Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 57121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 228(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)
“So, we make them pay,” Anton says simply.
“We’re not like the other wings of the Bratva.” When Nikolai opens his mouth, I glare at him. “And don’t say I keep telling you things you already know. If you knew it, I wouldn’t have to keep saying.”
Nikolai glowers at me, flexing his tatted hands.
“Progress.” I stand. “That’s what we need.”
I storm out of the restaurant, teeth gritted. It was far easier to stay cold before my light shone on this dark, depressing world. Before speaking with Liora about it, I truly realized what falling asleep to those sitcoms meant. A preview of a real life, a chance at being normal.
Now, I have that chance in real life. And it’s making everything else seem worse in comparison.
I text Lia when I’m back in my office.
Maksim: How’s work going today?
A couple hours later, she replies.
Lia: It’s the same chaos as usual. So, you know… perfect for me.
I smile, but there’s a sad quality to it. I wish I could sweep her off her feet and give her the life she deserves. She wouldn’t even have to accept me to take the cash, take her new reality. She could live it in any way she wanted. But she’s proud, and I admire her for that. I know better than to offer again.
Maksim: What are you doing after work? Perhaps I could make another delicious meal. And by ‘make’, I mean find another fine dining establishment and take all the credit.
Lia: I told Mom I’d swing by her place. If it wasn’t for that, I think I’d probably just go home and melt into the bed. ‘Tired’ isn’t even a good word anymore. I’d love to be tired!
I grind my teeth. There’s no point telling her to stop working herself ragged again. Maybe I can do the next best thing.
Maksim: I can pick you up and give you a ride.
Lia: To my mom’s place? Why? I don’t know how I’d explain you to her.
Maksim: I don’t have to come inside.
I reply, feeling ashamed of my Bratva status for the first time I can remember. I’m a beast not fit for indoor, civilized company.
Maksim: You won’t have to worry about driving. You can relax during the car ride, at least.
Lia: What about my car?
I think of her rundown car. It looks like a death trap. It’d be the easiest thing in the world for me to buy her a new one. But again, she wouldn’t take it. I wish she’d let me take care of her.
Maksim: If you leave the keys under the wheel, I’ll have someone drive it back to the townhouse.
Lia: Wow. Okay, yeah, thanks.
For the rest of the day, I’m counting down the minutes. When I’m finally parked across the street from the hospital, and I spot her walking toward me, my whole mood lifts. It’s just like when I used to watch her. The instant change. The belief that maybe the world isn’t such a bad place.
I get out of the car and open the passenger-side door. She gives me a tired yet teasing look. “You don’t have to do that.”
I want to kiss her so badly. But she’s got her arms folded, glancing at the hospital. She doesn’t want me to complicate her life more than it already is.
“I do,” I say. “You deserve to have someone take care of you.”
In the car, she reaches over and squeezes my arm. It’s a brief moment, but it means a lot. She starts giving me the address, then stops, laughing. “I assume you already know it?”
I nod.
More laughter, tight, conflicted.
A minute later, she’s asleep against the window. She looks devastatingly beautiful, her hair coming loose in places. I reach over and gently brush my hand through it.
I don’t want to wake her when we reach the house. I spot one of my men down the street, sitting behind the wheel of a construction van.
Gently, I shake her shoulders. “We’re here.”
She blinks, looking lost. “Oh. Yeah. I was dreaming…” She looks me up and down. My heartbeat picks up speed as I imagine what we were doing in her dream. “I should go.”
“I’ll be here,” I tell her.
“I don’t know how long I’ll be.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Are you sure?”
I take her hand, rub my thumb softly over her knuckles. She responds with a sharp intake of breath, her expressive eyes growing soft. When I kiss her, she makes another breathy sound. She leans against me, her hands digging into my shoulders.
I watch her walk across the street, then sit back and wait. A few minutes later, she texts me.
Lia: I think she’s having a bad day, Maksim. You might want to leave. I can grab a cab home.
Maksim: I’m not going anywhere. Take as long as you need. If you end up staying over, I’ll be here in the morning.