Page 16 of Hating the Bratva

“Where have you been?” Robin says. I never miss class, and I told her I’d stay at Kevin’s and walk to class. I sit on the bed, cross-legged, and take a sip of my cold coffee.

“I’m at Alek’s.”

“Um…what? I thought you were staying at Kevin’s.”

“Yeah, me too, until Alek showed up like he was coming to rescue me.”

Robin laughed. “Rescue you from Kevin?”

I hear her shifting, and I imagine her standing up from her spot next to the science building.

“It was ridiculous. He nearly choked Kevin to death. I need to check on him.”

“Holy shit! So what, you’re just staying at his place?”

“I guess, for now.”

Robin lets out a sigh. “Well, I’m glad you’re okay. I was worried when you didn’t show up for a smoke. I gotta get to class, but I’ll talk to you later because I need more details.”

“See ya.”

For the rest of the day, I stay in the guest bedroom and scroll through my phone. I text Kevin, telling him how sorry I am for Alek’s behavior. Luckily, he has a good attitude and tells me not to worry about it. Kevin is as gay as they come, and Alek had no reason to act like that toward him. The construction crew leaves around two o’clock, and I venture downstairs. Alek’s fridge and pantries are pretty much bare, but I manage to make a sandwich and find a bag of chips. After that, I decided to check out the house. Most of it’s unrecognizable, but the living room and the rest of the kitchen seem to be coming along. The front door opens and shuts. I hear his footsteps as he walks upstairs first. Then he comes back down and walks into the living room, where I’m standing with my hands on my hips, admiring the progress.

His bright green eyes watch me, as if he is waiting for me to yell at him like I had this morning. He scans my body, and I’m conscious of the fact that his clothes are practically falling off of me.

“Hey,” I say quietly. He comes closer to me and looks around at the work that has been done today.

“The living room and the kitchen should be done in the next few days. Then we can put up tarps to separate them from everything else.”

I nod. “It will be beautiful.”

I can see the regret that flashes across his face, but he quickly masks his emotions. He walks to the kitchen, and I follow behind him.

“Did you talk to my dad?” I ask as he reaches into the fridge and pulls out a bottle of water.

“Yes. I have to talk to the rest of the brotherhood tomorrow about you staying here.” He unscrews the cap and takes a drink.

I lean against the island, which is just a piece of wood placed over cabinets.

“Don’t take me back tonight. My dad knows I’m safe—”

“Why don’t you want to go home?”

“Because they sold me off like cattle! Do you think I want to sit around the dining room table with my parents right now?”

His eyes pierce into me, and it’s like he can see every inch of my soul. Like he can truly see how much this has hurt me. Maybe because he’s hurting, too, but I can’t tell.

He takes another sip of the water before setting it down on the counter.

“Put some shoes on.”

“Where—”

He takes a step closer to me, crowding me against the island. “If you’re going to stay here, I need you to listen and not argue about every damn thing I tell you. I’m not your parents, and I’m not your fiancé. I don’t have to put up with your shit. Do you want independence? You can drive one of my cars to school, you can do whatever the hell you want to, but for god’s sake, stop acting like everyone is against you.”

Anger starts to make its way to the surface. “I was just promised to another man. Everyone is against me.”

He shakes his head. “I’m not.” He turns his back to me, and I can’t help seeing how his muscles ripple as he moves. “Put some shoes on. We have to run some errands.”

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