Total pages in book: 83
Estimated words: 79312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79312 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 397(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
“I was checking on Nikita,” she says. “So sue me.”
I catch her eyes, blazing with anger. “Don't even think about it,” she warns.
“Think about what?” I challenge, rising and walking over to her.
She only narrows her eyes at me. “I'm not gonna leave without telling you, okay? I was just checking on Nikita, so relax.”
“I was saying we should go to Mom's,” Vera says. “That way, we can talk to her about the final details and solidify everything for this wedding. Have you seen her since you and Viktor got engaged?”
“No, we've texted a few times and talked on the phone, but I haven't seen her in person.”
“We fully expect an attack from the Ledyanoye Bratstvo,” Nikko says. “Are you girls prepared for that?”
“Yes, of course,” Vera says. “Lydia?”
“Of course,” she snaps, pounding her fist in her hand. “I hope he brings it.”
In our recent self-defense class, I showed her how to use a knife. It’s not too hard if you know what you're doing and you're not afraid to slice through muscle and veins.
“I want more practice with my knife,” she says. “Is there any way to do that?”
“Got a place near our headquarters called The Hidden Mark. It’s a private place with dummies we use for knife work. It’s secluded and on the way.”
“Yes, perfect. Can we go there before we head to Mom's?”
“She texted me this morning and said she was there,” Vera says. “It was a strange message, though. Have you talked to her?”
I give her a sharp look. “Maybe she's just distracted about the wedding. She's been planning a wedding for Lydia with such detail—” Vera stops mid-sentence, her cheeks coloring. She was going to say more, but we do not need to discuss Lydia's previous engagement.
“I'm going to send a car out there to check on her,” I decide.
Nikko is still glaring at me, probably because I raised my voice to Vera. Jesus, it's not Vera I have a problem with; it's anything that threatens the safety of Lydia. I’d think he’d get that.
“You get your fucking boxers out of your ass and chill,” I tell Nikko. He takes a step toward me, and Lydia shakes her head.
“Stop,” she says warningly. Nikko still advances on me. I grab him by the front of the shirt, lift him up, and casually place him back in the living room. “I said sit down, Nikko.”
“Call Lev,” he snaps.
“Are you guys always like this? These pissing matches. Honest to God!” Lydia throws her hands up in the air.
Vera pipes up. “I’ve heard they even fight about who has more kids than the other ones.”
“Well, that's easy. Knock me up with triplets, and we'll blow everybody out of the water,” Lydia says to me.
Not a bad idea.
I punch the button on my phone, and Lev answers. “We're heading over to The Hidden Mark. I want you to check in on Zofia. You'll get there before we do because we have a quick stop first. Can you do that for me?”
“I'm not there, brother. Mikhail sent me to Manhattan for the day.”
“Shit. Aleks. He probably can.”
“Maybe we should skip the range and just go straight to Mom's,” Lydia suggests.
“She hasn't answered the phone?” I ask.
“No,” Lydia says. “She never answers her phone or texts. She's kind of a… what do you call it? Someone who hates technology.”
“Luddite,” Vera supplies. “Oh wait, I just got a text from her,” Vera says. “She says everything's fine, don't worry about me. I'll be out here all day. When are you coming? Love, Mom.”
She shrugs. “Sounds like Mom.”
We head down to the range where we train and have large stuffed dummies suitable for knife practice. We go over everything again and again until she's panting, her face red with the exertion. “How did I do?” she asks, her eyes fierce.
“I'm proud of you. If anyone comes to attack you and you have your knife on you, they don't stand a chance.”
“On me? How do we do that, by the way?”
“I can get a little harness strapped to your leg, a sheath that goes in the small of your back, or you… there are lots of options, and we can use more than one if you'd like.”
“Yeah, I would like that.”
As we head out, an alarm sounds.
“What?” she asks, giving me a wary look. She doesn't trust me at all after last night. Not at all.
“Metal detector.”
“Everybody has to have their weapons checked. But it doesn't make sense that it’s going off,” Lydia says. “You're holding the knives, not me. I don't have any on me.”
Fuck. It’s her tracker.
She looks at the display that shows what’s causing the alarm to go off.
I note the second she realizes. The second she knows.
“It’s pointing to my neck. It's that thing at my neck that I thought was a bug bite, isn't it? Isn't it!” she demands.