“I wanted to say thank you for these.” I ran my hands over the pajama shirt.
“You’re welcome. Did you see the panties?” He leaned back in the chair with a smug expression on his face.
“Yes.” A burning sensation stole across my cheeks.
“Kinsley needs a few things still. I could take her tomorrow,” Nik suggested.
“I’d rather go alone.”
Alek dismissed me, opening his laptop once more. “Not going to happen. Marcus has everything under control.”
“You can’t keep me here against my will. I don’t want Marcus picking out things for me.” Dear god, he was the one who probably picked up the clothing for me already.
“Marcus is more than capable of getting what you need. But surely you remember that, no? From our weekend away. Now, if you don’t mind, it’s been a long day.” He rubbed his temples.
“You’re a jerk. I’m not a child. It’s really uncomfortable having a stranger picking out underwear for me, and I need other things. Things that…that…Oh, I hate you.”
“Make a list. I’m serious.”
“I’d say yes, Sir, but somehow that might give you the wrong impression, so instead I will just say you’re an asshole.” At that, I turned around and left.
I was trying to play by his rules, but I wouldn’t have a stranger getting personal items for me. So I made my own plans. These men may have thought they could boss me around, but I’d show them. I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m., locked my door, and climbed into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.
The blaring alarm startled me from sleep, and I quickly got dressed, then slipped silently out of the house like a shadow. My bare feet met the cool morning dew on the grass as I walked through the garden. My heart quickened as I looked over my shoulder, expecting one of them to come charging.
Once more, I scaled the towering wall and landed silently on the other side, well out of sight from the guard gate, and managed not to scratch myself this time. After putting some distance between myself and the house, I called an Uber. They had more places to shop in Seattle, making my job easier. There were a few specific places I would need to go.
I was thankful that I had money in one of the banks with biometric verification. I could use my fingerprint to withdraw cash to get the items I needed. Once I had a pair of shoes and a new knife, I’d get another Uber to my house.
With an extra key in the garage, I could be up in Skagit by ten at the latest. We had two hundred and fifty acres up there. I knew they’d come looking for me. But what they didn’t know was we had another cabin about one hundred miles away from the main one. We used it for hunting during elk season. It was where I’d need to go, anyway.
Despite Aleksandr’s insistence, I wouldn’t be staying. I clung to my own sense of purpose, determined to do what it took to start over. The alternative was not something I could live with.
Chapter 7
Nikolai
Outright Defiance
Ivan and I walked into the dim light of Aleksandr’s bedroom and found his hulking form sprawled across his bed. The disarray of the room mirrored the chaos of last night’s attempt to drown out Kinsley. I was beginning to wonder if my brother was ever going to learn.
The previous bender he’d been on hadn’t been successful, so I wasn’t sure why he thought the bottle last night was going to provide a different outcome. Kinsley was so far under his skin it was comical. While I found it fucking hilarious to watch, Ivan didn’t.
“Reaper, get your lazy ass up,” he roared, kicking the bed frame.
Alek startled and winced as his fingers found his temples and massaged them.
“Well, since you only ever call me Reaper when I’ve fucked up or we’re in the process of killing someone, and it doesn’t seem to be the latter, mind telling me what I did to piss you off? And do me a favor, baby brother, whisper. My head is killing me.”
“Right now, every damn thing you do pisses me off. I’d like my responsible brother back, please. This is bullshit,” Ivan bellowed louder.
Alek flinched and hissed in reaction. The grimace on his face looked exactly like when he had a raging migraine. I exchanged a knowing glance with Ivan. He was rightfully upset. Alek was typically much more in control, but at the same time, we’d seen this downward spiral unfold in real time.
“Do a run-through, Brother. We were at the club. You went to get your mind off Kinsley. Except it didn’t work. Pretty sure you mumbled something about your dick not working. Was it the alcohol, or do only tiny Russian ballerinas do it for you now?” I asked.
“Will one of you just spill it? I don’t have the patience for a lecture.”
“She’s gone.Again,” Ivan said sarcastically.
