Chapter 35 Subtle Victory
Stefan's POV~
Clara’s thin frame, bruised by Natasha’s cruelty, trembled within Valenticia’s arm, and her gratitude came in a whisper. I’d made Clara promise not to speak of her capture, the part of rescuing her from Galden’s clutches. I owed her family for getting them entangled in this mess.
The only sound I could hear was the one in my head as we drove to Clara’s house through the rain-slick streets of Seryne later that night. At the station, Clara had called her family to inform them about her safety and her journey back home. I’d built security around her scruffy row house, shielding her from whatever move Natasha intended to make next. Valenticia was seated next to me, a bandage covering her hand and a look in her eyes both far away and scared. When we arrived at Clara’s, we followed her inside. As we arrived, her parents Maria and Tom embraced her weeping, then wrapped their arms around us and thanked us in choked voices.
“You saved her,” Maria said, tears in her eyes, gripping my hand. “Thank you, both of you.”
Tom motioned toward the security just outside their shadows, on guard as it got dusky. “Will they keep us safe?” he asked staring at Valenticia, knitting his brows.
She nodded, her voice steady. “They’re the best. And we want to send you someplace new — anywhere you want to go, all expenses paid. It’s the least we can do.”
A shy but warm smile lit up Maria’s face. “That’s… incredible. We’ll think about it.”
Tom tapped me on the shoulder and he demanded that we have dinner. “It’s little, but it’s our way to thank you,” he said, taking us into a snug sitting room whose walls were lined with family pictures, a universe completely different from the corporate homes that I knew. The table was spread with a roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and green beans sautéed with almonds, the smells grounding me. Clara’s pallid face relaxed into a wan smile at her parents’ pleasure.
I watched Valenticia while we ate, her laughter responding to Tom’s stories like I hadn't anticipated. She looked up at me and her eyes went soft, she took the potatoes from me and my hand brushed against hers as I handed it to her on purpose and I felt a little jolt when it did. She blushed, and her lips parted just a little, I leaned in, refilling her glass, my voice low. “You’re doing fine,” I said, my tone soft with admiration. The smile she flashed was brief but sincere, and it sent a shiver down me as my gaze connected with hers, the room forgotten.
Dinner went a long way. Maria’s apple pie was richly cinnamon-scented, and we finished our meal. Valenticia’s pleased hum as she humored me, and I brushed my hand over her wrist as I refilled her glass. It was a little motion, and yet the look—half shy, half defiant—stirred an ache I struggled to control. I felt the desire to shield to protect her, to draw her close, but I dismissed such. Maybe I was just tired.
As we exited the house and got to where I'd pack my car, I made eye contact with Valenticia again, “Sleep at my house tonight,” I burst out, the words tumbling from my mouth before I could pull them back, my shock as great as hers. “It’s a lot safer,” I said too soon, explaining myself.
Her eyes widened, then a smile passed across her face before she shook it. “No, I … I have to keep my head down,” she said.
Before I could answer there was a sudden burst of loud voices from inside the house. We ran in and found a young man — Clara’s boyfriend, Jake, she sobbed — looming over her, his face contorted with rage. “You’re not leaving!” he screamed, his fingers digging into her arm, his warning obvious.
Clara’s voice cracked, her eyes pleading. “He cheated on me before and had another girlfriend. I can’t trust him.”
Fury flooded through me, my fists balling as I took ahold of Jake and dragged him toward the door, his protests swallowed by my strength. “Out. Now.” I pushed him out into the rain; his curses diminishing while security flanked and escorted him, to never be seen again.
Clara was still sobbing, Maria consoling her and I looked at Valenticia with a face of disappointment and fury, one hand grazing mine in silent thanks.
We said goodbyes once more, Maria’s hug lingering, Tom’s handshake firm. “Protect her,” I whispered, tilting my head toward Valenticia.
Silence filled the car during the drive back. As I drove, somehow my mind went wandering to Hailey, my ex-fiancée whose betrayal had scarred me. Her lies, her affair with a rival exec, left me swearing off love, a wall I had erected to survive. But the vow was falling apart here beside me as I stared at Valencia. Her bravery at the warehouse, saving Clara even at her own heartbreak, and her quiet resolve at dinner, awakened something I had sworn to kill.
The way her eyes locked onto mine, the touch of her hand, nearly kissing her in the safe house—it felt like a pull I could not resist. Was this woman who sat at my side breaking those walls? I ignored my mind as I gripped the wheel, craving to keep her safe as I found myself, desiring to be her protector, and not just her contract partner.