AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Some, not even close to all of them, which scares the shit out of me when I think about what the hell else we could be up against.
Secrets have caused a lot of pain and heartache for us. We lost Mom, almost lost Luka. Trust and hearts were broken along the way. Val is still gone. And we’re always on our toes, waiting for the next bomb to explode.
Because one thing’s for shit sure… it always does.
I throw some t-shirts, jeans, and basketball shorts into a black duffel bag, a groan rumbling in my chest.
As a Malikov, I’m no stranger to lies and betrayal. It stings the worst when it stems from your own blood. My brother Dima had his own underground network of scumbags who wanted to crush our organization, and he handed it over on a silver platter for promises of money and power.
But even Dima, the most deceitful bastard of all, got his in the end when he was killed by one of the people he conspired against us with, leaving us to put together the jagged piece of this sordid puzzle that is now his bloody legacy.
We learned a harsh lesson because of him. The only way to survive is to always assume people want us dead. Dima and Dad made a lot of enemies over the years, and they’ve all tried to battle us since they died. It seems like every time we knock one off, another cocksucker surfaces.
How many more battles do we need to fight before we’ll win the war?
My eyes drop to a drawer at the back of my closet. I pull it open, my jaw twitching as I run my fingers over the items staring back at me. All of the anger rushes to the surface, bubbling in my veins as it always does when reality gut punches me.
Pain. Suffering. Loss.
I crushed Skyla. Then Kylian crushed me.
Then life took a sharp downward spiral into the fucking core of the Earth.
I have so many targets for my rage, and only one person I can unleash it on.
Because the only bit of peace I can grasp on to sits innocently in the eye of the storm.
Skyla.
She didn’t deserve to be there four years ago.
She doesn’t deserve to be there now.
I zip the top of my duffel and toss it over my shoulder.
But she is. And it’s exactly where I need her to be.
“Please tell me that he’s okay.” She lets out a sigh and rests her head on her hand, slumped at the counter. “Thank God.”
My spine stiffens at the sound of her relief. So the fucker’s alive after all. Too bad. I grip the top handles on my duffel tight and swing it at the empty bottles right next to where Skyla stands. They fly off the marble, crashing against the floor. Shards of amber-colored glass scatter across the tile floor.
Skyla jumps, my phone clutched in her hand as she twists to look at me. Her mouth hangs open for a second before she tries to speak.
“I just wanted to find out if Kylian was okay. He is. Just a broken leg and—”
“Shut the fuck up.” I drop my bag and cross the room in a few strides. I grab the phone away from her and hold it to my ear. “Who the hell is this?”
“Zak, this is Amelia St. James. Please don’t hurt Skyla. Just give her back to us. Don’t put her in any more danger.”
My sharp laugh hits the tense air. “You fucking people are the ones who put her in danger. I saved her ass multiple times tonight, but my protection ain’t for free,Mom. I don’t know if Skyla told you the good news, but I’m gonna marry her. And I expect a hell of a lot in return for taking her off your hands.”
“You can’t do that. You’re not thinking straight. Please just give her back to us.”
A rustling noise in my ear is followed by a deep, gruff voice. “Zakhar, this is not up for discussion or negotiation. Return Skyla to us now or there will be consequences.”
“Wow, so you think using my full name is gonna have me shitting my pants, huh?” I snort. “Think again,Dad. I know all about your little business arrangement with Van Dyne, the sham wedding. And your daughter almost got killed because of seedy-ass scams you guys have pulled. You’ll be better off working with me. Skyla’s better with me, too. You couldn’t protect her. You couldn’t save her from being snatched by me or your enemies. She’s safe here.”
I look at Skyla’s stricken face, her eyes pooled with tears.
