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“Don’t play innocent with me,” he states flatly.
And because there are so many ways this conversation could go wrong, I don my mask of stoic apathy. I say nothing, waiting for him to air which of my many sins he’s decided to confront me about. No sense in confessing before I know how I’ve offended him.
“I see the way you look at Alina, so don’t play dumb with me. I get it. She’s a beautiful girl, and it probably feels good to be her knight in shining armor every now and again. But you'd better tread lightly,” he says, shoving a finger into my sternum.
Heat rises in my chest, making my hands ball into fists, and I work my jaw to keep my anger in check. He’s lucky I love Alina enough to restrain myself, because I could put him flat on his back right now for trying to threaten me.
But I know she wouldn’t want us to fight, and I’m already up a creek without a paddle when it comes to earning Alina’s forgiveness. The dice just keep stacking against me, it seems, and the last thing I need right now is to add a fight with her brother to the ever-growing list.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say coldly, working hard to keep the anger from my tone. “You think I made a move on Alina today?” Divert. That’s the best way to avoid flat-out lying. I didn’t touch Alina in any way that I wouldn’t have if she were another victim who’d suffered a trauma. To be honest, I was so concerned for her well-being, it didn’t even cross my mind to do more than support her in whatever way she seemed to need.
Viktor sighs, seeming to acknowledge the question as valid. But he doesn’t say so. “Look. I like you, Orlov, so I’m going to assume that whatever’s going on between you and my sister is harmless. But I assure you that I’m not an idiot. So, whatever it is had better stop. Now. Because I would rather not see you floating in the Boston Harbor, but I won’t hesitate to put you there myself if you think you can touch Alina. Got it?”
Like anything Viktor says is going to keep me away from her.
She’s the only person who can stop me from seeing her now, and I will do everything in my willpower to ensure that doesn’t happen. Because life without Alina just isn’t worth living. She’s the air I breathe, the blood pounding through my veins, and if she doesn’t want to be with me, then I see no point in enduring tomorrow.
“Hell, man,” I say, forcing my voice to be casual. “If you wanted to be her safety blanket, why didn’t you just offer? I don’t think she even knew why she was holding on to me, but I sure as hell wasn’t going to make her get off after what she went through. I think it was some kind of survival instinct kicking in or something. She was terrified when I found her, so scared she almost took off at the sight of me. I’m just glad she recognized me because before she did, she was ready to kick my ass when she thought I was one of them.”
My lips twitch as I fight the grin of pride that threatens to take over my face. Alina’s a fighter. It broke my heart to see her fall apart so completely after she realized she was safe. I’ve never seen her lose it like that, and it scared the living hell out of me. I never want her to be frightened like that again. I would rather die than feel her trembling so hard. That’s a physical memory my body is never going to shake.
Viktor snorts, his tension seeming to subside as he pictures his sister trying to kick my butt. She could, too, especially since I wouldn’t defend myself. No one else has that kind of power over me, but for Alina, I would walk through fire.
“Okay, man,” he concedes. “I’ll let it go. But just know I’m watching you. Because I see the way you look at her. You can’t deny that you like my sister, and though I don’t blame you, just remember—she’s not for you.”
She deserves far better than me. He’s not wrong in that regard. But I don’t like the way he says that—she’s not for you. Like he gets to dictate who she belongs to or not. It makes me think about her outburst that day, while we were in the woods, trying to find our way back to civilization. I can see why she feels her family intends to possess her, to sell her off to a suitable marriage—even if she gets the final choice.
Who the hell is Viktor to say who she’s for?
I would do whatever it took to be the man for Alina—even though I don’t deserve her.
But frankly, neither Viktor nor I have the final say in that matter. I’ve already tried staying away from Alina, and it’s proven impossible. So, if Viktor’s going to get his way, she’ll have to be the one who ends the relationship between us. I can’t.
He played a good hand today, though. His comment about the whore he bought me might have been effective, just based on the look Alina gave me before running away. Luckily for Viktor, she would never forgive me if I killed him, so I can’t properly repay him for screwing me over with that little stunt.
15
ALINA
“Aren’t you hungry?” My mom tilts her head in concern, her eyes watching as I push my dinner around the plate.
Honestly, I find it challenging to eat with the cold knot in my stomach. It’s been there, reminding me of my trauma, since I made it home, and every time I bring food to my mouth, the image of that scarred, livid face flashes into my mind’s eye.
“I guess not,” I admit, drawing a worried glance from my father. I can’t stop wondering what he did to the men who took me, why they would hate him enough to want to hurt his pregnant daughter, but I’m too scared to ask. “Maybe I’m just tired. If it’s okay with you, I think I’ll go to bed.”
“Of course, honey. Whatever you need,” my mom agrees, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand.
With a smile, I rise and exit the dining room, heading toward the stairs.
The shaking calmed down considerably after a hot shower and the doctor getting some fluids into me. Dehydration and borderline hypothermia had contributed a good amount to my state when Mishka found me. I feel better now, at least physically.
Doctor Faraday patched up my wrists, ensured I don’t have a concussion, and thankfully—the part I’d been most anxious to know—the baby seems safe, healthy, and unharmed.
The most nerve-racking part was asking him if he intended to tell my parents about my pregnancy. Thankfully, there’s one doctor on my father’s payroll willing to take his Hippocratic oath more seriously than his agreement with the very intimidating Sergio Sakharov. He assured me that he wouldn’t tell them about the baby if I didn’t want him to. So, mysecret is safe a little longer.
Boris, not allowed in the dining room, finds me as soon as I reach the stairs. His cold, wet nose finds my palm, checking to make sure I’m okay. He’s been glued to my side all afternoon, and I couldn’t be more grateful.
He follows me upstairs and through my nighttime routine of brushing my teeth and getting ready for bed. Then he curls into a ball next to me as I slip beneath the covers. It’s not even nine o’clock yet, but a heavy exhaustion has settled deep into my bones, and all I want to do is sleep and forget about the last twenty-four hours.
