Page 99 of The Lazarov Bratva

“As good as any.”

“Is this her?” Andrev fixes me with a piercing gaze, blue eyes as vibrant as the ocean.

How many people know about me? When Kristof first kidnapped me, I felt like some kind of dark secret. Now it seems he can’t keep quiet about me.

“Yes.” Kristof shoots me a small smile. “Alena, this is Andrev. My real, trusted, right-hand man.”

“Nice to meet you.” I hold out a hand, and Andrev firmly shakes it with a warm palm.

“It’s nice to put a face to the name.” Andrev smiles, flashing a perfect set of white teeth.

“You’ve heard about me, then?”

“Who hasn’t?” Andrev chuckles. “All good things, I promise.”

“I’m sure that’s not true.”

Andrev snorts softly and glances at Kristof, who appears perfectly relaxed.

“How long have you been Kristof’s man?”

“Too long,” Kristof remarks. “He’s been with us long enough to be family.”

“Don’t let Ivan hear you say that.” Andrev chuckles deeply. “I still owe him a couple of thousand.”

“Gambling?”

“A bet,” Andrev replies, and he winks at me, earning a playful punch to the shoulder from Kristof.

“Get out of here.” Kristof laughs, a sudden, warm sound that washes over me, and I find myself smiling immediately at the sound.

“I’m going. Alyona is cooking, by the way, says you’re all too skinny. When you’ve got a sec, I need to run some security by you.”

“I’ll be with you soon.” Kristof claps Andrev’s shoulder, and he makes his exit.

“He seems nice,” I comment, wandering toward the bed. “You’ve never mentioned him before.

Kristof catches me before I reach the bed, gripping my waist and turning me to face him.

“I couldn’t tell you anything in case you decided to run away,” Kristof says in a low voice.

“Didn’t we already establish that it would only happen in your head?” I point out.

Kristof leans down and kisses me gently. “Indeed.”

I slowly wind my arms around his neck and arch my body into him, deepening the kiss as a pulse of want shoots through me. He kisses me deeper, then pulls himself away with a groan.

“You tease me,” he grumbles, “but I must check the security. I won’t sleep otherwise.”

“Alright,” I sigh, immediately missing him when he pulls away. “I’ll be here, unpacking.”

He kisses me once more, then quickly pulls his shirt back on and vanishes, leaving me to unpack and explore my new room.

* * *

Unpacking, it turns out, is not something I enjoy. With half a small suitcase to go, I’m already bored and feeling a little nauseous from the travel. Expected, I’m sure, from my first plane ride. Kristof hasn’t returned, so in a burst of boldness, I take it upon myself to wander the hallways in search of either Kristof or his siblings.

I found neither, instead discovering the kitchen where Alyona is hard at work with countless pots and pans bubbling away on a massive stove. For a woman so small and wiry, she darts about the kitchen with an unexpected energy. When she spots me, she breaks into a wide, toothy smile.

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