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I clenched the handle on my bag. “I will. Anyway, I wish I could stay and continue this riveting conversation, but I need to get going. I have an early day tomorrow.” I started toward my car, but he reached out a hand, and his fingers brushed my collarbone, stopping me. Goose bumps travelled down my arms.
“I want that address.”
“Why? Do I need your highness’s approval on where I live?”
He stared at me, unwavering.
I rolled my eyes and tried to move around, but the pressure of his hand held me in place.
“I’m dead serious,” he warned. After a few ticks, his hand slid away as he glanced down at my bag, waiting for me to take out my phone. I pulled it out and started typing out a text while he leaned over me so close, his chin almost grazed my temple.
I hit send. “There. Are you satisfied?”
One large hand enclosed around mine, and I had to stifle a gasp. He tugged the cell out of my hand. “I need to make sure.” He glanced at it and then clicked on something else and scrolled. What the hell was he doing?
“Are you going through my messages?” I reached out and snagged my phone back. “That’s rude.”
“Get over it. Maybe you should have thought over this move to Hillside because there’s no way in hell I won’t know everything you’re doing,zaychik. No matter how grown you think you are.”
Dmitri
—Age 21
“Where’s our guest?” Axel asked with a sly grin. That fucker could be so annoying, andthis time,I really wanted to knock the smile off his fucking face.
“She left.”
“You gonna tell us what that was all about?” Roman asked as his girlfriend, Theo, curled in his lap. That joker couldn’t function in life without her being within his reach. Talk about clingy. “Is she your sister or not?”
I needed a damn drink. “No. She’s my father’s ward.” Or was.
“Ward?” Nick’s eyes rose in jest. “What century are we in? The eighteen hundreds?”
“My dad became her legal guardian when she was fifteen.” Technically, his responsibility for her ended when she turned eighteen. She was now twenty, but Arty would always consider her his responsibility. He loved her like his own child.
“Interesting. I feel special that we finally know something about you,” Nick said.
Christ, I didn’t want to discuss this shit right now. I was still trying to get over the fact that she was here. I never really went into detail about my family situation. I only told them that Artynom was my adoptive father and how we moved to Texas from Russia when I was a kid. They didn’t know how I was living with a drug-addicted mother and had to do questionable shit to survive. If I wasn’t going to share about myself, why the hell would I ever mention Sorina to them?
I’d managed to live my last few years in relative peace without her around. Out of sight, out of mind. At least, that’s what I kept telling myself, even if it wasn’t completely true. However, now she was here, on the same fucking campus, and my mood was shot to hell.
“You don’t seem too happy about her being here,” Axel piped in, leaning back in his seat casually. “Why? She’s seems…interesting.” This guy was testing my patience, and I was still pissed he’d touched Sorina on the fucking shoulder, acting as though he was the perfect host, which was the biggest crock of shit.
I glared at him, not wasting my time on a reply. Why the hell was she here? Why did she just up and decide on Hillside? There were hundreds of colleges around the country she could’ve attended and made the cheer team. Don’t tell me she had a burning desire to cheer for the Falcons. It didn’t add up. Why didn’t Arty tell me this? Yeah, he was out of the country for six months, touring Asia. He loved to travel, more so now, since Sorina and I were both at college. But still.
“Damn, bro, I’m just making observations. Who pissed in your cereal?”
My phone signaled. It was Arty, FaceTiming me. I let it ring. “My problem is you talk too fucking much.” I started toward the house, but I couldn’t let one thought go, so I stopped and glanced at Axel. “By the way, if you even think about making a play on Sorina, it will be your final mistake.” I stalked off without a backward glance.
As soon as I was out of earshot, I returned his call. Arty’s face appeared on the screen. He was dressed in heavy snow gear and wore a visor. The sun glared behind him since it was morning on Everest, and mountain peaks filled out the rest of the background. “Moy syn,” he said,my son. “How are you?” His breath sounded somewhat labored, being at high altitude.
“I’m fine.” I saw people in heavy gear passing behind him. Sherpas and other hikers, it seemed.
“I only have a minute to talk since we’re about to leave the base camp, but I have something to tell you. Sorina will be attending Hillside this year.”
“I heard.”
Someone called out behind him, and Arty turned his head, waving in acknowledgement. It was clear he was in a rush and distracted because he didn’t question me. “I have to go. Watch out for her; make sure she gets settled in. Keep your promise to protect her like a brother.”
