Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 69662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69662 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 348(@200wpm)___ 279(@250wpm)___ 232(@300wpm)
He looked frustrated with that, and I knew a man like Kostya was used to his rigorous routine.
“No one is ever going to hurt you again.” He slowly shook his head, and I felt him ever so slightly lean in to my touch. “But you’re not coming with me.”
That was instantly like cold water being poured on me, and my attitude immediately went sour. I dropped my hand from his face and back into my lap, his sigh telling me he probably had seen this coming but wasn’t going to budge.
“Why?”
“You know why. It’s not safe.”
“I’m coming.” I said it with determination. “This is my life too, and whatever Timur has to say affects me. He is my biological father.”
“I’m not going to put you in danger, and even if Timur is your biological father, even if I can believe him that he’d never allow anything to hurt you, I’m not risking it.” At my look, his jaw clenched. “No, baby.”
“If not now, then when? When will you ever feel like it’s safe—”
“—fucking never,” he said, cutting me off.
It was my turn to clench my jaw.
“Your father had many allies, as well as enemies. Just because he’s dead doesn’t mean their loyalties or their grudges don’t persist, no matter what Timur said or how he tried to assure me.”
“So he wants to see me?”
Kostya snorted and rose, going back to pacing. “Of course he fucking wants to see you. He’s living in some fucking fantasy world where you two get to know each other, where he gets to be a father.”
“That won’t ever happen.” Kostya stopped and looked at me, a dark brow cocked. “He didn’t do anything to stop your abuse. He stood by and watched it happen. In my eyes, he’s as guilty as the men who laid hands on you. In fact, I’d planned on cutting Vladimir out of my life for the same reason.”
He was silent for long moments after I said that, and I didn’t know how to take his reaction to my truth.
“I can’t associate with anyone who willingly hurt you or let the abuse continue. I can’t,” I whispered.
It was my turn to shake my head. “You won’t let anything hurt me. I won’t let anyone hurt you. See how that works in a relationship?”
The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Is that what we’re in… a relationship?”
I felt my cheeks heat and glanced down. I felt his finger under my chin as he lifted my head.
“What would you call it?” I whispered.
“What I feel for you goes beyond any manmade word that could describe it. It’s a virus in me… one I don’t want to heal from, sweetheart.”
I wasn’t sure how to take the whole virus comparison, but I supposed to a man like Kostya that was as close to a profession of love as I’d get.
“Pretty intense.” My heart stuttered in my chest.
“Yeah,” was all he said.
He was silent for so long, his dark eyes hard, his expression emotionless. “You’re not going to budge on coming with me, are you?”
“No. I’m not.” He exhaled and ran a hand through his hair again. I didn’t show it, but I was smiling inside because I knew he’d given me this one win.
Whether he didn’t want to deny me, or he knew the truth of what I said and that it was safe, Kostya was going to take me with him, and I was going to look Timur in the eye and figure out what the hell was going on with our lives.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Ruin
I was growing weak where Anastasia was concerned. Some would call me pussy-whipped. I called it acting like I finally had the woman who meant absolutely everything to me and who was now irrevocably mine. Because short of death, nothing would tear her from me.
I didn’t want her here with me, the protective part of me needing to shelter her so she never lost her innocence. But I could also see her point of view, even if I didn’t care to indulge her in it because it went against that protective streak I had.
But I would, because whether she knew it or not, Anastasia fucking owned every part of me.
And I’d known I was going to have a fight on my hands as soon as we pulled up to Anastasia’s childhood home and I had decided no fucking way was she going in there with me. The fact Timur decided to make Vladimir’s house his own pissed me off and made me want to kill him ten times over. Arrogant motherfucker.
I’d been about to tell her that I demanded her gorgeous ass stay in the car while I dealt with this, when I’d gotten a phone call from Timur assuring me he’d cleared out the house to ensure Anastasia was safe. That would also work out nicely with the second part of why I was here.