“No war, Brennan, not with the Russians. Not yet. Promise?”
I heaved a sigh. “Promise. Until you let me loose.”
Hearing the smile in her voice made everything inside me feel like I was being hung upside down as she whispered, “That’s five promises. If you include last night’s too.”
“I know. Things are getting out of hand.” She laughed as I continued, “I just got off the phone with Ma actually. Da’s softened up some. She’s invited us over for Sunday lunch because she’d like to talk to you.”
“About what?” She didn’t tense up, so I didn’t think she was saying no.
I cleared my throat. “You were young but most people haven’t exactly forgotten about the war with the Aryans.”
“God, no, it’s legendary.”
I nodded. “Ma was hurt real bad, Camille—”
“I think I know, but… what was your promise to your mother, Brennan? Was it to do with the Aryans?” she interrupted.
“Yeah. I vowed I’d never let her down again.” Her gaze softened, but before she could say another word, I carried on, “Ma knows what it’s like to be taken, Camille. She wants you to know you can talk to her. She wants you to be with family today.”
Funny howthathad her tensing up.
Howthathad her sobbing in my arms.
And funny how I felt like crying too as I held a woman who’d started out a stranger, who’d fucked me so filthy that she’d uncrossed my eyes, who’d shown a resilience and a strength so magnetizing that I felt bound to her in a way that I’d never felt with another person.
I knew what it was to be the man with broad shoulders. To be the one everyone relied on. Who protected the rest, who took the first hit so everyone else could duck.
Somehow,somehow, I’d found a woman who knew how that felt too, and that strong creature felt safe in my arms.
I’d tried to live with honor ever since I’d failed Ma, but it was the first time I actuallyfelthonored.