face. “Just say the words and I’ll be your Redbull.”
Chapter 35
“That is the worst idea ever!” Juliette paced away from the group. She’d taken her shoes off—Killian had no idea what became of them—but she padded around the empty shipping container with her skirt trailing after her in the thin layer of dust. “I’m pretty sure that’s not even legal! And why are we in this box?”
“It’s the only way I can guarantee you can live the rest of your lives as normal and boring as humanly possible,” Maraveet argued. “And because we can’t trust that someone won’t overhear us anywhere else. My family owns this cargo dock so I know we’re safe to talk.”
“Okay, but this idea of yours…”
“The decision is entirely up to you, obviously, but I promise it’ll work.”
The idea was disturbingly ingenious. Killian could find no flaws no matter how he turned it over in his head. It was perfect, too perfect, the kind of perfect that came with years of planning.
“And this idea just came to you overnight?” he asked, eyeing his sister.
Maraveet looked away. “It’s something I’ve had in the works for a while, okay? It’s a one time showstopper so either we do it all the way through or not at all.”
Juliette shook her head. “I don’t even know how you’d ever pull this off.”
“It’s all about timing and commitment,” Maraveet answered.
Next to Killian, Vi stood silent and pensive. She hadn’t said a word throughout the entire exchange and her silence worried him.
“What do you think?” he asked her. “I know Juliette won’t do this without you and neither would I, but it doesn’t have to happen if you don’t want.”
Juliette ceased her pacing and turned to the girl. “He’s right. I won’t do it without you.”
Vi shrugged. “I’ve got nothing here. No reason to stay.”
“Are you sure?” Juliette demanded. “You have to be sure, because if we do this, we can never come back here. You’d leave your school, your friends … Mrs. Tompkins.”
Vi pushed off the wall she’d been helping Killian hold up and stood. “There are other schools. I haven’t got any friends and Mrs. Tompkins is with her family. Like I said, nothing here worth staying for.”
Killian studied Juliette. Even in the dull light, her eyes were enormous with fear. Her face was pale and drawn. She’d begun to cut a gash along her bottom lip with her teeth and it was the sight of blood that had him going to her.
“Juliette.” He took her cold cheeks between his palms. Her brown eyes lifted to his face, dilated with fear. “It’s all right, love.”
“I’m scared,” she blurted. “It all sounds so risky and final and…”
“Are you afraid you’ll change your mind about me later?” he wondered out loud.
Her head rocked wildly. “That you’ll regret it. That you’ll look back one day and realize it wasn’t worth giving up for me.”
“I’m not giving it up for you.” He smoothed back a lock of hair caught at the corner of her lip. “I would never have taken on the business if it wasn’t for Yolvoski. I never wanted it. But I need you. I need the rest of my future with you.” He kissed her lightly. “And I need those babies you mentioned. I want them with you. Lots of them. As many as you’ll give me.”
Tears and apprehension shone in her eyes as she searched his. Her hands settled over top of his, holding his palms to her cheeks.
“But what about your house? Your mother’s garden? The fountain and all your businesses and money?”
A grin turned up the corner of his mouth. “I promise I’ll keep you well cushioned in all the nothings you allow me to shower you with. I already told you what will happen to the business and the property. Charites mostly. As for the rest, stuff. Lots and lots of stuff tainted with memories I don’t want anymore. I lived in that nightmare long enough. I want new ones with you. But if you want to stay here, then I’m okay with that too. I’ll figure out another way.”
A tear slipped and he caught it with his finger. He smoothed it away gently, but kept peering into her eyes, willing her to see just how much he needed her to take this step with him. How much he needed her to help him forget.
“Okay,” she whispered at last. “Let’s do it.”
He kissed her lightly. “I won’t let you regret this,” he whispered against her mouth.
She peered up into his face with a small smile. “I won’t. I want this.” She touched the side of his face with cool fingertips. “I want you.”
“All right now.” Maraveet moved forward. “That’s enough of that. There’s only so much I can stomach. Besides, we’ve got work to do if everyone’s in agreement.”
Vi nodded before anyone else. “I’m in.”
“Me too,” Juliette murmured.
Killian only nodded when his sister caught his eye.
“Lovely.” Maraveet clapped her hands once and rubbed them. “Well, that’s our meeting for tonight. Everyone off to bed. We’ve got a full day tomorrow.”
Pulling out of his arms, Juliette hurried to Vi and tugged her out of the metal container. Killian watched them a moment before turning to his own sister.
“How long have you had this in the works?” he asked.
Maraveet shrugged. “A while. Every great escape artist needs a final act.”
“Does this mean you’ll be joining us?”
Her nose wrinkled. “Not yet. I’ve got plenty of plundering left in me before I take the final plunge.”
Killian went to her, stopping when she had to tilt her head back. “You know what that’ll mean if you don’t.”
Her eyes lowered, but he saw the pain in them. “I know, but it won’t be forever. I’ll still find ways to see you.”