Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83195 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
She shrugs. “Of course, all that bravado shit of having heirs. It’s even written into some contracts for arranged marriages. But it’s a personal choice as well. Some wish for a family, and others not so much. It’s no different than it is for anyone else, there’s just more danger involved.”
I know it’s probably highly inappropriate to ask these questions, but she and Alek are twins. I want to gauge what kind of future I might have with Alek. He might say he’s not ready now, but maybe in time… Or am I just deluding myself?
“Have you discussed this with Alek?” she asks.
“Only once, and just briefly,” I admit. “He said he didn’t want them, but I wonder if that will change in time.”
She looks me up and down. “Don’t get me wrong, I think I would be a fabulous auntie.” I laugh at that because I agree. “But you have to understand, Alek and I were raised in a hostile environment. Before we found our last foster home, our living situation wasn’t the best.
“To us, kids are an expense. Not something you can nurture and love. We don’t come from a family like that, so we don’t know any different.” I think what she just told me explains a lot. Has he ever really had someone to truly love him apart from his sister? And I do believe that she loves him without a shadow of a doubt. The way they interact with each other, it’s like they have their own secret club that no one else is to be a part of. But the way he is with me, it’s like stepping out in the freezing cold air, and it feels really fucking good.
But am I just fooling myself, trying to encroach further by including myself in their family because I’ve at least partly rejected my own?
“He takes his gloves off for me,” I tell her. I watch as she grips the dress and turns to me again, this time with a strange expression on her face.
“He touches you, regularly?” she asks in disbelief, and I nod. It’s an odd question to ask, but Alek is the furthest thing from normal. I know Anya saw us once in her office, but perhaps she thought it was a one-off thing.
“A lot.”
“Without the gloves,” she confirms.
“Yes.”
She continues to wander through the racks of dresses, seeming puzzled by what I just said. She scans a few more dresses before she follows the saleslady to the back, and I go with her, even though I picked absolutely nothing.
Alek’s my date for the event, and I’m nervous about taking him. I know he doesn’t like crowds, but he knows how to navigate a room, and he’s used to interacting with wealthy people. It makes me feel more comfortable.
“Get in there.” Anya waves to the dressing room. I look at her, confused. “The dresses are for you. Move it.”
I try on dress after dress that she picked for me, until I step out in a black velvet one. It has a plunging neckline and one strap that crosses over the chest. The back is completely open and it has a slit up one side that goes almost all the way to the hip. It’s very sexy but still has a formal, elegant edge. She claps her hands in delight and points at it. “That’s the one. We will take it.”
“I can get it,” I tell her, looking at the price tag. Holy shit, maybe I can’t. Who pays four thousand dollars for a dress? Has it got gold on it somewhere? I mean, my pay went up, but I’m still not comfortable enough to spend that much on a dress.
“No, it’s my gift to you. Take it.” She smiles and walks up to the counter and pays for it before I can stop her. When Alek or Anya make up their mind about anything, it’s set in stone. And often, when it comes to money, it’s not even a drop in the well of their fortune. To them, it’s just things.
I look at my phone. I haven’t received a text from Alek yet but know he’ll pick me up for the event tonight.
“My brother’s going to have a heart attack when he sees you in this. Finally, all our fortune will be mine,” Anya says with a mischievous smile.
“I think he’ll be happy because it matches everything in his closet, being that it’s black.”
She laughs as we walk out.
I guess I have a date.
With a killer.
CHAPTER 48
Lena
He knocks on my door ten minutes earlier than when he said he would be here. When I pull it open, I’m awestruck by his black suit. It’s more upscale than his usual suits. Tonight, I realize, he’s not wearing gloves.
“You look…” He trails off, and I glance down at my dress and black heels. My hair is half up, I have a nude lip with just a swipe of clear lip gloss, and I’m carrying a small black bag to match my dress. “Ravishing,” he finishes.