Page 55 of Crave

Ride or die?

She could have died and I nearly didn’t get to her in time. I failed her.

A sinking feeling washes over me.

I’ll never be enough for her. I can’t even protect her. How am I meant to be anything else?

CHAPTER 23

ALEXEI

“Where is she?”I scan the room and only see Mikhail and Nikolai.

“Calm down, she’s in bed,” Nikolai growls at me.

I blow out a breath and run my hands through my hair. Double taking the stairs, I push open her door and come to an abrupt stop.

She’s crying.

Each sob makes me feel sick.

I clamber on the bed and pull her into me, letting her tears soak into my shirt.

“No, no, no. When you’re upset it breaks my heart, Lara,” I whisper into the top of her head.

I wish I could explain how gutting it is to see her this way. It’s like every failure of my life beats down on me when I can’t make her smile.

“You could never fail me, sladkiy.” She sniffles, making me frown.

Shit, I said it out loud.

She pulls herself to sit upright, linking her fingers through mine.

They fit perfectly.

“I’ll do better next time, I won’t let anyone ever hurt you again.”

I try not to look at the angry mark on her face. She’s going to hate that, she is always asking me if she looks pretty.

There’s never a moment that she isn’t the most beautiful woman.

Guilt still riddles me for letting her get caught. “Tell me not to kiss you again.”

She grabs both sides of my face, tracing her fingertip along the tattoo down my cheek as she searches my eyes.

“Why the hell would I say something so ridiculous, sladkiy?”

I bite down on my lip as my gaze settles on her plump ones, begging to be kissed again. Leaning forward my nose presses against hers and she sucks in a breath as I run my fingers through her silky hair.

I cannot stand to lose the one person who holds me together, yet all I want to do is claim her and make her mine. Forever.

Is it worth the risk?

“Promise me something, pchelhka,” I whisper, my heart hammering against my chest.

“What’s that?” Her breath hits against my lips and my cock is pressing against my zipper.

“That this doesn’t change what we have. We never lose each other, no matter what.”

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