Total pages in book: 45
Estimated words: 43787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43787 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 219(@200wpm)___ 175(@250wpm)___ 146(@300wpm)
“Protect me?” She lets out a sharp, bitter laugh. “Protect me from what, Konstantin?”
Konstantin doesn’t hesitate. “From Dimitri taking you back.”
The room feels like it’s closing in. Alaina stares at him, disbelief and something like horror washing over her face. “And now?” she whispers. “How did you plan to stop pushing his drugs? How were you ever going to get my business clean from this?”
Konstantin looks at her, and for the first time since I’ve known him, he looks tired.
“The shootout?” His voice is grim. “That was a warning. That’s why it was only one night. He wanted to remind me what’s at stake.” His gaze flickers to me, then back to her. “Without his product going through, Dimitri is going to take you, Alaina. That was to tell me he was close.”
Her breathing stutters, and I see it—the moment it truly sinks in. The moment she realizes just how deep this goes. Her hands curl into fists. “No.”
Konstantin exhales. “It’s already in motion.”
I push off the chair, stepping forward before she crumbles completely. But she doesn’t fall. She turns to me instead, something wild in her eyes.
“This is because of him?” she says, her voice trembling with fury. “All of this?”
I nod once, my jaw tight. “Yeah.”
She shakes her head, stepping away like she’s trying to put space between herself and the truth. “I was never safe, was I?”
Konstantin doesn’t answer. Because he doesn’t need to. We all know the truth now. And it sure as hell ain’t pretty. But I know one thing for damn sure. Dimitri isn’t taking her. Not now. Not ever.
I step closer, forcing her to look at me. “This doesn’t change anything,” I tell her, my voice low. “He doesn’t get to take you.”
Her eyes flicker, a storm brewing inside them. “And what if he does?”
I let out a dark, humorless chuckle. “Then we go to war.”
Konstantin exhales sharply. “If we go to war with Dimitri, it won’t be a fight you walk away from, Chux.”
I don’t flinch. I don’t hesitate.
“I don’t care. But you shouldn’t underestimate a King full of fury, driven by passion, and hell bent on protection.”
Because I don’t care if I live or die. But I am determined to see this through.
For Alaina.
She’s worth the war.
“You’re in over your head,” Konstantin begins and I throw up a hand silencing him.
“Enough, Alaina needs time to process this and I need to call in my family. Check yourself out of this one old man.”
I take Alaina by the hand, lacing my fingers in hers and leading her outside while her grandfather mutters to us in Russian.
We make it outside and climb on my bike. I grip the handlebars so tight in frustration my knuckles turn white.
This whole thing runs so much deeper than I could have predicted. Her whole life has been caught up in a Bratva she didn’t know existed. The tension in my face is sharp, but I try not to let it all show. Not in front of Konstantin’s men. He might be a big deal to them or even in his fucked up world. In mine, he’s just another man standing between me and my woman.
That right there is his death certificate.
Alaina wraps her arms tight around my waist clinging to me. I feel the tremble through her body as she presses herself against me like I’m her lifeline.
Konstantin has followed us out and stands to our right.
“This ain’t over,” I warn.
He watches me with his unreadable eyes. I don’t give a fuck what he’s thinking. He needs to understand, his time to make moves is over. He let her slip away. Now I’m going to show her where she belongs, with me.
“She needs time.” My voice is steel. “Time to process all this, time to breathe. You can’t force her into a decision when her whole world just got flipped upside down.”
Konstantin exhales, slow and measured. He’s not a man used to being told no. I can see it in the way his lips press together, the subtle tick in his jaw. But he doesn’t push back. Not yet.
Alaina doesn’t speak. She’s barely holding it together, and I sure as hell won’t let her fall apart in front of him. I shift my bike into gear and rev the engine, the low growl filling the space between us. “She’s with me from here on out. Tell your family that.”
Konstantin doesn’t move, doesn’t blink. But I see it—the hesitation, the battle warring in his head. Then he steps back. Not far, but enough.
“Take care of her,” he says, his voice clipped, controlled.
I don’t answer. Instead, I ease the clutch out and pull away, feeling Alaina’s grip tighten as we disappear into the night.
The ride back to the clubhouse is quiet, but I can feel her. Every tremor, every slow inhale, every thought she’s too scared to say out loud. I keep my hand steady on the throttle, pushing through the darkness, knowing the only thing I can do now is get her somewhere safe.