Total pages in book: 113
Estimated words: 106159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106159 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 531(@200wpm)___ 425(@250wpm)___ 354(@300wpm)
“How could I not?” She squeezes my hand. “You’ve practically run this place yourself the past week, and it’s not a pile of ash and rubble.”
“It was a close call the first day,” I lie, still hating myself, “but I’ve had help.”
“From whom?”
I groan when the bell above the door chimes. We’ve been busy all afternoon, and although I am excited things are picking up for Polina, I’m desperate to go home. I’m just unsure if that means my apartment or somewhere else.
The swiftness of my relationship with Matvei scares the shit out of me, but losing him because I want him to slow down frightens me more.
“Good afternoon. Is there anything I can help you—?”
When Polina halts talking mid-greeting, I sling my eyes to the door. I feel as shocked as she sounds when I spot Vasily standing beside the rack we recently replenished.
“Vasily… ah… what are you doing here?”
Her response is not normal. Fear shouldn’t be associated with any relationship, not even one as one-sided as Vasily and Polina’s.
“Do you really need to ask?” After stuffing his hands into his pockets, he sinks deeper into the boutique, his eyes never once leaving my breasts. His gawk makes my skin crawl, but it has nothing on the burn his next comment causes my throat. “Not only is your agreement with that imbecile finally over, but you’ve also not returned any of my calls.”
I want to high-five Polina when her reply comes out with the vicious crack of a whip. “Because I’ve been busy.”
Vasily is smarter than he looks. “Doing?”
With her shoulders no longer high and her determination too weak to smell, Polina inconspicuously nudges her head to the storeroom, requesting privacy.
I don’t hide my reply to her wordless request. I fold my arms under my boobs before shaking my head. Vasily is bad news, and I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him, so there’s no way I am leaving her alone with him.
Polina appears pissed by my reply, but she sucks it up. She doesn’t have much choice. After huffing about my denial, she shifts her focus back to Vasily. “We had a large number of orders arrive at once. Inventory has been a nightmare.”
I laugh with Polina when he asks, “Do you want me to help?”
“And get your hands dirty?” I inwardly tap dance when she drags her eyes down his frame in a sullying glare. “We know that isn’t how you operate.”
“I guess that’s true. I’m more an injury-by-papercut kind of guy.” He gleams like he’s holding a straight flush. “Talking about paperwork, how’s yours going? Any news about your father?” He gets within slapping distance before saying, “I tried, but you know what my father is like. He only helps the people he considers family. You’re not family… yet.” The seediness of his last word makes me want to vomit. “But you could be. You’ve just got to stop playing in the minors and step up to the big leagues, and then that branch will extend to everyone in your inner circle.” The pieces start clicking into place when he goes for the kill shot. “Even your father. I thought you wanted him to meet his little girl in person?”
“I do.” A sob chokes Polina’s short reply.
Vasily acts ignorant, though. “Then stop acting like a spoiled little brat and do what needs to be done.” He nudges his head to a black sedan parked outside. “If you come with me now, we could salvage this.”
There’s no denying the past week has been a confidence boost for Polina when she spits out, “I can’t go with you.”
“Why not?” For someone who just got dissed, Vasily doesn’t sound upset.
“Because I—”
“Became a whore who only cares about herself?”
Before I can slap the words out of his mouth, Polina’s hand collides with his cheek. Her slap is so fierce it echoes around the room and reddens Vasily’s face in an instant.
Memories of my mother’s taunts when she tried to convince me to use the defense of a beaten wife to skip charges rain down on me when Vasily snarls out, “Your father will be so disappointed of the woman you’ve become, especially when he finds out who kept this place open during the recession. Maybe it’s best for him to stay where he is. I doubt he’d let you near your baby sister when he learns about the bad influences you class as friends. Drug runners, sex-trafficking pimps, and men stupid enough to participate in an illegal fight circuit even while knowing their actions were being taped.”
My head is spiraling, so I can only imagine how swirling Polina’s is.
“Some were even dumb enough to fight twice. What did the district attorney call the charges he’s considering having drawn up?” He taps the lip that was split by Yev’s fist only weeks ago. “Aggravated assault on a vulnerable victim.” I grow worried he knows more than he’s letting on when his eyes flick to mine for the quickest second before they return to Polina. “Supposedly IQ testing has more standing than university placements. It can verify if victims are of sound mind to make life-altering decisions for themselves.”