Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63638 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 255(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
“I’m glad you’re here, Nicole,” she says after a pause. “You’ve been very kind to me. As much as I hate to admit that Sergei is right about anything, he was right to bring you here.”
My heart leaps at her words, though I’m not sure if it’s because of the compliment or the mention of Sergei.
“I’m happy to be here,” I tell her earnestly.
“You’re needed here,” she says firmly. “By more than just me, I think.”
I blink, unsure what she means, but before I can ask, she tilts her head slightly and says, “How far along are you?”
The air leaves my lungs in a rush. My fingers tighten around the clipboard resting in my lap, and I stare at her, speechless.
“What?” The word scrapes out, hoarse and strangled by surprise.
Liliya’s lips quirk into a smile that’s both kind and cunning.
“You are not showing yet,” she assures me. “But I’ve had two children. I know the signs. You touch your stomach when you think no one’s looking, and there’s a constant worry in your eyes. And, of course, you’re always unwell in the mornings. I remember what that was like.”
My mouth opens, then closes again. I don’t know what to say. As sharp as she is, I didn’t think she was paying that much attention.
“You don’t have to be afraid,” Liliya adds, reaching out to pat my hand gently. “I will not tell Sergei. That is for you to decide. But I wanted you to know that you are not alone.”
A lump rises in my throat, thick and impossible to swallow. I glance down, blinking rapidly, and fight the sudden rush of emotion.
15
SERGEI
It’s been a week since our shipment was hit. I’ve done everything I can to keep my men steady, without overreacting and feeding the chaos. I’ve added more guards, tightened security, and made sure my best men keep their eyes and ears peeled. I’ve doubled the manpower at the docks, reassigned two of my best men to scout the routes, and installed encryption on every internal channel. Still, it doesn’t feel like enough. Every night, I brace for another call—or for Sasha to barge in—to report another loss.
But I’m not retaliating. Not yet. I’d love to hit Semion where it hurts, but he hasn’t taken credit, and I’m not about to start a war on a hunch. Still, the urge to strike festers beneath my skin, and I know it’s only a matter of time before I either hit back or bleed. Every instinct tells me Semion was behind the ambush. No one else would be so calculated, so bold. No one else would put one of my men in a body bag just to send a message.
He’s always wanted a war with me. But he isn’t going to get one until I have leverage.
So I’ve been waiting and watching. I’ve called in favors from old contacts and offered bonuses to anyone who could get me eyes on Semion’s crew. So far, nothing concrete has come through. No one’s heard any useful information, just whispers and rumors that are so far unsubstantiated. And through it all, I haven’t had a single moment to see Nicole.
I’ve been keeping my distance from her deliberately. At first, it was because I didn’t want her anywhere near this mess. The Bratva may be my blood and my legacy, but she has nothing to do with that world, and I want to keep it that way. But the longer I stay away, the harder it gets.
I can’t stop thinking about her. She haunts me day and night, and the brief interactions we do have aren’t enough. Ever since our almost-kiss under the moonlight that was so cruelly interrupted, I’ve wanted nothing more than to go to her room and pick up where we left off.
But every time I’ve gone to knock on her door, I’ve stopped myself. The last thing I want to do is pull her closer and risk being distracted from my enemies.
Yet here I am, halfway down the hall, juggling numbers in my head when the front door creaks open.
I stop short. When I glance toward the entrance, she’s just stepping inside.
She brushes a hand through her hair as she closes the door behind her, her movements casual, but her eyes scan the hallway like she is searching for something. Is she looking for me the same way I always find myself looking for her?
I step toward her, making my presence known. “Out enjoying the afternoon?”
She startles slightly at the sound of my voice, then smiles, soft, polite, warm.
“I was. I actually just popped over to see my parents. They’re not far from here.”
She offers nothing more, and I don’t press. I could, but I want her to feel comfortable here. She’s my employee; she can come and go as she pleases when she’s off duty.