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)
Lia: I don’t want to talk to you right now. I’m afraid I’ll say things I might regret. MIGHT regret, Maksim.
Maksim: Who’s dead?
Lia: Who do you think! It’s all over the news.
“Turn on the TV,” I tell the barman.
“… violent crime of a sickening nature,” the reporter is saying, standing outside an apartment complex surrounded by police tape. “The details are still emerging, but sources close to the scene tell us the victim is twenty-three-year-old Daniel Mercer, a delivery driver who, we’re told, was in debt to some as-yet unnamed figures.”
I slam my fist on the table so hard the plates leap up and a glass falls to the floor, shattering.
“Fuck,” I growl.
I try to call Lia again. She rejects it again.
Lia: Whoever that poor man was, he didn’t deserve this. He didn’t deserve any of this! You need to explain what’s going on. Who you are. Information, you said. But this is more than information. This is wrong. You need to tell me everything, or I swear to God, the first place I’m going after work is the police station.
Nikolai is watching me, eyes narrowed.
“People die in this world, brother,” he says, when I glare at him.
“He was a goddamn civilian.”
“He stole from us,” Nikolai says flatly.
“Are you saying you were behind this?”
“Have you lost your mind?” Nikolai snaps. “We’ve been looking for him. How could I be behind this? If I’d found him, I would’ve told you. Or maybe this girl has twisted your head up that much. Maybe she’s got you doubting your own flesh and blood.”
I rush forward, furious. Haul him to his feet and shove him against the bar.
“Keep her name out of your goddamn mouth.”
He smirks in classic Nikolai fashion. “I don’t believe I used her name, big brother.”
“You know what I mean.” I give him a shake. “You’ve been absent, distracted. And now this.”
“Let me go,” he grunts. When I don’t, he gives me a look I know well. If I don’t let him go, we’ll fight. Whatever else is happening, a fight with Nikolai is the last thing I need. We’re both skilled fighters and we love each other too much for it, anyway.
I release him. “Handle this. Get the police report. We need to know what happened. Conrad must be desperate if he’s resorting to this.”
“Maybe we pissed him off by hanging around his businesses instead of intimidating him.”
“Sort it out, Nikolai.”
“You still trust me enough for that?” he says ironically.
I clap him on the arm. A display of endearment, and a small explosion of rage.
“You know I do,” I snap. “After all we’ve been through, I can’t doubt you. You know that.”
He nods sagely. “Good—yeah, that’s good to know. I was beginning to worry there.”
“We’re blood,” I say. “We’re all each other has got. Now, go.”
I text Lia as Nikolai walks away.
Maksim: Don’t do that. We need to talk in person.
Lia: Did you know this could happen? Or are you behind this? Is it that bad, Maksim? Did you get so angry that he stole your precious phone that you decided you had to do this? Did you do it yourself?
Maksim: Slow down. We can’t discuss this over the phone. But no, Lia, this wasn’t me.
Lia: But you know who it was. This is how your world works. I’ve had my head buried in the sand, but that’s over now. That boy had my brother’s face, Maksim, his freckles, his presence. The news is saying he was in debt and he was just doing his best. This is plain wrong.
Maksim: What time does your shift end? I’ll pick you up. We’ll talk about this.
A long pause. My foot taps on the floor. I feel the bartender looking at me, but he quickly averts his gaze when I look over.
Lia: I’m only agreeing to this if you agree to the total truth. Otherwise, I’m going to force you to kill me too.
I close my eyes, breathing slowly. The thought sickens me. The idea that she’d ever think I could do that. I’d burn this whole city to the ground, take my own goddamn life, before harming a single hair on her head.
Maksim: The total truth. I swear.
CHAPTER 21
LIA
Iwalk across the street, strange feelings pouring through me. My life has been simple for the past few years. Not easy, but uncomplicated. Work, help Mom, work, repeat. Now, I’m fighting a smile as Maksim steps from his car and opens the passenger-side door. My instinct is to banter with him, make a funny comment, something.
The urge to kiss him is real. I can still feel last night, all the closeness, the heat, the passion. I remember the shower afterward. Most of all, I remember how he held me, kissing the top of my head, snuggling me close. I felt like life was perfect and it was only going to get better.