Page 46 of Alexei

Me and the hippos forgotten, Rora ran towards her brother.

“No, Rora!” he yelled at her little sister.

Her steps faltered and she came to a stop. Staring at her brother, her chest rose and fell with each breath.

“Run, Aurora. Run and don’t look back!”

I should grab her and run her home. Ivan would destroy this little girl, her innocence. There was no coming back from someone like Ivan Petrov. I knew it firsthand.

“I don’t want to go alone,” she whimpered, her eyes wide with fear.

“Don’t worry, little girl.” Ivan took steps towards her, smiling menacingly at her. “Sharing is caring.” He’d make both of their lives a living nightmare. Ivan didn’t do forgiveness. He’d make their father pay for denying him. “I came for you but we can take your brother too… sharing both of you will be fun, da?”

“Leave her alone,” her brother shouted, pushing against one of Ivan’s minions. I was one of his minions too. And it made me sick to my stomach, seeing two innocents destroyed right in front of my eyes. “Run, Rora!” her brother screamed at the top of his lungs, his demand clear.

Swallowing hard, her eyes looking my way. So much fear. I gave her a barely noticeable nod, and she took off in a sprint.

I went after her. “Get her,” Ivan ordered in Russian, assuming I was after her to bring her back.

Fuck that! I ran with her all the way home. Her little legs carried her fast. I couldn’t believe she remembered her way home, but she did. Once she was safely inside her mansion, I left and never looked back.

I had destroyed her life before it began. And the realization hit me like a tsunami.I’ll never have her.Not in this life. Not in the next. She’d destroy me if she knew what I did, and I wouldn’t stop her.

Nico knew her brother. After all, he went back with me to Moscow, along with Cassio and the crew ten years ago. You didn’t forget shit like that, no matter how drunk we got while we waited for our flight out of that Godforsaken country.

Something inside me hardened to rock solid ice. And there wasn’t much softness left.

My phone rang, stopping my memories. Glancing at it, Raphael’s name flashed on the screen. Why in the fuck would he call me? The only thing we had in common was Isabella and we never discussed her. Needless to say, he rarely called.

I pushed the answer button. “Yes.”

“Do you ever greet people any other way?” Raphael’s tone dripped with sarcasm.

“What do you want?” I asked, already bored and annoyed with this conversation, and it hadn’t even started. “Different enough?”

Raphael mumbled something under his breath. I was pretty sure he called me apsicópata frio, a cold psycho in Spanish. I didn’t bother commenting. I’d been called worse, and he wasn’t far from the truth.

“Byron Ashford called me,” Raphael continued. My interest piqued, but I remained silent. “He asked if you and your brothers could keep an eye on his little sister.”

It was convenient to get approval of the big brother to stalk Aurora. But it would be nobody’s job but mine. If my brothers tried to do anything with the young agent, I’d slice them alive. She was mine to watch and keep safe. Though I’d never have her, I’d be sure to atone for my sins. I’d ensure I kept her safe.

“I figured I better start with you since you went ballistic in the restaurant,” he added.

Whatever. It was none of his business. I could sense Aurora didn’t like Raphael. She stiffened the moment his name was uttered. Though it was curious that Byron asked us to watch over her. He knew who we were, yet he didn’t hesitate to ask for a favor. Though he would reverse that ask within milliseconds, if he knew what happened twenty years ago.

Too fucking late.

“Are you there?” Raphael called out.

“I’ll keep an eye.”Click.

I ended the call and glanced at the time. No sense in saying anything else. I intended to keep an eye on her regardless.

Speaking of the FBI agent. She should be here in half an hour.

I strode through the compound and headed for Vasili’s office. The beautiful agent would be escorted here, and though I knew Vasili only had eyes for Isabella, something inside of me objected to leaving Aurora alone with Vasili.

“Alexei,” Vasili greeted me. I hadn’t seen him since yesterday.