Page 74 of Teach Me How To Fly

“You’ll move in with me, and you’ll bring Annalise with you too. There’s no in-between, Katya. You’re safer with me than you are with him.”

“He’s not going to let her come with me, Maksen, and you know that very well.”

“Make him,” I replied harshly, pinning her with my eyes. “And if he touches you again, I promise to you that I’ll kill him with my hands when the right moment comes.”

And the next moment, I turned on my heels and left the house. I hopped in the car and told the driver to take me home.

I needed time with my demons because I felt like I had forgotten how to dance with them.

Once I arrived home and closed the door behind me, I inhaled deeply and felt the loneliness that was so characteristic of my house. I had Taylor who cooked for me, but aside from him, I only had my bodyguards and, well, myself.

I stepped up the stairs and made my way to my bedroom, opening the door and letting it swing behind me. I grabbed the phone from the desk, turned it on, and sighed as I saw the many calls Lukyan had left me.

I couldn’t wait for the moment when he was going to talk to me or maybe shoot me again. I was stronger than him, more cold-blooded than him, and even smarter than him. I had everything I needed to erase him from this Earth.

But I felt bad that I had to bite the hand that fed me.

He was like a father to me. Since I could remember, he raised me and taught me how to be a real man in this cruel world. But I realized that he was preparing me for being his best tool in this dark odd world we were a part of.

And he made me way better than he wanted, because I was the only one able to kill him.

I wokeup and the bed was soaked in my sweat. The sound of a strong vibration coming from my bedside made me furrow my brows and turn around to grab the phone from it, realizing that was what woke me up.

Once I had it between my fingers and looked attentively at its screen, I smirked as I was waiting for this moment to come.It was Lukyan. I swiped right with my finger, answering the call and letting my gaze fall on the window only to see that it was the middle of the night.

He coughed at the other end of the phone, and by the way he was making sounds with his mouth, I knew he was drunk.

“Maksen, son,” he said slowly. “I missed talking to you,” he then added and coughed again.

I kept the silence for a few more seconds, then I rose from the bed and moved my feet to the window.

“Lukyan,” I replied, gripping the phone involuntarily between my fingers.

“You know, there’s an auction coming tomorrow. You came back right on time.”

Of course, he was following his interests, but he was also looking for something else. I knew him better than anyone.

“I know. I’ll see you there.”

“We have to win, son.”

“And we will.”

He exhaled deeply into the microphone and I realized he was smoking from his favorite cigar, likely accompanied by a glass of fine cognac he always liked to have.

“You’re a hell of a boy, Maksen, and I can’t be mad at you for what you’re doing. I mean, you’re going to be my son-in-law in four months, I can’t be mad at you at all,” he explained, laughing after he spoke the last word.

The anger was coming at me with steady steps and I felt my blood rushing down my veins.

“Yes, I am, and I’ll have the most beautiful bride,” I said, knowing very well how surprised he was going to be hearing me speaking like this.

“I am indeed convinced that you two will have a beautiful marriage. Katya is perfect for you.”

“I know.”

I was lying so fucking hard that even I almost believed myself.

However, I knew Lukyan was confused, or maybe he didn’t even think about trying to believe my words. I wouldn’t have either.

---