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. “Killing gives me power. Authority. And my favorite thing—money. It’s only a crime if you’re caught, Lena. And my brother and I never leave loose ends.”
All of these things I have to take on board.
It should scare me. They should scare me.
I bite my bottom lip. “If Alek and I were a thing and we didn’t work out… Would one or both of you kill me?”
She laughs, and the sound is as menacing as it is beautiful. “I don’t think my brother has any intention of ever letting you go. If you were to bring another man home, he would most likely kill him. But you? No. My brother will never hurt you.”
It goes without saying that when I’m with Alek, it’s the safest I’ve ever felt. But it’s a lot to absorb. I’m just a normal person. I’m not from their world. And I wonder how much I’ll have to change if I decide to be by his side.
“Have you told your parents about the new role?” she asks as I stand and collect my handbag. I down the rest of the champagne, enjoying the little buzz it gives me, but I’ll need it when it comes to any kind of conversation about my parents.
I haven’t called to tell my parents. I’m not ready yet. I know Archer will be ecstatic for me and come back to the city to watch my first performance, but I still don’t know if my parents will be impressed that I have a lead role in an actual Broadway show.
The pay increase is quite nice, and the opportunities that this new part will get me will be even more than I have right now. But I don’t know if it’s enough. If I’m enough.
“Not yet. I want to wait until I’ve performed a few times. As you saw, they’re not the most supportive of my career.”
Anya rolls her eyes, and her slight Russian accent comes out when she says, “You might be disappointed that we kill people, but at least we don’t kill children’s dreams.”
I give her a side glance and can’t help but smirk. “Are you trying to be poetic or supportive?”
The back door is opened for us by Clay, who has been waiting there for us, and Vance stands beside the car.
“Oh, shut up, or I really will put you in the trunk of my car. I’ve become quite good at it,” she says with a chilling smile.
I don’t think I’ll ever get past the shock factor of the things she says, but I think she enjoys teasing me because of it.
It’s oddly… nice.
CHAPTER 38
Aleksandr
Will’s an asshole but an effective one; he found everything I need in order to free Cinita of the people who hurt her. With the information on the final man who’s been following her, I intend to get rid of him tonight.
But first I have to see Lena perform. It’s her last performance, and although I’d already seen her sing in the same show countless times, I want to see her one more time before she moves on to her new gig.
Captivating is the only way to describe her.
Vance is once again babysitting Cinita. I advised her to pack her things because the next day, she’s on her own again and she and I will be done. This is my parting gift to her. Anything after that is up to her.
Had it not been for Lena, I most likely wouldn’t have been able to free myself from the shackle I’d misguidedly attached myself to Cinita with.
Anya had called it a savior complex. I didn’t think of myself as anyone’s savior or hero, but perhaps that’s what it was. I didn’t care to think any deeper on the matter.
I adjust my gloves as I approach the old, worn-down bar on the outskirts of town. These men had been nobodies, only connected to the Bratva by their dealing of small amounts of drugs.
How had Cinita fallen into the hands of men like these? They weren’t even powerful. But now it’s obvious she’s satisfied with wherever she can got her next fix.
“Would you consider this as a brother bonding experience?” River asks over my shoulder.
“I can’t fucking stand this prick,” Will says. The feeling is mutual.
“I told you, you didn’t need to come,” I remind them.
“Alright, Rocky, calm down. You think you’re going to take on an entire bar by yourself?” Will asks.
It’s somewhat rhetorical because, in many ways, I’m certain all of us are capable of it.
“Anya told me I needed to be here. And what Anya says, goes,” River confesses. “And besides, I wanted to try out a few of my guns.”
“All of this for a woman you’re not even fucking,” Will says lazily as he places his hands on the back of his head.
I ignore his intentional digs.