Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80660 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 403(@200wpm)___ 323(@250wpm)___ 269(@300wpm)
Okay, so that helped to shove his brain into gear. Alexei nipped the tip of Soren’s thumb and simply smirked when the man cried out.
“I’m sorry. You seem to have forgotten that I’m a trained assassin. I’m the one who has saved your ass twice now. There’s nothing we’ve seen so far that I can’t handle.”
Though the presence of the Russian operatives had thrown everything into a new light.
“It’s not about what you can or can’t handle. It’s that I don’t want you dead. And part of keeping you alive means doing more to keep myself alive so I can watch your ass.”
Alexei flashed Soren his best saucy smirk and opened his mouth to make a sarcastic comment, but Soren held up one finger, halting those words in his throat.
“I’m serious, Alexei. I can’t lose you.”
And he was frighteningly serious. Lifting up on the tips of his toes, he brushed a gentle kiss across Soren’s chin and then the corner of his mouth. “You’re not going to lose me. No one is going to touch us.”
“Can you tell me why you became whiter than a ghost when that woman spoke for the first time? In English. Before she and that guy launched into Russian.”
Of course, he moved straight from tenderness to ugliness. There was so much of what had happened that he didn’t want to talk about, didn’t ever want to think about. But he had little choice in the matter. Even if he didn’t tell Soren anything, he’d have to call Gabriel.
Stepping away from Soren, he wandered over to the bed and fell backward onto the soft mattress with a satisfying bounce. “You sure you wouldn’t rather fuck my mouth? It would be more fun.”
Soren walked over and lay down on the mattress on his side so that he was facing Alexei. He reached over and carefully brushed some hair out of his face. “Who was she?”
“Oh, I have no clue. I’ve never seen either of them in my life.”
Lines cut deep furrows across Soren’s brow, and he frowned. “I don’t understand. It sounded like you knew them. Though I’ve got to admit, my Russian is pretty darn nonexistent.”
“It’s complicated. And messy.”
“I heard you say the name Nicolai Krestyanov, and Victor.”
Fuck.
“So, I come from this big, fucked-up family. We have this incredibly long history of being bastards in general, but my grandfather was the worst of them all.”
Soren slowly sat up, his eyes becoming impossibly wide while his mouth fell open. When he spoke, the words came out so softly that Alexei could barely hear him. “Holy shit. Your grandfather was Nicolai Krestyanov. You’re Alexei Krestyanov, grandson of Nicolai and son of Nadia, his only daughter.”
Alexei’s heart sped up as Soren mentioned the name of his mother—a name he’d never used before. This man knew about his family. Most people outside of Russia weren’t aware of the Krestyanovs. Technically his last name was Sokolov, but everyone who knew him thought of him as a Krestyanov.
This was bad. His skin crawled and some instinctive part of him wanted to reach for his weapon, but he couldn’t because it was Soren. The same man who just said he wanted to be more responsible and careful so he could keep Alexei safe.
“How-how do you know about my family?”
Soren pushed to his feet and turned to look at Alexei sitting on the bed. His hand over his mouth, he backpedaled and sort of fell into a chair on the opposite of the room. “You’re the nephew of Viktor Krestyanov. Oh, shit. The Reaper is going to fucking kill me for sleeping with you.”
Alexei twisted the comforter tightly in his fists to keep from leaping across the room and grabbing him. “I’m going to kill you if you don’t start talking soon.”
Soren shifted and looked down at the floor. Failing to hold his gaze was never a good sign. “There isn’t a lot I can tell you. I don’t have the right to put anyone else’s life in danger. But…I’m former CIA.”
He was on his feet and darting across the room before he even realized he’d gotten up. CIA. CIA. Soren was fucking CIA. It was the only thought in his brain. That and run. His heart was pounding so hard in his chest, he’d shifted straight into flight mode, because the only other option was to fight and he didn’t want to kill Soren.
Unfortunately, Soren jumped to his feet too, and moved to head him off, blocking the only exit from the room. Alexei palmed the knife from his side and froze, waiting. If Soren took one step toward him, reached for him, he’d strike. Not kill. Just enough to warn him off. He needed to get away.
Soren stopped and held his empty hands out to his sides. “Look at me, Angel. You know I wouldn’t do anything to hurt you.”