Total pages in book: 71
Estimated words: 66833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66833 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 334(@200wpm)___ 267(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
I’m telling Arielle about our plans to go to Thailand next week—among other things, to visit Birgit, whose arrest in Geneva turned out to be a story made up by my brothers to facilitate my “rescue”—when Valery approaches our group. Strangely, he frowns when he sees Arielle, a rare expression of emotion for my youngest brother.
“Konstantin,” Valery says, his gaze lingering on the girl for a moment too long. “I see you brought your… visitor.”
Konstantin’s arm tightens around her back. “My guest.”
“Of course.” Valery’s cool smile reveals nothing. “It’s nice to see you again, Arielle.”
Huh. So Valery has already met her? Why am I just finding out about her then? And why does it feel like there’s something not quite right here?
Arielle inclines her head in greeting but doesn’t say anything. Instead, she tells Konstantin that she has to use the bathroom, and he immediately leads her away, as usual not bothering with such social niceties as goodbyes.
I don’t waste the opportunity. Grabbing Valery’s sleeve, I lean in and whisper-hiss, “Who is she? What’s her deal? How long has Konstantin been with her?”
Valery glances at Alexei before returning his attention to me. “It’s a bit… complicated.”
“In what way?” Alexei asks, draping a possessive arm around my back. His dark eyes narrow. “Anything that could blow back on us?”
I blink. I wasn’t even thinking in that direction—but of course, Alexei’s mind would immediately jump to that possibility, though I can’t imagine what kind of danger Konstantin’s date could possibly pose to us.
To my surprise, Valery doesn’t laugh off the question. “Hopefully not,” he says and excuses himself to go greet some business acquaintances.
I let him go reluctantly. I’ll have to get him alone later, or better yet, corner Konstantin.
Unfortunately, I don’t get a chance. A few minutes later, I spot Konstantin leading Arielle to the exit, his hand a constant, guiding pressure on her back.
I watch them go, a chill creeping down my spine despite the warmth of the ballroom. There’s definitely something off about the way Konstantin is with Arielle. His manner with her seems almost… controlling. That tiny nod—it wasn’t encouragement. It was permission.
I’m suddenly reminded of the early days of my relationship with Alexei.
But no. That can’t be. Konstantin wouldn’t do that to a woman. He’s not a typical Molotov. Or a typical man, for that matter.
Maybe he and Arielle simply had a fight, and that’s what I picked up on.
Either way, I put it out of my mind for now and resolve to talk to Valery about it later.
We stay at the party for another half hour before we head home—the mansion we rebuilt after my brothers’ attack. It’s now more of a fortress than ever, with a mixture of high- and low-tech security measures providing redundancies upon redundancies that would be next-to-impossible to overcome. It’s also the most comfortable place I’ve ever lived in, with everything laid out and furnished exactly as I like it. Alexei gave me free rein in that regard, and I surprised myself by having a lot of fun setting up our home.
I even added a little nursery that adjoins our bedroom and decorated it in gender-neutral colors, though a part of me is still convinced we’re going to have a girl one day… one way or another.
Outside, the snow is falling again, white flakes shimmering like tiny stars under the streetlights as our car winds its way through the busy city streets, with Alexei’s most trusted guard behind the wheel. I cuddle against Alexei in the back, enjoying the warmth of his big body as I breathe in his familiar winter-forest-and-leather scent.
He truly is my everything, this terrible, beautiful man whom I feared for so long—and now love beyond all measure.