Page 46 of Ruthless Vows

He wakes up with a short gasp, sitting up, his brown eyes haunted. Because he’s not only a little shit with anger issues, he’s also one plagued with the nightmares of his past. It takes him a second to place his surroundings, but as soon as his eyes find me, he slumps down onto the bed.

“What do you want, Ivan?” he murmurs sleepily.

“How do you feel?” I ask.

“Like my brother’s fucking the love of my life.”

My lips press into a thin line. “I’ve asked for the chef to prepare you some soup. Have some food and then we’ll talk. Aspirin?” I question, grabbing the pills I brought along with me.

Considering the wild night he had last night, I was expecting him to need it.

“Would you stop taking care of me? I’m not a child, I’m a grown man!” he snaps.

“Grown men don’t throw temper tantrums instead of handling things like an adult,” I point out.

He rolls his eyes. “Oh please, Ivan. The last thing I need right now is a lecture. Explain yourself.”

“You start,” I say. “Tell me about Lucia. How did you meet? Did you know who she really is?”

“Of course not,” he grumbles. “And why the hell are you asking me? I’m sure you’ve already got all the answers by now.”

He knows me so well.

“Sure, but I’d still like to hear from you.”

For a second, I think he’s about to tell me to fuck off. But then he sits up in the bed, running his hand through his dark hair.

“We met five years ago, in New York. We were living in the same building. I thought she was hot as fuck. She was also pretty bold and sexy. She was berating this doorman who wouldn’t let an old woman into the building to see her grandson.”

I fight a smirk. Yeah, that sounds like Lucia. But hearing him say that only makes this sick feeling slide through my chest. Especially at the sight of the fond smile on his face.

Fucking hell.

“She was in college then, wasn’t she? Lucia would have only been about nineteen when you met,” I feel the need the point out.

His eyes narrow. “You’re one to talk, Ivan. You’re twenty fucking years older than her,” he retorts as expected. “It didn’t matter. She was upfront about her age when we met. And she’s always acted way older than she actually is. She was just this college kid attending NYU and trying to build a life for herself in the city. I think what drew me to her was how driven she was. She knew what she wanted even back then, especially so young. And she knew exactly how to get it. She kind of reminded me of you, actually,” he says on a frown.

“Okay,” I say uncomfortably. “What happened between you two? Why did you break up?”

“We were together for a couple of months, dating but not really dating because I was a pretty big idiot. I never even really asked her out. I liked her a lot, loved her even, but I also liked partying and drinking and all that shit. I was pretty immature back then.”

“Back then,” I repeat in a lazy drawl.

My brother glares at me. “Fuck off. I really wanted to change. I tried to settle down but it never really took. And eventually I lost her. She asked me to fix my life if I ever wanted a chance with her again. But she also said it would be up to her to give me that chance whenever I was ready.”

I stroke my chin, considering his story. It’s real heartbreaking stuff, I’ll give him that.

“The entire time you had no idea she was part of the Cosa Nostra?” I ask.

“No. If I’d known, maybe I would have made different choices.”

“So this is all just one big coincidence,” I say on a sigh. “That’s unfortunate.”

Alexei raises an eyebrow. “Good thing you’re not married yet. Just let her go, Ivan. You don’t need her.”

“And you do?”

“Yes,” he answers without hesitation. “Because the past four years, I’ve been trying my best to be deserving of that choice should she decide to give it to me.”

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