AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Luka’s gaze hardens, his grip on my hand tightening. “Da,” he answers, his voice as cold as ice. “He did.”
The anger in his eyes mirrors the rage coursing through me. I clench my fists, the reality of Aleks’s deceit too overwhelming to comprehend. “He planned all this…from the very beginning.”
I’m left speechless, a cold dread settling in my stomach. I knew the world I was stepping into was dangerous, ruthless even. But this…this is a new level of monstrosity.
“I am so sorry, so sorry to hear about your losses,” I manage to whisper, the words a thin band-aid over a gaping wound.
My own guilt screams at me.
I’m sorry for being Aleks’s puppet.
I’m sorry for playing the betrayer.
I’m sorry for being this fucking helpless…and a liar.
Luka looms over me, a tower of strength. The vast expanse of him, from the width of his shoulders to his towering height, intimidates me yet pulls me in. An irrational urge to disappear into his largeness, to find shelter from the storm inside, consumes me.
I take a step, closing the distance.
Reaching up, my hands curl around his neck. I tug him toward me, his rigid body meeting mine. His chest a broad, hard wall that makes me feel puny yet secure. I cling to him, my arms around him, the only lifeline in this fucked-up situation.
His heartbeat pounds against my ear, a thunderous rhythm that matches my own. His heat engulfs me, a sanctuary in the midst of turmoil. I close my eyes, shutting out reality, if only for a moment.
“Oh God, Luka,” I say without thinking.
Everything is a fucking mess, but right now, I couldn’t care less.
His arms snake around me, encasing me in a blanket of warmth. His hand rests against my back is big, reassuring. He tilts my chin up, a silent demand for me to meet his gaze. And then his lips graze my forehead, the kiss brief but loaded with unsaid promises.
“Krasotka…” His breath is a sweet breeze against my skin. “It’s okay. I’ve got this under control.”
But he doesn’t.
He doesn’t know how deep Aleks’s claws are dug into his world. The truth stays stuck in my throat, unvoiced.
“Are you two all smoochy-smoochy now?” Yulia’s voice interrupts the quiet. She’s standing there, wide-eyed, Max mimicking her astonished expression.
I jerk away from Luka as if stung. Damn. We’ve been caught.
“Hungy time,” Yulia announces, slapping her tiny belly. The seriousness on her face, the sheer gravity of her statement, yanks a surprised laugh from both Luka and me.
“Again?” Luka looks surprised. She nods, then giggles as her belly rumbles.
“Wait, that’s not a thunderclap?” I mock, a feeble attempt to wash away the red searing my cheeks. “Here I was, thinking we’re due for a storm, but it’s just Yulia’s stomach playing tricks!”
“No, silly!” Yulia giggles, her laughter a soothing balm to the tension knotting in my chest.
I sneak a peek at Luka, catching him mid-stare. Our eyes meet, and there it is – a gentle smile playing on his lips. Melting my heart.
Oh God, please don’t do that.
“See that?” He gestures toward the vast, open sky, hues of pinks and oranges bleeding into each other. The sunset. Gorgeous, yet an unwanted reminder of time flying.
A swift check of my wristwatch confirms it – we’ve been here for hours, tangled in our problems, our fears. My fears.
“Let’s head back,” he suggests, his voice as calm as the slowly setting sun. His eyes, though, they glitter with something deep. A secret, maybe.
“Dinner time,” he announces, stepping down and offering his hand to me.
