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“Thoughtfully defiant,” Andrei said, laughing.
“I was like you, gazelle. I was the good kid. My brothers and sister were the hellions in my family. I’m the angel,” Misha said, giving me his most cherubic smile.
“Do your siblings hate you for that? Or are they just as adorable as you are?” I asked.
He walked to the kitchen, his phone in hand, to show me a picture of his siblings. I could tell they were related, but Misha got the best looks by far. I looked at the picture for a moment, then looked to him. “They hate you,” I stated.
He laughed loudly. “Yeah, they kinda do.”
“What about you, Bubba? Is your little brother as handsome as you are?”
“I think he got all the looks. Must be a perk of being the youngest,” he said. He got up and walked to the kitchen as well to show me pictures of his brother. Andrei’s brother was quite handsome, just in a different way from Andrei.
“Bubba, he’s not better looking than you,” I said, looking at the picture. Andrei’s brother was similar in height to him, but he weighed significantly less than Andrei did. “Look at him. What is he like a hundred and eighty pounds soaking wet?” I asked.
Andrei laughed, which made Misha curious. He walked behind me, so he could see over my shoulder. “That’s a generous estimate, gazelle. I think you weigh more than he does and you’re too skinny still.”
Andrei took his phone back, flipping through a few more pictures, then showed us another picture of his brother. “He’s a legit model though,” he said, showing us another picture of his brother.
“Okay, maybe it was standing next to you that made him look tiny. He doesn’t look as small there, but he’s still not prettier than you. I don’t care what you say,” I said.
“You’re biased, spider monkey,” he said dismissively. “My brother always got all the girls when we were younger. It’s kind of turned him into a dick. Max reminds me a lot of my brother.”
“Ugh. That’s a sad existence for your brother. He must be very empty,” I said quietly.
Before Andrei could respond, Ivan walked into the penthouse. “Squish!” I said, walking to him to give him a hug.
“I didn’t realize how much I missed two-armed hugs, princess,” he said, holding me tightly.
“You and me both,” I said. I kept my arm around his waist, leaning into his side.
“What kind of shenanigans are you three getting into now?” Ivan asked.
“We’re comparing their siblings to see who’s the hottest. Misha and Andrei are both clear winners in the genetic lottery,” I said, causing Ivan to laugh loudly.
“Do you have siblings, Ivan?” Misha asked, curiously.
I felt Ivan tense beside me. I was just about to answer for him, but he said, “I do. I don’t know where any of them are though. I haven’t seen any of them since I was seven.” I looked up at him, silently asking if he was okay with this conversation. He gave me a wink and nodded his head.
Misha could tell it was sensitive territory, so he said, “Plot twist, Ivan’s siblings sent him away because he was too painfully good-looking and made them all feel bad.” Ivan laughed, shaking his head at Misha. I smiled widely at Misha, silently grateful for his wit saving the day.
Adrik, Viktor, and Stephen walked into the penthouse, further saving Ivan from having to divulge more than he was ready to. Ivan heard the door open and gave my shoulders a squeeze, knowing I would want to go to Adrik. As soon as I saw him, I felt both the pull in my chest that was from him and my own warmth spreading over my body. I walked quickly toward him, unable to control the smile on my face. I saw the flash of surprise on his face, which likely meant my eyes had changed yet again, just before his lips found mine. He kissed me like it had been days since he’d seen me last, instead of hours. He held me tighter against him as my knees threatened to give out, but he stopped the kiss. He pressed his forehead to mine, one hand against my cheek, his thumb rubbing lightly against my skin. “I’m glad I didn’t have to wait any longer for that,” he said quietly. He stood up straight, so he could look at me. I was worried my eyes were still different. I raised an eyebrow, silently asking him if I needed to blink. “Normal,” he said quiet enough that only I could hear. I exhaled, clearly relieved, which caused him to laugh softly. “What’s this about Ms. Jackson?” he asked loud enough that the guys could hear. He glanced up in Misha and Andrei’s direction, but quickly looked back at me.
“She called earlier and asked if she could see Sephie. She said she didn’t want Sephie to come down there and that she had something to tell us about Giana,” Misha said.
Adrik tore his gaze away from my eyes and looked at the guys. “Two of you go down and fetch her. She can come here.” Ivan and Misha walked toward the door to go get her. “Does she know what happened to you, solnishko?” he asked.
“I don’t think so. You know how quick she is though. She might suspect something has happened. Misha said she called a few times when I was still really hurt and asked to see me, but he always lied and said we were away. I’m sure she knows something is going on with Armando, if she hasn’t seen him in weeks. It’s anybody’s guess as to what Giana has told her about him,” I said.
“The guys that are on her said she never asks about him. Like literally not once,” Viktor said.
“I feel like that’s weird,” I said, turning toward the guys. Adrik kept his arms around me, pulling me back against him.
“It’s definitely weird,” Stephen said. “We know their relationship wasn’t at all what it appeared to be, but it did seem like there was genuine affection between the two of them. At least at first.”
“I would not have pegged her as someone who could lie so easily and so well,” Adrik said.
“Maybe like Armando, her idiot persona is just an act,” Stephen said.
