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I lifted my head at his tone. He had his eyebrows pulled down low, and genuine confusion marred his savage expression.
“For what?”
I could have laughed humorlessly at that. I held my hands out as if that spoke volumes. “For everything. For coming back, for who my father was, for putting all of you in danger.”
He took a step into the room, but only one, as if he wanted to keep his distance. “Nadja, let me tell you something, so it’s absolutely crystal-clear.”
I licked my lips and nodded. “Okay.” I was nervous about what he’d say, if he’d judge me, if he’d blame me for everything. He’d be right, of course. I was ready for the blow, because I deserved it.
“My brother is no different than us when it comes to protecting what he loves.”
I didn’t know what to say, so I said nothing. I just listened.
“Each one of us Preacher boys would do exactly what Frankie’s doing to protect the woman we love. I can stare into my twin’s face when he’s talking about you, when he’s looking at you, and see you’re his world. You’re his everything.” He emphasized that last word, and my breath caught. “He is smart enough to know what he’s doing, and what he’s doing is the right thing. None of us judge you; none of us blame you for a damn thing. This isn’t your fault.”
He let that hang in the air between us before continuing. “You’re a victim in this, and if we had the power, the connection, we’d stand by our brother and go after the whole fucking world to protect you. That’s what a Preacher brother does.” He stared at me in the eyes, and I felt my own start to tear up. “So never think that you coming back into his life is a mistake.” He shook his head, his expression becoming harder set. “I can see how much he cares for you, can see the change you bring out in him… and it’s for the best.”
I felt tears roll down my cheeks again and smiled. It was a sappy, watery one but full of emotion. Before I could respond, the sound of something outside had everything instantly changing. Wilder’s body tensed, my heart stopped, and I held my breath.
“Stay here,” he said low, deep. He turned and left, shutting the door behind him, sealing me in.
After a moment, I heard the sound of the alarm being disengaged. My heart started beating double-time, and I let out a slow breath, trying to calm myself. I looked around the room for a weapon, although I was probably overreacting. It could very well just be an animal. The house and property were surrounded by the thick forest on almost all sides. But still… thinking it was something nonthreatening was what would get someone killed.
There was silence, so heavy and thick I felt it, tasted it as it coated my tongue. I moved toward the door, knowing the best course of action was to stay put. But what if it was the bratva or Maximillian? What if they’d found me and came here to finish the job? I was trapped in this room, the only escape the lone window in the room, but even that led out to the patio, which would have me crossing the massive windows of the living room and being put out in the open.
And how could I leave Wilder if he needed help? I didn’t know what to do, so conflicted. The sound of something breaking, of something very heavy hitting the ground came through like a wrecking ball crashing through the side of the house. Involuntarily, instinctively, I took a step back.
I couldn’t just stand here and do nothing. I tore the door open, about to step out, fight until I had no fight left in me.
I looked down the hallway, didn’t see anything at first, so I made my way toward the front of the house. And then a dark shape moved out from the kitchen, the shadows making everything seem even more dangerous, and I froze.
“Wilder?” I asked low, maybe too low to even be heard, yet I knew that wasn’t Wilder standing amongst the darkness. I felt the evil seep from him and creep down the hallway.
“Sweet, Nadja,” Maximillian said in Russian, his voice like a rusty, serrated knife.
Moving backward, away from him, I quickly looked at how far I was from an exit, or hell, an actual weapon that would do some damage.
“You can’t run, little mouse.”
I froze at what he said. Only one person ever called me that endearment.
Marina.
Maximillian stepped into the light and grinned slowly.
“Did you really think I wouldn’t find you?” The way he asked the question was one of seriousness, as if he really thought I could even conceive staying hidden. He tsked. “We won’t talk about all the ways I could find you, Nadja, but the easiest one was your sweet Marina and her actually thinking she was smarter than me.”
