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“She has a heart condition. Most of the time, she’s this ball of energy who’s capable of doing anything, but sometimes, her chronic disease acts up and Dad goes berserker. It’s really nothing major, just some dizziness, and it’s even confirmed by the million doctors he hired that it’s not a threat to her life, but he doesn’t understand that logic.”

My heart warms. “That’s because he loves her.”

“It’s more than love. Eli and I know that if she somehow dies, he’ll join her, no questions asked.”

“Honestly, I can’t imagine Papa without Mom either. They had a dark past that Jer was a witness to—it happened way before I came along—but they’ve shared every sweet and bitter pill for as long as I’ve known them. I love how fiercely they love each other and us. Sometimes, I hate that I’m a mafia princess, for obvious reasons, but I wouldn’t change my parents for the world.”

“Such a good girl, my Annika.”

I groan, feeling my body heating. “You can’t just call me that in public. Now I want to kiss you.”

“And why can’t you?” He tugs on my hand that’s in his, pulling me flush against his chest, and then his lips find mine.

I wrap my arms and legs around him, basically strangling him, to find balance more than anything.

The kiss steals my breath and all my thoughts. All I can do is fall harder and faster for this man.

More than I bargained for.

More than I thought was possible when I first met him.

He places me on my feet and pushes me against the nearest shelf to devour me.

Just when I think the kiss will never end, I’m jerked back by the elbow and I crash against none other than my brother.

Who’s glaring.

23

CREIGHTON

When someone wrenches Annika from my arms, my first thought is murder.

My second thought is to pound them until their features are unrecognizable and they’re begging for death.

I come to a halt, clenched fist at my side, when I make out the person behind the interruption.

Jeremy.

Annika trembles slightly, the rosy blush in her skin slowly vanishing until her face is all white.

She looks so small beside her brother, and it’s not only physically, but also in her aura. It’s almost like his presence overshadows hers. Annika told me that she’s always liked girly things and loved being a girl, because at least in that way, she’s different from Jeremy.

And she desperately wants to be different from him, because even though she loves him, she realizes what type of path he has to take—becoming a mafia leader.

Annika has never liked that part of her family, which is proven time and again whenever she avoids the subject with every trick under the sun.

The manifestation of that life on the island is none other than her brother.

“Jer,” she whispers, staring up at him with big, innocent eyes.

Despite his firm grip on her elbow, he doesn’t look at her. His full cutthroat attention falls on me, dripping with every intention of causing pain. His face is closed off, his eyes unreadable.

I don’t know Jeremy Volkov except for when I saved him from that fire, and only because his sister was ready to die for him. Obviously, that shit wasn’t going to happen on my watch.

Before that, Jeremy and I had only crossed paths at the fight club, but not against each other.

He seldom participates, and when he does, it’s only in fights leading to the championship.

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