AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But Harper only winks at me, a clear signal she has no intent of slowing down. She lines up a shot so far and so hard to reach, hitting it would be almost miraculous.
“Harper,” I say, taking a step toward her. “You’re only showing off now.”
“Oh, yeah?” she answers playfully. “Gonna do something about that?”
“Woman,” I warn. “Do you need me to remind you to be safe?”
She pauses and gives me a quick glance as if the words have finally cut through the thrill of the game. “Is that a promise, Aleks?”
She’s still wet with my come but it seems she needs my handprint on her ass to remind her. She fucking loves to defy me, the little brat.
Nikko chuckles beside me. “Oh, brother, you have your work cut out for you, don’t you?”
I groan, even as my chest swells. “You have no idea.” I give him a sharp look. “Keep this between us, Nikko. Mikhail will have to know soon, but for now, just us.”
Nikko nods. “I get it. You’ll outfit her?”
I nod. “Absolutely.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Harper
I’ve never feltanything like this before.
Nikko stands beside me. A big guy covered in tats, he’s ruggedly handsome but more boy-next-door-meets-mobster next to Aleks. His large frame and menacing scowl would scare me if I wasn’t more experienced by now.
“I’ve never felt anything like this before,” I tell him, shaking my head. “I don’t know how to describe it.”
“I get it,” Aleks says beside me. “This is what I’m like when I’m breaking code. When I’m deep in the weeds, unraveling numbers and letters and breaking through.”
“State of flow,” Nikko says. “You’re in the state of flow. Can take people a long time to get there. We call it natural instincts.”
Aleks nod. “You’re fully focused. Everything else fades away. Time can slow down or speed up. You have absolute control overeverything and know intuitively what will happen next. You can almost envision it.”
I stare at him, my eyes wide. How did he know that?
“I’ve never felt so in control in my life. It’s like I’m commanding the sun to set or the moon to rise. It’s like…like…”
“Waving a magic wand,” Aleks says. “I get it.”
“Aleks! Nikko! Harper! Are you guys coming or what?” Polina’s a little dot by the front door.
I glance at my phone, shocked to see hours have passed. It’s lunchtime, and his family’s due to arrive any minute.
“Oh my God, I can’t believe it’s this late already. I need to change, fix my hair, and see to Ivy.”
I spin around, looking for a place to put the gun down when both Nikko and Aleks flinch. “Harper.” I wince at the sharp sound of Aleks’s voice.
“What?”
“Freeze. Stay right there.” He puts his hands out as if he’s trying to stop someone from jumping off a bridge.
I look down to see the gun in my hand pointed straight at him.
“Relax, I’m not going to shoot you,” I say with a laugh as I drop my arm.
Nikko grimaces and Aleks puts his hands on his hips. “You’ve already forgotten the gun safety we went over when we started.Thatdoesn’t come naturally to anyone, woman.”
