Page 38 of Sexting the Silverfox

“I don’t want to put you in an impossible situation,” I say, shaking my head slowly. “The security detail sounds good until I decide what I’m going to do next.”

“Perhaps you could take Jason with you. The girl. The nanny.”

I chuckle dryly. “You make it sound so simple.”

“It is that simple when you truly love someone.”

The way he says it makes me stare at him for a while. His expression shifts from sadness to a kind of longing that feels all too familiar. I think he may have feelings for someone and difficult decisions to make himself. Anton never struck me as the type who would ever fall in love, but then again, when lightning strikes, it burns through everything.

“Jason doesn’t even know my true last name,” I concede with a heavy, guilty heart. “He thinks my name is Audrey Smith.”

“I saw a copy of that fake ID of yours. Excellent work. Did you pay Evgeni for it?”

I can’t help but smile. “You can tell?”

“I’d recognize his graphic skills anywhere. Besides, it makes sense that you’d go to the best guy for that sort of job. I would’ve done the same if I wanted a new, pristine, and ironclad identity.” His humor fades as he glances somewhere behind me. “Audrey, I thought you said no one else knows what hotel you’re staying at.”

“No one else does.”

“Then why is your boyfriend walking in and looking at me like he’s about to rip my spine out through my mouth?” Anton shoots back and instantly stiffens in his seat.

I get up and turn around just in time to see Jason stalking across the tearoom with a furious look in his eyes.

“Jason,” I mumble as he reaches us.

“Would you mind telling me what the fuck is going on here?” Jason says, his voice low and dripping with insurmountable fury. It sends shivers down my spine and an ache soaring through my ribcage as I find myself stuck between a rock and a hard place. “Who’s this?” he nods back at Anton.

“Jason, please, calm down. We can discuss this—” I try to reason with him, but my brother speaks up, standing to shake his hand and cutting me off in the process.

“Forgive my sister’s manners, Mr. Winchester. I’m Anton, Audrey’s brother.”

And that’s all it takes to bring Jason to a sudden halt. His eyes become blank, devoid of any reaction. His lips press into a thin line while a frown pulls his brows close together. He’s stunned. Speechless. Even more confused than when he first walked in. And I’ve no doubt he’s got a lot of questions.

Chapter 16

Jason

“Audrey’s brother,” I mutter, my gaze darting between them. “I didn’t know you had a brother.”

“Two, actually,” Anton says, chuckling. “The Fedorovs are a large family.”

“The Fedorovs?”

Audrey gives him a startled look. “What the hell, Anton? One thing, I asked you for one thing!”

“I’m sorry, little sister, but the man deserves the truth, and if you won’t tell him, then I will,” her brother replies. “It’s not fair to Mr. Winchester, and you know it.”

“Will you please just shut up, Anton?” she says through clenched teeth.

“Why should he shut up, exactly?” I ask, tempted to let my anger get the better of me. “From where I’m standing, I’ve got a feeling that Anton here is the only one interested in being honest with me.”

“No, it’s not that simple; there’s more to this than—”

“Audrey,” Anton cuts her off, placing a hand on her shoulder. As soon as he touches her, I notice that she instantly shuts down. There’s respect there, but there is also a subtle threat in his presence, something that adds just enough tension to her frame, just enough for me to notice. She respects him, but she also fears him. “Jason needs to know who you are. Whatever else you want to tell him, that’s on you. But at the very least, he needs to know who you are and why the Abramovic family is after you.”

Something tells me the truth is about to hit me hard and right in the gut.

I’m not going to like it.

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