Page 18 of Crave

My hand flies over my mouth. “That poor girl. She was in the fire?” I squeak.

He nods. “She’s who Ivan was after.”

“What?” That makes me sit up and scream.

So many died that night.

The chaos has affected us for years.

Nikolai lost his wife.

And Elena, her mom.

I lost mine.

Jax lost his father and sister.

All because of her?

“I don’t understand. Why does he still think she’s alive?” I know Mikhail was the only survivor, besides Ivan who started the blaze.

Mikhail looks at me, then Alexei for a long moment.

“Because she is. And she was pregnant.”

CHAPTER 8

ALEXEI

I watchher as Mikhail hits her with the surprise.

How is she going to react? What do I need to do to help her?

“What are you saying, Mikhail?” Her voice gets a squeaky high note in it.

She must be very stressed.

I hold out half of a cookie to her, and she takes it without looking at me.

Three big bites, then she swallows.

“She escaped and had a baby girl. We have a half-sister named Galena.” Mikhail keeps his words even, his dark eyes studying her as intently as I am.

With a gasp, Lara cups her hand over her mouth and falls backwards against the cushions. When she looks at me, her cheeks are streaked with tears.

Oh boy.

I pull out my phone and text the housekeeper for the cabin. She needs to make sure it’s fully restocked.

Every time Lara gets upset, she needs a time out. It’s my job to make sure she has someplace safe to hide.

I just miss her when she’s gone.

“What is she? Four? Maybe Five? Where is she? Are they here? Can I see her?” Lara’s questions hit rapid fire, so quickly they turn into a blur.

Mikhail holds up his palms. “She’s almost five. They’re still in Russia in hiding. I’ve made sure they’ve stayed safe.”

“Youknewthis whole time?” Lara almost shrieks.

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