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Our mother wasn’t the only one who’d been brutalized by the Russians that night.
“Francesca—”
“Fuck you, Max.” The hateful words trembled, and her chin dimpled as another tear dropped. “Fuck you.”
She turned sharply on her heel and stalked away from me, her knuckles white on her clenched fists.
My insides churned. I hated my sister. I’d always hated her. She was a spiteful bitch who’d made my teenage years a misery when she’d served as my legal guardian. She’d only been eighteen when our mother died and Father went to prison.
Eighteen.
My gut tightened. She’d been little more than a child herself.
And I’d done nothing to save her. Nothing to save our mother.
No wonder she loathed me.
Dark emotions roiled in my chest, threatening to choke the air from my lungs. I had to purge them before they could consume me. I had to get back to Allie so I could forget all the bad shit that’d ever happened to me. When I had her in my arms, I felt calm. Secure. Safe.
I shook myself and strode out into the night, rushing to return to the woman I loved.
CHAPTER 2
Allie
I picked at my pasta, my stomach too tightly knotted to eat. I should be hungry after spending all day in bed with Max; we hadn’t been sleeping. I was sore in places I didn’t know were possible, and the slight twinge between my legs was a bittersweet reminder of the three times we’d made love.
Love. I’d told Max that I loved him, and he hadn’t said it back.
“Okay, what is going on with you?” Davis demanded, eyeing my full plate. “You’re giving me seriously weird vibes, Allie. I can’t tell if you’re totally blissed out or really sad. You’ve been way too quiet, and now you’re barely eating. Spill.”
I ducked my head, my cheeks heating. Something like embarrassment made my insides squirm. Admitting that I’d confessed my feelings for Max without reciprocation didn’t feel good. Voicing it aloud would force me to fully face the reality of the situation, and I didn’t know if my heart could handle it.
“What’s wrong?” Charlie asked in her soft Southern drawl, concern tightening her bright blue eyes.
“You can tell us,” Isabel encouraged when I hesitated. She leaned forward on her elbows, her ravioli forgotten as she focused fully on me. Her stunning face was soft with compassion, dark gaze intent on mine. “You know we won’t judge, babe.”
Davis straightened, his arms flexing as his jaw firmed. “Is this about that Max guy? Did he do something to upset you?”
I blew out a sigh, my lips curving despite my internal conflict. My friend was fierce in his defense of my heart.
“Not really,” I hedged. “At least, he didn’t do anything wrong.”
Isabel’s thick, dark lashes narrowed. “What did he do?”
Charlie let out a low, disapproving hum. My gentlest friend clearly hadn’t entirely let go of her concern that Max was bad news. She’d warned me that his anger issues made him dangerous.
That was true. Max was a dangerous man. I finally accepted that, but it didn’t mean I cared for him any less. All that power and menace had been turned against Gavin, protecting me.
“Max would never hurt me,” I hastened to reassure my friends. “It’s just…” I straightened my shoulders and gathered my courage. I had to face this, and my friends would be here to catch me if I tumbled into gloom. “I told him I love him.”
Davis audibly gasped, Isabel’s jaw dropped, and Charlie’s perfectly penciled brows drew together.
“Ohmygod,” Davis exhaled. “Allie, that’s…huge. You’re in love with the scary bad boy?”
I tossed my hair over my shoulder. “He’s not scary.” I rushed to his defense. “He can’t help it that he’s scarred.”
My heart twisted at the thought of the mark of his pain. His father had done that to him. His own family had tormented him, and it was so much worse than his sister’s sharp, cruel words.
