Silent Heart (The Vlasov Bratva #5)

Chapter 23 – Harley

D r. Hoffner stepped out, leaving me alone with the little beagle stretched out on the exam table. The room was small, cozy even, with soft sage walls meant to make pet owners feel like they were somewhere safe rather than in a sterile clinic. There were framed photos of dogs and cats hung neatly above a small counter, each one more playful and endearing than the last. The gentle hum of the air conditioning mixed with the faint scent of disinfectant, shampoo, and animal fur. The distinct and lingering odor covered the worse smells of blood, feces, and urine.

I took a deep breath, grounding myself. The beagle, Fritz, was still under from the sedative. His body was warm under my gloved hand as I checked his pulse, feeling the reassuring, slow thump of his heart beneath his thin fur. I ran my fingers over the soft creature, relishing the rise and fall of his little chest, and ever so grateful that his breathing was slow and steady. He should be just fine—the doctor had said as much—but I didn’t like leaving anything to chance.

Outside the exam room, the familiar sounds of the clinic filtered in. I could hear the low murmur of pet owners talking to reception, the occasional bark from a dog in the waiting area, and the soft ring of the phone as someone called in. It was comforting, in a way, the sounds of everyday life in the clinic—busy and bustling, yet somehow calm.

This was my happy place. It never felt like work, taking care of the creatures, great and small. Granted, there were hard days. Just last week, we had to put a foal down. A foal! But it was suffering, and the responsible thing was to end the pain. But that was a kind of helping. It wasn’t as fun as saving Fritz’s life, but it was necessary.

I was born for this.

After one more pat on the patient's little rump, I continued to clean up the tools we’d used, discarding gauze and placing the syringes into the biohazard container, all the while keeping an eye on Fritz. His nose twitched slightly in his sleep, a reminder that, even under sedation, he was still a determined hunter. Nothing was getting past him! I chuckled and finished the job at hand. With everything put away, I gave him one last gentle stroke along his back, feeling a swell of relief mixed with a bit of pride. I had done my job, and he was safe.

A fist rapped against the door.

Expecting the receptionist or the other technician, I called out, “Come on in, I’m almost done.”

“They said I’d find you back here.” My grandmother closed the door softly behind her.

“Hi!” I breathed, fingers faltering over the medication I still needed to give Fritz while he was asleep. I shook my head, readjusting the syringe, and pinching the skin on his back leg. “What are you doing here, Gran? Is everything alright?”

Grandma peered over the operating table, looking at the bandaged abdomen. “Poor critter.”

“Yeah, got into it with something bigger and meaner. Managed to limp back to his people, though.” I stroked the dog’s side. “He’ll wake up groggy, but he’ll be just fine in a couple of weeks.”

Gently petting the sleeping dog’s head, my grandma pinned me with a look. “It’s been three weeks, Hariet.”

Oh, crap. She meant business.

“I know, I’ve been really busy—”

My grandma cut me off with a flick of her hand. “You’ve barely been at home. I don’t know when you’ve had time to sneak in for fresh clothes, you won’t return our calls, and you keep sending three-word texts back when you finally do answer. Forgive me for wanting to make sure you were alive.”

“Sorry,” I sighed, fidgeting with the bandages.

“Everyone’s worried about you.”

“Mighty nice of them,” I muttered.

My grandma let out an exasperated sigh. “And just what is that supposed to mean? Hhmmm? The last time you were home was that big Sunday dinner, and Beatrice said you were downright nasty to her. Now—” Grandma held up her hands to prevent me protesting “—I know my daughter can be a piece of work. So I took what she said with a grain of salt. But you haven’t been around, honey.”

“Truthfully, Gran,” I sighed, “I just got tired of being the punching bag. I’ve been working hard, and no one’s been riding my case about anything.”

Grandma scoffed. “It’s not that bad. Sure, the family can be loud, but that’s no reason to turn your back on us.”

I leveled her with a stare. “Do you know why I got so testy with Aunt Bea?”

“Not really, no.” Grandma arched a brow in challenge.

Here it goes. One can of worms, opening up! “Bea thinks I should pay you to keep the farm. Ottis thinks I’m his glorified babysitter. And the rest treat me like a failure because I have never done the normal thing. Face it, Grandma, I’m the different one. Always have been, always will be. This is just me embracing that.”

Walking around the stainless-steel table, my grandmother brushed my hair off my face. “We shouldn’t have sprung the whole family on your gentleman caller like that. He obviously is different if he’s captured your interest like this.”

She had no idea how spot on those words were. Kole had me…seeing a different future. Three weeks with him, and no more sleepwalking! He’d been preoccupied with some projects in the unfinished basement, but he’d been tucked in bed with me every night. And he slept—the man who claimed not to sleep slept! We’d gone fishing. We’d baked! Pies and macarons, cookies and breads, we’d managed to do a lot of things. We’d even gone to pick more fresh strawberries. I knew it felt more like a fairytale than real life, but I couldn’t help losing myself to the dreams in the sky that had now become my reality. And if he hadn’t quite opened himself to me the way I wanted, it was his tangled web of secrets. I knew the man who consumed my thoughts was perfect, and I was not willing to lose that over whatever details existed outside this summer romance.

“You shouldn’t have,” I agreed. “I wanted him to know you and Grandpa. Not the whole clan!”

“But you abandoning us,” Grandma continued. “That isn’t right, honey.”

Another sigh blew past my lips. “I know. I’m just so caught up in work that I need peace and quiet when I’m done.”

“What about him? Hmm? He thinks he can use you and then call it quits when the summer ends?”

“Gran—” It was on the tip of my tongue to tell her she didn’t know him. But it was true. We had an expiration date. Kole had been nothing but honest. I was his present.

I’m not done fighting for a future. One that I create. I’d been doing it my whole life, why should this be any different?

“Mhmm, that’s what I thought.” Grandma gave me a severe frown.

I have to tell her. She always was able to make it better. It might be wishful thinking, but maybe she could fix this too.

"You're wrong about him. We said from the beginning this might never have a future," I whispered.

Grandma sighed. "Oh, honey, you're hurting."

Dropping my gaze, I shrugged. "I'm trying to enjoy the present. Is that so wrong?"

"I suppose not. But why didn't you tell me? Huh? You let me think the worst of him."

"I want you to know him, but things are...complicated."

“Well, let's talk some more, kay?" Grandma patted my cheek. "Come back and bake with me. Oh! And don't neglect poor Lilac. She’s been down about the mouth lately.”

As she turned to leave, I closed my eyes. A wave of pain passed over me. She couldn’t fix it—no one could. The door clicked in place, and I hung my head.

She cannot ruin my happy dreams. I won’t let her!

But those words were easier thought than done. There was no place for Kole and me in the future. The sooner I came to terms with that, the better. That was the problem with castles in the sky. They were better than reality.