Defiant. Sweet. Alluring.
A business deal gone wrong brought me to her doorstep.
She's everything I shouldn't want; everything I was against after watching my mother's obsession destroy her.
Still, I can't stop myself from craving her.
I should know...
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I'D TEMPORARILY forgotten how to breathe.
The few seconds it took me to get into the car felt like an eternity with Aleksei's eyes burning holes into my back.
"At some point, you two are gonna have to fuck, because the sexual tension is suffocating."
I shook my head at Mikhail as if to say I don't know what you're talking about, ignoring eye contact with him.
There was no tension. Confusion? Yes, but that was on Aleksei's part.
Mikhail said nothing, but the dark amusement that lit his eyes briefly was telling enough.
"I must warn you about Reina. She's our aunt slash stepmother." His lips pressed into a flat line like he was fighting back a laugh. "It's complicated," he added. "Long story short, Reina stole my father from my mother, trapped him with a failed pregnancy, and then she eventually married him. Our father divorced our mother, and he married Reina. They've been together ever since. She's a bitch of epic proportions."
My mouth fell open and closed. Twice.
What the fuck did I just hear?
I pulled out my phone to convey my disbelief. "She knowingly slept with your father when he was with your mother?"
Mikhail shrugged a shoulder, the perfect picture of nonchalance. "I mean, I wouldn't blame her alone. Igor isn't any better.."
"Yeah, forget that your father is a piece of shit. Reina? She owed loyalty to your mother. They're sisters. I couldn't imagine doing something like that to my family."
"Families are different. Not everyone has that kind of loyalty to their family. Reina happens to be one of those types. Either way, I'm not losing sleep over their marriage." A small smile touched his lips. "Alek has always been there."
My heart warmed. Maybe Aleksei wasn't so bad. I squeezed his hand in a silent show of support.
"If she's being a bitch, you can sic him on her ass."
"Why? She's scared of him."
"Everyone in the family is scared of him. According to them, he's volatile and has loyalty to no one but himself. I mean, it's true, but still... it hurts that they see my brother as a monster, you know?" Sarcasm dripped from the statement; I couldn't help but laugh.
I shared a small smile with him. "How's your mother dealing with her sister's treachery? Where's she now?"
"Six-foot deep somewhere and rotting, I hope. Not a fan of ghosts."
My eyes widened at the nonchalance in his tone. Was there something I was missing here? This was his mother we were talking about here. The one who was betrayed by his father and aunt.
Before I could ask for clarification, he spoke again, "Oh, here we are. Welcome to what I like to call hell."
I looked out of the window as the car rolled to a stop by a fountain. Fancy.
