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This is too much.
The walls feel like they are closing in on me. I can’t seem to catch my breath. I don’t understand any of this. I don’t want Alexei to be right but I think that my stranger,Luca Senno, needs to start explaining himself rather quickly.
I want it to make sense. I want there to be a rational, good explanation but I can’t even begin to fathom one. Not for the life of me.
I don’t like the way that Luca is looking at my brother.
“I think youbothneed to explain yourself!” I demand as I try to use any clean part of the hoodie that’s now forever ruined to wipe the bits of blood from dripping into my eyes. “How the hell do you two know each other?!”
How is Derek here in the first place? I’m not wholly surprised that he came from Spain to try to take another shot at me, but even I didn’t think it was possible foranyoneto get onto this street with Alexei’s men everywhere. I felt safe… and now I don’t know how I’m supposed to feel. My sense of self and security is being shaken right in front of my eyes.
Neither of the men in front of me seem to be in any sort of hurry to explain themselves.
“Somebody better start talking right now!” The very last bit left of my self-control is utilized tonotstomp my foot like a petulant child.
“You know, given that I just saved your sister’s life, perhaps you might want to lower your gun there.” Luca reasons.
“Like hell I will. Why would you bother saving her anyway? We both know that your entire clan wants to wipe out my family at the very first chance they get,” Alexei counters.
“Uh, Katya? We’re just… we are gonna go…” Jodie pulls her girlfriend in closer to her body and Marci nods along with them. I know that they are only going to be escorted up into the main house so that they can be kept an eye on. There are more than enough spare rooms up there where they will be safe and properly cared for. Besides, we clearly have business to finish here in the hall.
I nod my goodbye to them and move to place a hand on Alexei’s arm. I lower the gun on Luca’s behalf for no reason other than that he did just save my life. “If he wanted me dead, then he would have just let that piece of shit shoot me.”
I don’t want to tell Alexei that I know him. I don’t want to tell my brother that this is thesecondtime that he’s tried to kill me and failed. Honestly, I don’t know what would have happened had Luca not been here to intervene.
“I can’t let him free just because he saved you. Pricks from the Senno clan don’t do anything without needing something in return. If he saved you, he has a reason… he wants something from us and I cannot let him out of here without knowing what it is. You cannot honestly expect me to return a hostage that wandered freely into my hands?”
“Don’t you want to knowwhy?!” I insist.
Alexei takes a good look at me. The sort of look that feels like he can see right down to my very bones and every single thought in my head.
“Why do you care so much?” he asks bluntly.
I flick my gaze at Luca and my face flames. Shit. He’s going to read me like an open book.
“I asked you a question, Katerina.”
“Don’t call me that!” I hiss.
“Then answer me!”
“He’s the guy from the club! Okay?! From last night!” The words come out in a whoosh. “It’s not like I knew who he was… is.” I know that I’m just digging myself into a deeper and deeper hole the longer that I talk. “He helped Marci and me get into the club! He was nice to her… he helped us get what we needed!”
Alexei scoffs. “Oh, I’ll bet he did.”
I hit him right in the shoulder. “Don’t be gross!”
He raises a brow at me, and suddenly I’m even more embarrassed that I’m covered in blood and fighting with my brother in front of the guy I keep referring to as a sex god in my head. This whole situation is just a damned mess.
“I know that this doesn’t make any sense… but he did save me and he’s been nothing but nice to us. For that reason alone, I think that at the very least he should have the chance to explain himself! You can watch him the whole time, tie him up if you need to, but let him explain!”
I make the mistake of looking at Luca the moment I say that we should tie him up. He gives me a knowing smirk and every rational, sane thought drops out of my head as molten lava pools in my core.
“Don’t.” I hiss out of the corner of my mouth and Luca’s smile shifts as if to say ‘Okay, okay, sorry.’
Alexei is oblivious to our mostly silent conversation before he lifts the gun in his hand right back to Luca’s face. “You have five minutes, Senno, make them count.”
For both of our sakes, I sure hope he does.
