Page 32 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

But I can't wear it because I can’t give Aleksander the satisfaction of picking out my wedding dress. Though … what he doesn’t know, he doesn’thaveto know. He could just not come to the wedding, and then he won’t know which dress I chose. There. That’s perfect. I’ll make sure Aleksander doesn’t come so I can wear the dress he picked out.

I may hate him, but he made a good point—I deserve to look beautiful on my wedding day.

MILA

I’m lying in bed, trying to fall asleep, when there’s a knock at my door. Assuming it’s one of my sisters, I get up to open it …

… and startle when I see that it’s Gleb.

“Oh. Hi,” I whisper.

“Mila, hi.” He offers me a disarmingly charming smile.

“Did you need something?”

“I was just checking in to see how you were doing. With Viktoriya and me engaged, I said I would help protect you. I want you to know that offer doesn’t change even after I marry Viktoriya.”

“Thank you,” I say because it’s the polite thing to do even when all I want is to shut the door and go back to bed. I’m acutely aware of my pajamas—a small crop top and high-waisted flare-out linen pants. It’s casual and comfy. Not sexual at all.

But for some reason, I feel … uncomfortable in my clothes standing before Gleb in the dark of night.

“I’m not going anywhere, Mila. You have my word. I’ll protect you.” He reaches out and skims his fingers down my arm. His touch makes me subtly move away from him.

“You said you want to be like a father figure to me.”

“I did.”

“Is it appropriate for you to be talking with me alone in my room late at night?”And touching my arm?

“We’ll soon be family, Mila. Nothing inappropriate about that. Have a good night.” He smiles once more before walking away. I slowly shut my door.

My older sisters think I’m naïve, and maybe in some ways, I am. But I know a gut feeling when I have it, and my gut tells me Gleb cannot be trusted.

I have no choice but to tell Viktoriya.

VIKTORIYA

I wake up to someone knocking on my door frantically. “Ugh. Go away.”

“Vik, it’s me,” Mila says, opening the door without waiting for me to answer.

“What are you doing?” I roll onto my back, blinking the sleep out of my eyes.

Mila hurries into the room and sits on the bed. “I need to talk to you.”

“About what?” Be nicer, Sofiya said. Fine. I’ll be nice when all I want is to kick my baby sister out and go back to sleep.

“It’s about Gleb.”

Her words send a jolt through me. “What about Gleb?”

“He came to talk to me tonight, and it just felt … wrong.”

“What do you mean?”

“He touched my arm,” she whispers.

“Your arm? Mila, if you have nothing serious to say, then let me go back to sleep.” I roll away from her.

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