“I don’t get it, Ian. Why not call Wyatt to handle it?” And what does he expect me to do anyway? Kidnap a minor?
“Because he seems a bit too preoccupied with Aurelia.” Anger laces his tone, and I hear something crack on the other end of the line. Who knew a girl would break the twins’ unshakable bond? Tragic, if you ask me. “Besides, I’m in a hellhole right now and won’t be able to come up with the money to save her. So buy her an expensive horse and make her train him somewhere in Texas. I’ll deal with her friend in the meantime.”
My lips twitch at his commanding voice. You can take a person’s wealth, but never his birthright arrogance.
A King is always a King, even if he’s exiled from his kingdom.
“Why don’t you ask your Bratva friend to do that?”
“Because mentioning any female name to the Bratva is dangerous. She might become a liability.”
“All right. Consider it done.” Aileen is obsessed with riding and frequently visits her best friends, Eve and Caroline, who own several acres of land in Houston. Their father has an oil empire, and they also have ranches. They should be able to help me find a horse in need of love who would benefit from a summer program.
I heard Daisy has a soft spot for tortured souls.
“Don’t mention this conversation to Wyatt either.”
“Don’t push it, Ian. You've already given me two orders. Make sure there is no third one, or you can go fuck yourself.”
He laughs, and the carefree sound reminds me of the guy he used to be just a year ago, before everything went to hell. “Protect Daisy, Levi. I feel responsible for her in a way. It’s my fault she has this obsession with Wyatt.”
“Why?”
“She thinks he saved her from a snowstorm, but it was me who did. Anyway, it doesn’t matter. Hopefully, he will crush her heart irrecoverably so she can move on, and I won’t have to watch over her anymore.”
Whenever he speaks about the girl, he uses the same tone he uses when he talks about Emmaline. He clearly considers her his little sister and has a soft spot for her. Just like Wyatt, despite the distance he put between them. But doesn’t this information imply that the girl actually has a crush on Ian, then?
If he’s not careful, this whole thing will blow up in his face and complicate the already complicated relationship between their families.
“Just do this for me, Levi, and I’ll owe you one.” The line goes dead before I can reply, and I put the phone away just as Ihear soft footsteps padding toward the kitchen, and Lavender shows up.
My woman is ethereal in her long summer dress, though it seems she’s purposely chosen it to hide her curves from me.
I know and adore every inch of her, and as such, no matter what she wears, she’s desirable to me and the focus of all my attention.
Her long locks fall down her spine, the tips still slightly wet, so she must have blow-dried them in a hurry. Pride fills me at how she lifts her head, challenge along with determination flashing in her eyes.
My brave, bravecvetochek.
If only she knew I’m the only person she doesn’t need protection from, because her needs would always come above mine.
I do not wish to keep her in a cage. Rather, I wish to give her the freedom to finally be herself, and in this show off her beauty that belongs only to me.
“You look stunning.”
“Save the compliments for someone who cares,” she fires back, although it comes off weak when her stomach rumbles in hunger. “Where is your loyal butler?”
“He went to bed. It’s late for him.”
“So he’s okay with you kidnapping women?”
“I’ve never kidnapped a woman in my life. You came to me, remember?” Her lips purse. “Anyhow, kidnapping is your brother’s thing, not mine.”
“Would you stop that? He’s marrying her. You make it sound as if he’s a monster.”
“Well, he’s a murderer who stalked her to kidnap her and use her as a pawn against my father.” She drops on the chair opposite mine with a loud sigh, grabbing the water glass and taking a long sip. “I don’t like repeating the same shit over andover again, but if he’s not a monster…then I shouldn’t be one either, right?”
“Different situations. He wanted her despite whoshe was.You wanted to use me because ofwho Iam.”
