Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 86238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 86238 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 431(@200wpm)___ 345(@250wpm)___ 287(@300wpm)
“What?” My chest expands and deflates quicker than my pulse surges when my lungs expel more air than they take in. “That can’t be right. He couldn’t have accumulated that much debt in a day. There’s no way someone can lose that much money in a day.”
I’d give anything for a brown paper bag when Yev’s sorrow-filled eyes expose nothing but honesty.
My father is dead.
There’s no way he will get away with not paying back the head of the Russian mafia that much money, and I can’t borrow that much money from Alek.
I just can’t, not after the way I left him and placed all the blame on his shoulders.
I wonder if I spoke my last sentence out loud when Yev says, “Play in tomorrow’s tournament. Use it as an in for the bigger events.” He scrubs at his jaw, remorseful about his next words, but he’s aware they must be said. “Just don’t tell your dad. He’s not your lucky charm.”
“Alek is,” I mumble out loud this time around.
9
ANASTASIA
“It’s about time you showed up.”
My hands ball into fists long before a squeak pops from my lips. Alek should be grateful he is sitting on the couch on the other side of the dressing room. If he was closer, my fist would have connected with his eye by now. That’s how much he scared me.
He smirks, amused by my tightened hands before leaning forward so his elbows balance on his knees. Although he’s acting suave, I can tell our exchange yesterday is still playing heavily on his mind. His eyes are rimmed by dark circles and look pained. I bet he’s on the brink of another blackout migraine. Just the thought narrows my bitch-o-meter by a smidge. His condition isn’t a game. If it isn’t handled correctly, it could kill him.
I was so terrified when I didn’t hear from him during my first six months abroad that he had succumbed to his diagnosis, so I reached out to Yev. He said he was a grouchy cunt but very much alive. He gave me regular updates over the next three and a bit years.
Even though I shouldn’t have, I cared greatly for Alek—I still do. But I am also hurt that he betrayed me when I needed him the most.
“Did you find anything you like?” Alek nudges his head to the main area of his sister’s boutique I’ve been browsing for the past thirty minutes.
As much as I would like to rock up to tonight’s event in denim shorts and a sweater, I can’t. I wouldn’t even make it past the doorman in that getup. I need it to seem as if the twenty thousand dollar buy-in is only a share of the weekly allowance my rich husband gives me.
“I saw a couple of things. I’m just not sure what screams trafficked woman and an old guy’s rich wife. They dress about the same these days.”
“That’s because they are the same,” Alek murmurs, standing. “Go for something black but with a short hemline. It should be fitted but only on your breasts. Any indication of a bump in your midsection will lose you their interest.” My heart flutters in my pussy when he twists a lock of my hair around his index finger while murmuring, “You should wear your hair up. If they’re imagining what it will be like to kiss you here…” he drags his index finger along my collarbone, “… they’ll be thinking with their dicks instead of their head. That’ll see over half bowing out in the first couple of rounds.”
Hating that I can sometimes be overruled by my libido too, I try and even our playing field. “I want to know where she’s buried.”
Alek doesn’t show any sign of a balk, but I know he was smacked internally by the swift change in our conversation. The vein in his neck works at double the speed when he promises, “I’ll take you there.” He waits for me to acknowledge the promise in his eyes with a head bob before continuing, “But we need to get over this hurdle first. Your father has two days to pay back a massive chunk of his debt or the Yurys will pay him a visit.” He slants to the left to capture the attention of his sister, who is mingling in the main part of the store with Yev. “Bring me that number you mentioned earlier. Size four.” Confident Polina will jump on cue, he lowers his eyes to mine. “You’ll probably want to lose the bra for this dress. It’s… hugging.”
With a roll of my eyes from his prolonged gawk of my breasts, I snatch up the dress Polina arrives with before giving Alek silent marching orders.
I have my back facing him, so I only hear the husky chuckle that arrives with his mischievous grin. “I’ve seen it all before, драгоценный.”