Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 68192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68192 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“That’s a big window, bro,” Rafael said. “Somebody could sneak in here easily. Niko is safer if you’re here.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “You don’t have to stay.” I didn’t want him here with me if he’d rather be with his brothers or if I was better off with him downstairs.
He laid a hand over mine. “I’m staying. I just don’t like my brothers thinking they’re in charge of this operation.”
“But if you—”
“Shh.” He laid a finger over my lips, and heat raced through me. “I know how to take care of you.”
“Damn. Wait until we’re gone for all that,” Rafe said.
My cheeks burned with embarrassment. This wasn’t what they thought, was it?
15
LORENZO
Dante gave me a malicious smile, the bastard. He knew it would torment the hell out of me to be here with Niko and not touch him. “It’s not too hard to figure out your plans. We’ve known you all our lives, Renzo. We know how you think.”
I glared at them. What he meant was they knew I was hot for Nikolai when I shouldn’t be. I couldn’t understand why they wanted me to be with him. It was a disaster waiting to happen. How were we supposed to negotiate when I was fucking Dimitri’s son?
Nothing could come of this, even if Remington agreed to it. I would see that Nikolai didn’t marry Alina Ivanov and never returned to his father’s house, but he could never marry me.
Wait. The room swirled around me. Marry? What the fuck? I didn’t want to marry him. That was insane. I was in way over my head.
I snarled at my brothers. “Get out there and make damn sure no one gets in this house.”
Dante gave one of his rare smiles.
“We got you, bro,” Rafe said as he fucking winked at me.
I flipped him off as they left the room. “Ignore them.”
Niko just laughed. “It must be nice to be that close to your brothers.”
“They’re assholes.”
“But they are here for you. They care.”
I nodded. “They do.”
“All my sister thought about was getting away from our father. She didn’t care that I was left there alone and at his mercy.”
I let go of his hand and gripped his shoulders, turning him to face me. When his eyes met mine, a jolt of awareness shot through me. I fought the urge to yank my hands back and turn away. Niko didn’t need anyone else deserting him. “How old were you when she left?”
“Thirteen. She got married on her eighteenth birthday to a man who was willing to pay for her.”
“And she was okay with that?”
Niko sighed. “She thought he cared for her.”
“And now?”
“She’s rarely allowed to leave home. The last time I saw her, she looked worn down. Her eyes were empty.”
I already wanted Dimitri dead, but now I had even more reason to want to tear his head from his shoulders. “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.”
I shifted further onto the bed and took both his hands in mine. “Look at me and listen carefully.”
“O-okay.”
“I know a lot of ways to kill a man. I’m good at hand-to-hand combat, and I’m a damn fine shot. You are safe with me. I am putting my life between you and your father or anyone he sends, and I don’t want to die.”
Niko shook his head. “I don’t want you to die either. I don’t like the idea of killing anyone, but my father… he’s… I mean, he should…”
“It’s okay if you want him dead. No one should be able to treat you like he has and live, and they won’t as long as I’m breathing.”
“Why do you care so much?”
“Because you’re an innocent man who was under his care. He’s abused you, and he’s willing to hand you over to a monster.” And for some reason, you call to the protective side of me like no man ever has, and I want you here with me.
“I was so scared. I… I knew Ivanov was worse than my father, but… I didn’t think I had a way out.”
Ivanov was worse than he could even imagine. I knew better, but I pulled Niko into my arms, needing to hold him. “You’re going to be able to make your own choices about who you are and who you want to be with. I promise you that.”
He clung tightly to me, and I shifted, pulling him even closer, burying his face in my neck.
“Thank you,” he whispered. His warm breath against my skin caused my body to tighten. I took hold of his upper arms and eased him away from me.
“Nikolai…” His gaze met mine, and my breath caught. How the hell did he have such an effect on me?
16
NIKOLAI
Iwanted to ask for another kiss, but I was frozen, unable to speak or even breathe. His hands on my arms felt hot enough to burn me, and I only wanted to get closer to the flames.