Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 120165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 120165 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 601(@200wpm)___ 481(@250wpm)___ 401(@300wpm)
I glared at him even though I knew he was right. I’d put her in danger the moment I let myself get close to her.
Gennadiy sighed and stared off into the distance. The view from up here, looking out across Chicago, was incredible, but I could tell he wasn’t seeing it. He was trying to control that ferocious temper of his so he could speak calmly. And when he spoke, I found out why.
“Brother,” he said gently, “she’s a witness. You know what you have to do.”
It took me a second because, despite all the lives I’d taken, my mind just hadn’t gone there. Not with Bronwyn. I drew in my breath. “No.”
“You don’t have a choice,” said Gennadiy, his voice still gentle.
“I’m not killing her,” I told him.
“You have to,” said Valentin quietly.
“I’m not. Killing her.” I spat.
Gennadiy raised his hands in submission. “Okay. Okay, it’s alright.” His gentleness was driving me crazy. He started walking away.
Fear grabbed my heart in a cold fist and I ran after him and grabbed his shoulder. “You’re not doing it either!”
He looked at me in pity. “I’ll make it so she doesn’t suffer.”
I grabbed his shirt in both hands. “If you touch one hair on her head, I will end you!” I roared.
Gennadiy finally lost his cool. “Then end me!” he yelled. “I’ll still have protected you!”
We glared at each other, our faces only a foot apart. I felt myself fracture inside: I knew he loved me, I knew he was only trying to protect me. And I knew that however much we yelled at each other; he really would die to save me. But I couldn’t let him touch Bronwyn.
“Maybe you could marry her,” said Valentin.
All of us turned to stare at him. “What?” I demanded.
“If she’s your wife,” Valentin explained, “the cops can’t make her testify against you. And if you’re together, none of the other families would dare touch her.”
Everyone went quiet. I glanced around: they all looked thoughtful. “No!” I said quickly. “No. Unacceptable.”
“It’s a good solution, Radimir,” said Mikhail.
“Except she hates me! She’ll never agree to it.”
“She was happy enough to fuck you,” said Gennadiy mildly.
“That’s different! And now she…” Now she’s seen what a monster I am. “She’s scared of me! And we barely know each other! She doesn’t want to marry me; she doesn’t even want to see me!” I shook my head. “I’m not ruining her life just because I made a mistake.”
“She’ll be compensated,” said Gennadiy. “A nice apartment. Fancy clothes.”
“She’s not a whore!” I didn’t mean to yell it, but I did. Gennadiy cocked his head at me, curious, and I looked away. “You don’t understand. She’s not like us. She’s not part of this.” I waved my hand at the four of us. “I’m not bringing her into it!”
Gennadiy put his hand on my shoulder. “You know the alternative, brother.”
I shook off his hand and marched to the edge of the roof, thinking furiously. Marry her?! She had her whole future ahead of her, she deserved to meet someone good and go off and have children and vacations and all that civilian crap. And it would ruin my life, too. Sharing an apartment with her while constantly lusting after her. Knowing I could never give her what she deserved: I could never love her. It would be hell. And it would be forever: it wasn’t like we could ever divorce.
No. I couldn’t do it.
But...—I felt myself tearing apart inside—I couldn’t kill her, either.
I scowled and cursed but at last I sighed and turned to my family. “Okay,” I said.
“We’re coming with you,” said Gennadiy immediately.
I felt the anger build in my chest again: don’t you trust me? But no, they didn’t. And they were right not to. If I was on my own, it would be too easy to give in to temptation, give her a hundred thousand dollars and put her on a plane. But wherever she went, she’d still be in danger. My brothers were just trying to protect me.
“Fine,” I told him. “But we’re making a stop on the way. If I’m going to do this, I’m doing it right.”
16
BRONWYN
We were having a busy morning, for once. The line of customers stretched almost to the door and I was working non-stop to serve them while Jen restocked shelves and dealt with queries.
“Enjoy!” I told a woman who was buying an enemies-to-lovers shifter romance called I Can’t Bear You. “We just got the sequel in, I Can Bearly Bear You Either, so come back when you’re ready.”
For the last three days, I’d thrown myself into my work, reaching out to local book clubs to offer them discounts, creating a new window display and redoing all the book tables...anything to stop me thinking of him. I wasn’t getting much sleep, but the extra effort was paying off.