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She swallowed. “They’re seven.”
I shrugged. “You care a lot about them.”
Eliana Beckett had accepted a deal from the devil, only to do what was best for her children. She’d swallowed her pride and joined hands with the man she loathed. It made me jealous beyond my understanding.
I’d never asked my mother for anything. I’d thought that every child was deserving of a loving mother, or at least, that they should be protected by the person who’d given birth to them. Fury blurred my vision.
Why the fuck hadn’t Natasha done the same for me? Why the fuck was I unworthy and undeserving of affection and attention?
My mother wasn’t the mother Dominik and Aleksei had experienced. She’d showered them with affection and love until her dying breath. She would’ve taken a bullet for each of them; she would’ve allowed herself to be thrown into a lion’s den if it meant saving her precious little boys.
My anger drifted when a palm touched my shoulder. I jumped, unaware of my surroundings, and turned to find Dominik there, a concerned expression on his face. He didn’t say it, but his eyes told me everything.
“Aleksei wants to see you now,” he announced and left.
Without another word to Doctor Beckett, I followed Dominik.
Aleksei’s room was no different to a regular hospital room—aside from the smell and the fact he had a king-sized bed in there, which was only to be expected.
“You look like shit.”
He tried laughing, but it turned into a cough. He had an unknown nurse by his side, who rushed immediately to give him some water. Two guards were there, but they were unmoving, not caring about anything other than Aleksei.
“That’s very funny,” he rasped. “I see you’ve made it out alive.”
I tilted my head to the side and took a seat on the edge of his bed. The nurse gave me a disapproving look, but I ignored her—it was easier than killing her with my bare hands for daring to even glance my way.
“Of course I did,” I mused. “Did your men pick up Viktor’s body?”
He weakly nodded. He looked terrible. His chest was bare, and there was a huge bandage over his wound. Now he’d have a scar on his chest to match the one on his face.
The bags under his eyes were big, and this was the first time I’d ever seen his lips chapped. His hair was a mess, and the color of his face wasn’t that great either.
“Yes, we’ll have a burial for him as soon as I recover fully.”
I couldn’t ask not to have a burial. No matter how much of a bastard my twin had been, he’d been brainwashed into doing what he’d done. He deserved to be buried, but not to rest in peace. There was no peace for people like us.
“I’m here for a reason, Aleksei.”
He tried rolling his eyes. “Of course you are.”
I inched closer to him and took his hand in mine. I never broke eye contact—I needed him to know just how serious I was. “Things might not have gone the way we originally planned, but I got Davorin to work with you.”
Realization dawned on his face. He closed his eyes, and a sharp release of breath filled the room. No one spoke; no one moved. I was holding on to the hope he’d grant me what he’d promised.
“What about Davorin?” he asked, his eyes remaining closed.
“I haven’t talked to him about this yet, but I will soon.” I paused. “I have every intention of taking him with me, Aleksei. Don’t I deserve that?”
My voice was barely above a whisper. Manipulation was a great tactic. Usually, not a single person would’ve been able to manipulate this man into anything; however, after everything, I knew he had a slight soft spot for me.
His eyes opened and then widened in shock.
For dramatic effect, I forced myself to cry. It was a trick I’d learned years ago, and although it wasn’t full-on sobbing, a small tear was enough for him.
His breathing turned uneven. If it hurt him to see me like this, he didn’t voice it. Instead, his gaze was glued to mine. I saw a reflection of myself there—our eyes were the same shade—and then that gaze softened.
Something stirred deeply inside me.
