Total pages in book: 112
Estimated words: 107407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 107407 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 537(@200wpm)___ 430(@250wpm)___ 358(@300wpm)
“Alyona?” Rodion says my name, like he can’t quite believe it’s me.
A pang of guilt stirs my stomach. I hated being so secretive and leaving them like I did, but it’s done now, and we never have to be apart again. I’ve dreamt of this being a reality one day, hoped and prayed for it, and it’s finally here. No more running.
Both Z and Rodion rush me, boxing me between their bodies.
“I’m going to fucking kill you, woman,” Z hisses against my head and my eyes squeeze shut, breathing them both in. They smell expensive, warm, and delectably mine. I swallow the sob that wants to rip free. I’d believed I’d make it home but there was always that inkling of doubt, the fear of being caught and never seeing them or my baby girl again. “You promised me you’d never run again.” Z cradles my head against his chest, like I’m the most precious thing on this earth.
“I didn’t run, Z. I’m here. I’m home. Where’s Roza? Is she okay?” I rush the words out.
“She’s sleeping.” Rodion reaches for her monitor on the counter and hands it to me. My fingers clutch the small device, and her soft intakes of breath settle my raging heartbeat.
He’s dead, she’s safe.
Finally giving me some room to breathe, they both cast a suspicious glare over my body, inspecting every inch. My bruises and the cut to my thigh are hidden beneath my clothes.
“You cut your hair?” Z murmurs.
I blink in confusion, and then memories of cutting it when Yuri fisted it as a weapon flood back in. I gather the strands into my palm and examine the damage. It’s a clean cut, but a wonky one. “Yeah, I guess I did.”
“I’m still so mad but also so relieved,” Rodion says, a bead of sweat breaking across his hairline. “Fuck you’re really here.” He clasps my face and devours my mouth. I greedily take what he gives, my limbs turning to liquid. Breaking away, the side of his mouth kicks up. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” My eyes pan to the other two men staring at us and then Rodion seems to remember we’re not alone.
Clearing his throat, Rodion says, “You remember our cousin Ven and our father Andru?”
“Alyona, a pleasure.” Andru eats the space between us and takes my hand kissing over the knuckles, noting the bruises there but not speaking of them. Yuri had a hard face. Andru’s hand is covered in tattoos, and a silver ring sits on his thumb. The suit he’s wearing was clearly tailor made for him, teasing at the powerful body that lays beneath.
“I hear I have a granddaughter,” he says instead and the bubble of nerves that always comes when my baby is mentioned simmers under the surface of my skin.
Flashes of the man in that cell flicker through my mind and I snatch my hand back, placing it in my pocket. He notices my reaction and tilts his head observing me suspiciously.
“Where the hell were you?” Z demands, completely ignoring the others in the room and directing all his energy toward me.
Andru takes a seat at the table, raising an eyebrow, intrigued and keenly aware of the tension, taking in the dynamics between us. Ignoring him, my thirsty eyes drink in my madmen, capturing every exquisite detail, acutely aware of how much I love them both with every thud of my heart.
Before I can answer, Ven cuts in abruptly. “Yuri is dead.”
My head whips so fast to him a pain shoots up the back of my neck and spreads over my scalp.
“What?” Both twins speak at once and Andru pulls out his phone flitting his eyes over it.
My mind swims and my eyes lose focus for a moment. How does Ven know what I did?
“Diana, just texted me the news. Irina called her. They don’t want anyone to know outside of the family. It happened yesterday.” He looks over at us and begins laughing, loud and boisterous. “The old cunt is fucking dead.”
My heart skitters and I swallow down the dizzying information.
Andru tips a glass to his lips, draining the contents, but I’m highly aware of my madmen. Their intense gaze bores into me like they’re burrowing inside and reading all my secrets.
“Alyona?” Z breathes, searching my eyes for confirmation.
Yes, yes it was me. I killed the evil bastard who stole two years of our lives.
“Heart attack. Of all the possibilities that could have taken him out, it was his own cold heart that ultimately led to his demise,” Ven remarks, his tone casual, utterly unaware of the heavy tension in the air. Ven glances down at his phone, his brow furrowing slightly as he adds, “I should call Vlad. Excuse me for a minute.” With that, he turns and walks out of the room, his footsteps echoing softly on the wooden floor as we remain rooted in awkward silence.