Where the Wind Whispers (Seasons of Betrayal Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

talk, but Kaz’s hands were functioning just fine, and he made good use of them as he flipped Rus off.
    “I’ll take that as a compliment. You look a lot better than how I found you.”
    That last statement was a bit somber, his gaze dropping to the floor a moment before he took a seat on the other side of the room. Rus very rarely, if ever, showed emotion. Well, besides anger. He had picked up that trait up from their father, though he would never admit it.
    Leveling a look on Rus, it didn’t take long for him to understand the silent message.
    “Have you eaten today, Violet?” Rus asked, looking over at her even as he pulled out his wallet.
    She frowned, glancing at Kaz. “But he needs—”
    “Don’t worry. He’s in good hands. If anything comes up, I’ll let you know.”
    Violet was still hesitant, but after looking back and forth between the pair of them—and probably guessing they needed to talk—she finally nodded. Once she had disappeared out the door after accepting the money Rus practically shoved into her hand, Kaz grabbed the little pad of paper and started scribbling.
    Finished, he tossed it toward the end of the bed for Rus to read.
    Vasily .
    Kaz didn’t have to write more for him to understand what he was asking.
    “Gone,” Rus said regrettably. “Al—”
    Voices sounded just outside the hospital room before Vera suddenly burst through the doors, eyes wide and frantic as she hurried over to Kaz’s side, but more curious was the man casually strolling in behind her.
    Alfie Shelby.
    He took the seat closest to Kaz, the one Violet had abandoned mere minutes before. But it wasn’t because of Kaz that Alfie chose that one specifically, he knew. This one allowed him not to have his back to the door and was just off from the window.
    After everything Kaz had faced over the last nine months, he understood the man’s precaution.
    Which was another reason he was ready to get the hell out of this hospital.
    “I got back as soon as I could,” Vera rushed to say as she dropped a comforting hand on his shoulder, her eyes dropping to the bandage on his throat.
    When she looked at him expectantly, he realized she didn’t know that he was unable to speak— still— so he pointed first to the bandage, then down toward the end of the bed where the pad sat.
    “Papa did this?” she asked, her voice going low, but gone was the usual heat that accompanied any statement she made about their father. “But he loves you …”
    Kaz understood what she really meant.
    He was their father’s prodigy, the person he intended to carry on his legacy. No matter what wrong Kaz committed over the years, Vasily shrugged it off—if only because he wanted to ensure Kaz did as he was asked.
    To his siblings, Kaz was Vasily’s favorite. His boy. His pride and joy.
    But not knowing what to say, even if he could, Kaz shrugged.
    There was no rational explanation. Not one he could think of, anyway.
    Tapping out a cadence on the arm of the chair he was sitting in, Alfie glanced down at the watch on his wrist. “Men do dangerous things when backed into a corner. Nature of the beast.”
    His remark drew the attention of the room, and after a beat, Rus asked the question Kaz was thinking. “What are you doing here, Alfie?”
    Out of the corner of his eye, Kaz thought he saw Vera tense.
    “Came to offer my services, mate,” Alfie responded, gesturing to Kaz with ringed fingers. “Three weeks in this place can do things to you. Besides, I owe Kazimir a debt.”
    Rus’ expression didn’t shift from the look of discontent. “Right. You’re here for Kaz …” He couldn’t sound more disbelieving if he tried.
    “At the moment, but in the interest of time, how about we ignore me, yeah? And get back to Kazimir. As you were saying, I’ve not found your father, but I was told he’s left the country. Probably gone off back to your motherland.”
    It made sense.
    Especially with Vasily’s ties to some of the men there. They