Of course that is what she says because I won’t give her what she really wants. And letting her go isn’t an option. I don’t wait for her to be okay. I stride out, gesturing to two guards outside the door. “Make sure she stays in there.”
“Yes, Zver,” they chorus. I don’t doubt them for a second. I expect compliance without question That’s the kind of brotherhood we built. So in what world did Niko think taking Claire away was okay?
I head to Niko’s designated room. The doctor is just finishing with him, stitching and wrapping bruises that blooms across his face and torso. His small head lowers as I enter, then he slips past me without a word. My focus is fixed entirely on Niko.
“My apologies, Zver,” Niko starts the moment the door closes. “I was wrong to take her out of the house.”
“Yea
