Total pages in book: 58
Estimated words: 56507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56507 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 188(@300wpm)
“How long now?” she asks.
“Twenty minutes.”
“Is this elevator actually made of gold?” Ania asks as we wait in the lobby of one of my dad’s high-rise restaurants. The elevator doors gleam.
“Yeah,” I reply. “Dad’s a bit gaudy for my tastes.”
“A bit?” she says, shooting me a look.
She’s brave and shy and buzzing with nerves all at the same time. I almost reach over and put my hand over hers, but I must be strong now. I have to fight the urge to do what I want to, give in to the desire, loop my arm around her, pull her close, and tell her everything will be okay.
When the doors open, she rushes inside, almost like she’s afraid the moment will pass her by. As we ride it up, she moves from foot to foot, standing on her tiptoes.
“Wish you were wearing ballet shoes?”
She looks up at me with red cheeks. “Always.”
“I can tell how passionate you are.”
“It’s all I think about. Well, it was.”
I want to tell her I’ll build her an even bigger studio. I’ll send her to the best schools. She can forget about the Sokolovs, the West Coast, and Bratva life.
The closer we get to the top, the more I think I should warn Ania about her mother not knowing she’s going to arrive suddenly. I don’t know what the hell Dad’s thinking, and then it’s too late. The doors open, and Dad is standing right there. He is a tall, lean man with sharp eyes and a wry smile always close to his lips. Like father, like son, people say, except he smiles much more.
“Ania,” he says in his business-meeting voice. “Thanks so much for coming.”
Ania looks sideways at me as if to say, Does he think I had a choice? I shrug, not wanting Dad to realize there’s any connection between us if there is one. Dad probably notices the silent exchange but doesn’t comment on it. He’s all amped up like he gets when he’s about to close a big deal.
“Are you ready to meet your mother?” he says.
“Uh, I think so,” Ania replies.
“Well, let’s go.”
“Wait,” I say, causing them both to look at me. “Dad, before we get on with this, I need to speak to you about a job. Ania, wait here, please.”
I added the please because, hell, I don’t know why. I’ve kidnapped her, taken her across the country, and yet somehow manners seem important. Dad sighs, but when I duck my head and walk down the hallway, he has no choice except to follow.
“What’s the problem?” he says, lowering his voice. I can tell he’s impatient.
“We need to tell Molly.”
“This again?”
“Dad, stop fucking around,” I snap. “I know you want this to be exactly how you see it in your head, but—”
From the end of the hallway, I hear Molly’s voice raised. “Oh, hello? Can I help you? I was looking for my husband.”
Then I hear Ania’s voice trembling, all the emotion bubbling up. “Uh, I think he’ll be back in a sec.”
Dad grins. “Looks like fate has chosen for us.” He claps me on the shoulder. “Don’t stress so much. This is a good day.”
CHAPTER 10
ANIA
Maybe it was the story Aiden told me about her past, the prostitution and the beating, but I wasn’t expecting Mom to look so glamorous. It makes sense if she’s married to a super-rich guy. She’s lean and tall, with high cheekbones and gorgeous hair curled into an intricate pattern. She wears a long, flowy red dress. She looks like a princess.
“Ah, good, you’ve already met,” Aiden’s dad says, putting his arm over my mother’s shoulder. “I’m Theodore, by the way, but my friends call me Teddy. Molly, this is, well, there’s no use in beating around the bush. This is your daughter, Anna.”
“Ania,” I mutter, but I don’t think he hears.
Aiden is leaning against the wall, off to the side, watching with a tight expression on his face.
“Anna?” Mom says. The tone of her voice immediately tells me that Aiden lied. He lied. She didn’t know I was coming. “My … my … but what about her brothers? What about the Sokolovs?”
“Molly, this is a good thing.”
When Theodore tries to touch Molly’s arm, she waves her hand, swiping him away as she starts to pant. She looks shocked as she stares at her husband. She doesn’t glance my way again, actively avoiding looking in my direction. Panic starts to hammer in my chest, wrapping around me like a coarse rope. I try to stay calm, but then Molly pushes Theodore away.
“She has to go,” my mother says, sounding like she’s finding it difficult to breathe. “She can’t … You don’t understand. Where are her brothers?”
“You don’t need to worry about her brothers,” Theodore says. “She’s here to be with you. Your Anna.”
“Her name’s Ania, Dad,” Aiden growls.