Total pages in book: 81
Estimated words: 79211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79211 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“My family suffered an attack two hours ago at one of our establishments. What do you know about that?”
“What are you talking about? Jesus, Aleks. What is going on with you?”
“I trusted you.”
“How interesting, I trusted you, too.”
He searches my eyes. It breaks my heart to see a world of hurt reflected in his gaze.
I lift my chin and try to make him understand. “My family and I aren’t the same. They barely told me any of their plans. I hardly know—”
“You knew that wasn’t their home, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I already said that.”
He stands, towering over me. I’m reminded of how much bigger he is than me. How easily he could hurt me. We’re alone on the roof, and if I screamed for help, no one would come and rescue me.
Would he harm me?
I was hurt by the very people who were meant to protect me and if there is anything I’ve learned, it’s that anyone can inflict pain and suffering…including the people that should love you. Sometimes they’re the ones that hurt you the most.
I learned to wall myself up, not to listen to what others said about me. But it was only when I was here, with him, that I silenced those voices in my head that called me worthless.
“What do you want, Aleksandr?” My voice wants to wobble, but I won’t allow it. I stare him straight in the eye. When he reaches for me, I deflect him. If he touches me, I’ll lose all sense of reason and my ability to think clearly. “No. Don’t touch me right now. You look me in the eye and tell me what you really want to know.”
“I want to know how far your lies go,” he says, his voice hoarse and the blueness of his eyes piercing straight through me. “You knew you had a baby. You knew no one would marry you. So you and your family hid everything from me so you could trick me into marrying you.”
Something in me…snaps.
The fragile thread of hope I held breaks like a string snapping under too much weight and a flood of vitriol storms into my thoughts.
Whore.
Slut.
Worthless.
“I told you the truth,” I whisper. “I told you everything.”
He reaches for the box of memories as I fight against the torrent of hatred rushing into my mind.
Slut.
Worthless.
Lying whore.
His thick fingers move through the memorabilia and pluck out a small piece of paper.
“Explain this.”
Is he implying I lied to him?
My broken heart feels bruised. Ruined.
I stare at the paper in his hand but could recite the words from memory.
Though we’re apart, I will always, always love you.
The note that I wrote for my baby.
I shove his hand away. He stumbles as I push past him. I don’t want to talk to him. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now.
“Don’t you fucking walk away from me—”
“Watch me.”
If he thinks he can hold me in the palm of his hand then crush me on a whim, he’s woefully wrong. So, so fucking wrong. How could I have ever been vulnerable with a man like him? Never again.
I’ve always run when I was under pressure. But there’s a reason for that.
This time, I have nowhere to go, but it doesn’t matter.
I was foolish for thinking I could ever be vulnerable with a man like him. I storm down the stairs that will take me back to Ivy.
I have to see her. I have to hold her. Touch her. See with my own eyes that she’s okay.
“Harper, if you walk away—”
I don’t bother facing him and flip my middle finger off at him. “Fuck off.”
So my family played him. They ran away and didn’t give him his goddamn money. I’d feel bad about how they used him if I didn’t know for a fact that it isn’t money he needs but a wife and children. Puppets. Tokens.
His heavy footsteps follow me.
“Harper—”
I enter our bedroom and open the connecting door to Ivy’s room, finding her sleeping peacefully. I release a breath I didn’t know I was holding.
I turn and shut the door between us, locking it.
He could open it. He has the key. He could break it down if he wanted to be a dramatic douchebag. I listen for him but can only hear him cursing on the other side.
“This isn’t fucking over,” he growls in a low voice, likely so he doesn’t wake Ivy.
Oh, it is, though, Aleks. It so fucking is.
I turn to face her.
Ivy’s safe. For now.
I’m not, but I will be.
I fucking will be.
I don’t need Aleksandr. I don’t need his protection.
I climb into bed beside Ivy and make a mental inventory of the weapons I’ve secretly secured, due in no small part to Nikko’s assistance and, unbeknownst to Aleks, his as well.
I lie down next to Ivy and brush my fingers through her hair. “Shh, baby,” I whisper when she mumbles in her sleep. “Rest. Mama’s gonna take good care of you.”