Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78587 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)
I took a step forward and was just inches from my younger brother when I snarled, “So don’t stand there and tell me I don’t know what I’m walking into. I know they will come for her, and when they do, I will remind them why men used to lower their heads when they heard my name.”
Nikolai swallowed hard, and finally, he shook his head and said, “You know, Viktor is going to lose his shit over this.”
“Which is why he can’t know she’s here.”
“You aren’t going to tell him?”
“You said it yourself. He’ll lose his shit.” I kept my tone low and steady as I added, “He will act on emotion and get us all killed. We can’t let that happen.”
“Damn. This just keeps getting better.”
“It’s better this way. Besides, he leaves for the Caymans in a couple of weeks to handle our offshore accounts.”
“He’s going to be pissed.”
“He’ll get over it.”
“I sure hope you know what you’re doing with all this.”
“I’ve gotten us this far, haven’t I?” I responded, again reminding my brother just who I was and what I was capable of. Alina would be safe with me, and that was a promise I would keep.
8
ALINA
Ihad no clue what to do.
I was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at the closed door as I listened to every word Nikolai and Sergei said. It was rough hearing everything they were saying. Nikolai was furious with Sergei.
You’ve fucked us all.
You can’t deal with Alek, the Morozov clan, and the council on your own.
Even if we all stood together, I don’t know if we’d survive it.
It was hard to hear because it was true. All of it, and it was my fault. I’d brought this trouble to their doorstep, and Sergei was risking everything by letting me stay here. If Alek found out, he would kill him. He would kill them all.
I couldn’t let that happen.
Viktor was a dear friend, and I thought the world of his mother and his brothers. I couldn’t let them suffer because of me.
I got up and grabbed my purse from the nightstand and dumped the contents on the floor. There were a few crumpled bills and some loose change, but it wasn’t much. I could see that even before I started counting. I hoped it would be enough for another bus ticket or another night in a cheap motel, but no such luck.
Alek had watched every penny that went through our accounts, so I wasn’t able to gather much from home. And Mila had only been able to give me a couple hundred dollars. It didn’t matter.
I would find a way.
I had to.
I gathered the money into my hand, and I was about to slip it into my wallet when there was a knock at the door. Before I had a chance to react, the handle turned, and Sergei stepped inside the room. His eyes dropped to me on the floor, and the second he spotted the money in my hand, his expression darkened. “What are you planning to do with that?”
I froze.
Guilt. Fear. Shame.
It all tangled in my chest, making it difficult to breathe. “I can’t stay here.”
“And just where do you think you will go?” Seeing the storm in his eyes hit harder than any blow Alek had ever given me. “Back to him? Or someone even worse?”
“I’ll find somewhere to go,” I shot back, shoving the money into my wallet. “I won’t let you and your brothers get hurt because of me.”
“That’s not something you need to be concerned about. We can take care of ourselves.”
“You heard what Nikolai said. They will come for all of you…”
“I don’t give a damn what Nikolai said.” He stepped forward and his shadow fell over me. “You’re not leaving, Alina. Hell, you wouldn’t last an hour out there.”
His words hurt because I knew he wasn’t wrong. I had no money and no options, but that didn’t stop my pride from churning in my stomach. “You can’t force me to stay here.”
He clenched his jaw, and for a long second, I thought he might lose it. But when he spoke again, his voice was calm and almost sympathetic. “I agreed to help you. I need you to trust that I will.”
I didn’t know if I should shout or cry, because that look in his eyes made it clear he meant every word. And deep down, a part of me truly did want to trust him. But that didn’t stop me from saying, “I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if something happened to you or your family.”
“Let me worry about that.”
I wasn’t sure what to do.
I just wanted to crawl into a dark hole and hide.
Sadly, that wasn’t an option.
“Thank you.” The tight line of his mouth eased, just a fraction, but it quickly returned when I added, “Can you tell me what you plan to do about Alek and the family?”