Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 108119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 541(@200wpm)___ 432(@250wpm)___ 360(@300wpm)
Tears filled my eyes.
He leaned over me and pressed a searing kiss against my mouth. “Even if I was killed tonight — I would never regret you, Alice.”
“See.” I leaned back. “Romantic.”
“Shhhh,” He winked. “Don’t ruin my sordid reputation, dorogaya.”
I reached up and patted his cheek. “Nothing but a teddy bear.”
He barked out a laugh. “Tell that to Ivan.”
“Ivan?” Did I even want to know?
Andrei wrapped an arm around my shoulders as we walked side by side out of the club and down the hall to the apartment. “Shot him twice in the chest, and under the chin just to make sure it was quick, lots of blood. Used to be a good man until he turned.”
“Why do men turn?” I asked, genuinely curious. “In this business I mean. Is it just for money? Power? I mean what’s the point when your life is on the line? Or when you suddenly gamble with your life and those you love just because you can’t help but want more?”
Andrei didn’t answer. He silently unlocked the door, his face a mask of indifference as he showed me in, closed and locked it behind me. “You really want to know?”
“Yeah.” I crossed my arms and shivered, despite the fur coat. “I do.”
“Contentment.”
It wasn’t the answer I was expecting.
“I surprised you.” He flashed me a half smile as he leaned back against the door. “You expected me to agree with you?”
“Maybe?”
His gorgeous smile grew. “You have a lot to learn Alice. A man with idle hands, a man without a purpose, is not a man at all. He is less than and he knows it, so he will do anything to fill that hole. The consequences no longer matter, because a man was built with purpose and when you lose your purpose, you lose everything.”
It was so deep, so wise that I didn’t have an intelligent response other than to lean toward him, wishing he’d say more.
Andrei held out his hands like he was getting ready to cup water. “In my world, a man was built to do two things.” He reached for my hand, and then he held his other hand out and turned it over. “To hold those he cares for closer than his own heart, and to work to the bone for their happiness, their contentment. A man who has lost this, has lost his purpose.” He dropped my hands and shrugged out of his leather jacket. “Elena belonged to Ivan first. They were married, in love, my father took one look at her and stole her, said it was just business. She became my stepmother, a young stepmother, and Ivan let him because he lacked the power to stop him. So, he did what any man would do when a wrong was done against him. He figured out a way to get back his contentment by taking what he could from my father and aligning himself with the De Langes.”
“And Elena?”
“She was never the same. Then again, neither was he.” Andrei hung his head and whispered something in Russian before turning to me. “Enough talk about death and purpose. I owe you a date. A nice date, without a blood-stained shirt,” He tugged at his tight black T-shirt.
I didn’t see the blood on his shirt, but I’d noticed it on his cheeks and on his neck. “It doesn’t bother you? Other people’s blood?”
He smirked like it was a cute question. “It means they’re no longer a threat.”
“Well I guess that’s one way to think about it.”
“I don’t waste energy thinking about the dead, they don’t matter. The living, however, do.” He took a step toward me. “Any more questions or can I shower?”
“I remember a time when you yelled at me for asking you questions,” I pointed out with an arched brow.
“I remember a time when I would have done anything for you to ask more. Wait, that was thirty seconds ago. I would talk to you until my voice was hoarse, but I can’t. Because as much as blood doesn’t bother me, I know it bothers you, it reminds you of things you shouldn’t have to see, so I’m going to shower and then we’re going to eat and then I’m going to kiss you and I’m not going to stop.”
“I like that plan,” I whispered.
He kissed the top of my head. “Good.”
And then he was sauntering away from me, his lean muscled body moving through the living room like a freaking panther.
I exhaled and shook my head. He was too much and not enough all at once, because when he was with me I wanted more, and when he left me, my heart threw itself into chaos, worry.
I looked down. If he was changing, should I too?
Frowning, I went to my room and flipped on the closet light. Everything was either too fancy or not nice enough. My hands grazed the pieces of clothes hanging, the tags that went along with them, and then I stopped when I got to the end of the room.