AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Sucking in a shuddering breath, I nod.
“And you said…?”
“Yes?” I say quietly, straightening as I try to pull myself together.
“Oh, my God, you’re getting married?” Katie squeals, her feet dancing with excitement and drawing a watery laugh from me in spite of myself.
“If Mishka lives l–long enough to make that happen,” I qualify. “Viktor was furious when he found us.”
Biting her lip, Katie nods. “But he wouldn’t do anything, right? Not really.”
“I mean, I made him promise he wouldn’t until we can talk…” Still, anxiety tightens around my chest whenever I think of the way he looked at Mishka. Like he was seconds away from putting a bullet between his shoulder blades.
“Viktor’s reasonable… -ish. I’m sure he’ll keep his word,” Katie reassures me.
“Yeah. Now I just have to hope he and Mishka come back alive. I guess they found where the men who took me are hiding. They plan to take them out tonight.”
“Oh, Li-Li, they’ll be fine,” she says with casual confidence, echoing Mishka’s bravado. “They do this kind of stuff all the time, right?”
I know she’s trying to put me at ease, but tonight, I’m not sure anything she can say will help because I’ve seen the men they’re up against. I know how terrifying they are. How ruthless, how deadly. And I really, really don’t want to be the reason anyone I love dies.
“I know,” I murmur. “Tonight just feels different, and now they’re going into a dangerous situation already at odds with each other. I just worry that something might happen, and it could be all my fault.”
“It wouldn’t be,” she insists. “But nothing’s going to happen to them. You’ll see.”
I nod because I can’t bring myself to voice more of my doubts.
Giving me a gentle smile, Katie takes my hands. “Want to hang out, watch a movie… go online shopping for baby clothes? I’m happy to take your mind off it in whatever way you need,” she offers.
“Honestly, I think I would rather just go home,” I admit. “That’s where they’ll head after the fight is done, and I want to be there when they get back.”
Katie gives an empathetic click of her tongue and nods. “I get it. Let me know how it all ends up?”
“I will.”
“And call me if you need anything,” she presses.
Pulling my friend in for another fierce hug, I say, “Thank you. For everything. You might be the world’s best friend.”
“There’s no might about it,” she teases, giving me a tight squeeze.
She helps me put myself back together as I best I can, and eventually, I give up on trying to hide the fact that I was crying. Then, collecting my things, I head toward the door and give a final wave before stepping into the hallway.
“Let’s go home, Vlad,” I say.
He nods, and he and Igor fall into step behind me without a word. I know they’re wondering what could possibly have happened in our study session to make me look so upset. But one nice thing about my silently intimidating bodyguards is that I never have to answer questions. I can worry in peace as we weave through the streets of Boston toward home.
I pray that Mishka and my brother both come home to me safely.
28
MISHKA
Viktor levels me with a deadly gaze as Lenka heads toward the warehouses off Boston Harbor. “I warned you not to mess with my sister,” he growls, finally breaking the agonizing silence that fills the tense vehicle. “You fucked the wrong girl.”
Frustration boils up inside me. How could he possibly want to talk about this now, when we have bigger fish to fry? But I push it down because I know nothing good will come of antagonizing him. “It’s not like that,” I say gruffly. “I’m not just fucking your sister, Viktor. I’m in love with Alina, and she loves me too.”
The conviction in my tone seems to surprise Viktor, and even Malik and Kristof glance in my direction after having avoided my eyes for an impressive amount of time. Viktor’s shoulders relax slightly at my confession, and the fury dims in his eyes.
