Page 35 of Bound By Hate (Born in Blood)

I watch my baby sister walk away, leaving me with a weight in my stomach. I know she’s upset over Gleb, but I think that’s ridiculous. He wantsme. Not her. Me.

“I was thinking,” Gleb says, clapping his hands together and making me startle. “We should throw an engagement party to celebrate. You can invite your friends from New York to come.”

“What friends?” Sofiya says snidely.

My face flushes. Sofiya knows ballet has been my life. I haven’t had time to make friends. But I could invite Vera and her friends. I hate all those bitches, but I can’t let Sofiya think I don’t have anyone to come to my own engagement party. “I’ll invite them,” I tell Gleb.

“Good. Hopefully, they can come soon. I just can’t wait to celebrate my engagement to you.” He grabs my hand and squeezes it. I resist the urge to pull away.

“Good luck with your party,” Sofiya says, getting up from the table.

“Sofiya,” I start to say, but she’s already walking out of the kitchen, leaving me alone with Gleb.

He smiles at me.

I don’t smile back.

Putting my pride aside, I call Vera and invite her to Moscow for the party.

“Why me?” she asks in her fake voice. “I would be so flattered. So, you’ve found a man willing to marry you?”

I want to throw my phone across the room, but I like my phone too much to do that. “As a matter of fact, Vera, yes, I have. I had multiple men vying for my attention. Gleb was the one I chose. I would like you at the party.” A lie. “Bring the other women with you. I’ve missed you all.” Another lie.

Vera laughs, making me grit my teeth together. “We’ll be there. My husband was originally from Moscow. It’ll be fun to see where he grew up. Toodle-loo, Viktoriya.” She hangs up before I can gag from her goodbye.

“Ugh.” I settle for throwing my phone onto the bed instead.

I look up and down the hallway after I open my bedroom door, checking to make sure Sofiya isn’t in sight. I don’t need another argument right now. I know I’m right. Sofiya is wrong to be mad at me.

Gleb steps out of Mila’s room, shocking me. He startles when he sees me. “Viktoriya.”

I narrow my eyes. “What are you doing?”

“Checking in with Mila. I wanted to see how she was doing, being here and all. It is my job to protect you two from now on.”

Right. “Ok. But maybe don’t go into her room alone. People will talk.”

“Seems they’re already talking. You and your sister.”

I roll my eyes. “Sofiya is making a mountain out of a molehill.”

“Of course, she is.” Clearing his throat, he runs his hands down his shirt. “Now, I need to be off. I need to prep this place for the party.” Once he’s gone, I approach Mila’s door and knock.

After a moment, she opens it. “Vik.”

“What did Gleb want to talk with you about?”

She stares down at her feet as she answers. “He just wanted to make sure I was doing ok.”

“Good. And … are you? After last night …”

“I’m fine, Vik. Everything’s fine.”

That’s exactly what I said. But there’s something in Mila’s expression I don’t like. Fear—it looks like fear.

But fear of Gleb or … fear of me?

“You can talk with me about anything,” I remind her.

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