Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“Now get the fuck out of my sight,” I snarl.
Mikhail lets the muscle go, and the two weasels skulk away.
“He won’t forget that,” Dimitri mutters.
“Fuck him,” Mikhail says, looking at me. “He stood up for Ania. That’s all that matters.”
CHAPTER 22
ANIA
I’m kneeling next to the toilet, almost doing it, nearly putting my finger in the place that will make it happen. Yet every time I move to cross that line, it’s like I see Aiden staring at me, that mixture of support and fierceness and feral need in his eyes. I hear his words about athletes and calories, hear the support in his words, and feel his warm touch against me.
Then there’s a knock at the door. “Yes?” I call, standing up.
“It’s me.”
For a second, I think I’m hallucinating. It sounds like Dimitri. I go to the door, open it, then throw myself at my big brother. He catches me in a hug. Seeing him here, in what should be my prison—though it doesn’t feel that way—is surreal. He hugs me tightly.
“What are you doing here?” I ask.
“Things have changed,” he replies. “We haven’t got time for in-fighting. We need to work together now.”
“But you, here … Is it going to work? Aren’t you and Aiden going to—”
“You like him, don’t you, Ania?” Dimitri says.
I turn away so he can’t see my expression. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yes, you do,” he replies insistently. “Something’s going on between you two.”
“This is the part where you tell me I’m too young and immature to make a decision even though Lia and Mila are young, too? Is that it?”
Dimitri swallows. “No, I get it. You’re not a kid anymore. It’s just … I worry about you. You’ve always been so sensitive.”
“Crazy, you mean.”
“I never said that.” He pauses. “We met with the man who set the car bomb. Aiden went nuts on him when he tried to threaten you. If I needed proof that Aiden wants the best for you, I’ve got it. He would’ve died in that food court for you.”
More of those warm tingles dance over me, but I do my best not to let them rule me. My body is still buzzing from last night as if it’s replaying over and over, his touch against my core, his lips on mine, the look of feral determination on his face when I said I couldn’t go all the way.
“So you’re staying here?”
Dimitri nods. “It’s the safest place in the city.”
“How are Lia and Mila doing?”
“They’re enjoying their time in one of our Mexican safe houses. Nobody can touch them there. It’s a VIP resort, the penthouse suite, with twenty of our men on staff at all times and a helicopter waiting to whisk them away on the zero-point-one percent chance somebody tries anything. But nobody will. Even the Cartel avoids those resorts.”
“Good,” I say, letting out a sigh of relief. “And Drake? I still owe him some lessons.”
“Everybody is safe. That’s why I’m here. We talked during the drive over. I think you should join them.”
“No,” I say flatly, without even thinking about it.
“Ania …”
“No,” I say again, with more certainty this time. “I belong here with my brothers, my mom, and …” I swallow, then say it, the thing I’ve been trying to avoid since this started. “… and Aiden.”
Dimitri sighs. “You’re smitten, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know what I am, but it’s not smitten.”
After a pause, he says, “You’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Where is everybody?” I ask.
“Mikhail has set himself up in one of the studies. Molly is with Henry. I think Aiden went to the gym.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Work on establishing a surveillance network with Theodore.”
“Crazy to think yesterday the lodge burned down. Now we’re on the same team.”
“I saw what I saw,” Dimitri says fiercely. “A man who would do anything to protect my baby sister. I can’t keep hating the bastard after that.”
“Maybe I’ll get a quick workout in, too,” I murmur, thinking of seeing Aiden—my protector.
“Do you mind if I use this area?” I ask Aiden as he hammers the heavy bag with powerful strikes.
He glances over at me, sweat glistening down his body, over his bare arms and chest. His hair glistens, his eyes looking just as savage and focused as last night.
“Be my guest,” he says, looking me up and down.
Okay, so maybe I chose this outfit kind of on purpose. I saw how he looked at me last night when I wore shorts and a tank top. Now, I’m wearing the same, but on the sporty side.
I go to the matted area and begin stretching, noticing how he glances over between punches. Before Aiden, I never really let myself think about what it would be like for a man to look at me like that. I couldn’t imagine there being a man who I’d want to look at me like that.