Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 68931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68931 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 345(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)
“Alina, shut up and get back inside,” Nikolai says harshly. “You don’t have to—”
“I will come with you,” I continue as if my brother hasn’t spoken. “I will honor the betrothal contract. And in exchange, you will call off your men and forget all about my nephew. He belongs here, with his father and Chloe—you can see that for yourself.”
Alexei’s gaze strays toward Chloe for an eyeblink, taking in the sight of Slava clinging to her as she shields him with her petite body, looking as fierce as any mama bear. The child’s eyes are wide and fearful; we’ve all been speaking English, so he wouldn’t understand the specifics, but there’s no mistaking the tension in our postures, nor the guns we’re all pointing at each other.
If Alexei tries to take his nephew as well as me, blood will be spilled, and the irreparable trauma the child will suffer will be on his conscience.
Alexei’s gaze returns to my face, and I shudder at the fury—and the burning hunger—in it. Yet his voice mirrors mine in its evenness. “All right. We have a deal. Lay down the gun and walk toward me.”
“Do not fucking do it,” Nikolai bites out. “I can take him.”
“Maybe.” My pulse pounds sickeningly in my temples as I lay my gun on the ground. “Or maybe you’ll both die. Maybe Chloe and Slava will as well. Think about that.”
Nikolai’s voice is tense. “I’m not letting you do this.”
The smile that springs to my lips coats my tongue with bitterness. “It’s not your call, brother. Nor is it mine. That whole fate business you believe in? Well, mine was decided when I was fifteen, and it’s time I stopped running from it. You and Konstantin have shielded me long enough.”
Before he can argue further, I hurry over to Alexei—who grabs my elbow in a steel grip as soon as I’m within reach and pulls me against him, pinning me possessively to his side. Even with the smoke lingering in my nostrils, I can smell the wild forest essence of him, and my body vibrates at his proximity, my skin flashing cold and hot as I fight to subdue the complex mix of emotions that closeness to Alexei always generates.
After all this time, all these years, he’s here.
He’s come to claim me.
Deep down, I’ve always known he would.
Across the driveway, my brother’s face twists with fury. He starts toward us, only to stop when Alexei’s finger twitches warningly on the trigger.
“Don’t, Kolya,” I say hoarsely as Alexei begins dragging me toward the tree line, gun still trained on Nikolai. Each word is another nail in my coffin, but I push ahead, raising my voice as the distance between me and my brother grows. “I’ll be fine. Just take care of Chloe and Slava, and I’ll see you back in Moscow sometime, okay? And tell Konstantin not to look for me. I don’t want blood spilled on my behalf!”
I shout the last words as the dark forest closes around us, leaving me at the mercy of my captor—the man I’ve just agreed to marry.
My worst nightmare come true.
Chapter 27
Present Day, Location Unknown
Opening the door to the cabin, Alexei shepherds me inside, his hand still on my elbow. In the two minutes it took us to walk down here, the storm arrived in earnest, the torrential rain lashing at the circular windows as lightning flashes twice in a row. Claps of thunder follow a second later, making me jump again even though I expected them—a sign of just how on edge I am.
This is it.
No more running, no more hiding, no more delays.
After more than a decade, my day of reckoning is at hand.
Alexei turns me to face him before letting go of my arm. With the sun hidden behind the thick clouds, the cabin is cloaked in shadows, the daylight filtering in through the windows too weak to dispel them. Too gray to chase away the darkness pressing in around me, or the fear twisting my insides and making my pulse race.
The fear and the desire.
I swallow hard and back away as another bolt of lightning illuminates the cabin for a moment, highlighting the sharp, taut lines of Alexei’s face and the scorching hunger in his eyes.
“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted you,” he says in a low, guttural voice as he reaches for the hem of his black T-shirt. With a swift, economical motion, he pulls the shirt over his head and lets it drop to the floor. His voice deepens into a rough growl. “How long I’ve waited for you.”
All the saliva in my mouth evaporates as the cabin tilts around us, the yacht rocked by the ever-growing waves. “It’s hardly waiting if you fuck other women.” I think I sound coherent, but I can’t be sure. My heart slams sideways against my ribs, and my skin burns as if I were in the grip of a fever. I’ve never seen Alexei shirtless, not even in the PI photos, and the powerful, starkly masculine lines of his torso exceed anything my imagination has conjured up over the years.