Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 80942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80942 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize for a situation you had no control over. Mental illness isn’t something to be sorry about.”
Tears surge to my eyes and I widen them to stop them from spilling. “Thanks.”
“We ride together and die together, woman.”
“Oh my God, Yan!” I shriek from excitement, a wide grin stretching my lips. “You’re Larry?!”
He winks. “The one and only.”
“I can’t believe it. You look nothing alike, except for the nose deformation. You even spoke in a different accent.”
“A disguise took care of the looks. As for the accent…” He clears his throat and switches to an American one. “I lived here most my life, woman. I can speak like an American. I just choose not to because a Russian accent makes me sound scary and badass.”
“You little bastard.” I’m still laughing, overjoyed at the fact that Larry and Yan are the same person. They were the only people I could consider a friend, whether as Lia or Winter.
“Who are you calling little? I’m twenty-five, thank you very much.”
“You’re still younger than me. Deal with it.”
“Whatever.” He rolls his eyes. “Does Boss know you remember?”
My humor vanishes as I recall what happened today. “He does, but he found out under the worst circumstances. He’s back to thinking I cheated on him. Not that he ever stopped.”
“He doesn’t just think it. You put it in his head and refused to deny it.”
“I did today and he didn’t believe me.”
“Can you blame him? You left that idea to fester and rot in his mind for months.”
“I know. But he’s not innocent either.”
“So? Are you going to talk about it or will you consider solving this a few years from now? Because he might not have the time.”
My heart thunders as a gloomy halo confiscates my thoughts. “What do you mean?”
“Now that you’re Lia, you should know that he killed Richard.”
“I already figured that out. Didn’t he do that to get me back by his side again?” Though I’m glad for it, Adrian’s methods can be extreme. He really frightened the shit out of me back then.
“No, he did it because the scum Richard put his hands on you.”
“Oh.” A rush of something hot goes through me and for some reason, it’s not disgust.
My husband said he’d protect me and he did. Even when I completely erased him.
“That’s not all, Lia. Richard was the Bratva’s mayoral candidate and Sergei isn’t happy that he died. If he finds out it’s an inside job, he’ll consider it a betrayal.”
“Does he…does he suspect Adrian?”
“Yes, and he put Vladimir on the task to bring him down. That mule fucker won’t stop until he proves that Boss is behind it. Igor, who never forgave him for tossing Kristina aside for you, is also plotting his demise so he can put his eldest son in Boss’s position.”
“But…but…isn’t he the most valuable asset to the brotherhood? Sergei wouldn’t abandon him just like that.”
“He would.”
“But why? Adrian is the pillar of that stupid brotherhood. They can’t simply cast him out.” I’m so enraged on his behalf. He gave those assholes his youth and his life, yet they have the audacity to do this to him for someone as insignificant as Richard?
“They sure can. Richard’s death allowed the Lucianos to push their candidate forward and that’s a clear act of betrayal.”
My heart skips a beat at the mention of Dad’s last name. My biological father—the reason why Adrian approached me in the first place. “But he didn’t do it to benefit the Italians.”
“True, but that’s what it’d look like to Sergei and everyone else.”
“Shit.”
“Shit, indeed, Lia. So don’t waste any more time.”
“I don’t plan to.”
Yan hesitates, running his hand through his hair as he watches me from beneath his long eyelashes.
“What is it, Yan?”
“I heard you that night, you know.”
“What night?”
“When I was shot.”
“Oh.”
“You knew that man.” He lowers his voice. “You know him.”
“Yeah,” I murmur.
“Ah, well, fuck. One more complication.”
“Are you going to tell Adrian?”
“Of course not. He’ll take it out on you.”
“But Kolya said Adrian suspects you and thinks you got shot as a ploy.”
“He has no proof to go with it and he doesn’t act without that. I’ll be fine. Just focus on yourself.”
“Thank you. I’m so glad I have you.”
“Me too. Or else my cause of death would’ve been boredom.”
I smile, then peek at him. “Can you do me one more favor?”
“Now what?”
I suck in a deep breath. “Tell me all about the time I was Winter.”
Becoming whole depends on me and me alone. Only when I put all the pieces of my life together will I be able to take the next step.
Whether it will build or destroy us, I have no clue.
9
Adrian
The overstimulation of my mind stops me from processing anything.
Or perhaps I’m processing so much that my brain cells are burning faster than I can form thoughts.