Page 14 of Claimed By Shadows

“Shit, never mind how we are,” Hunt interrupts, taking the phone and placing it somewhere so I can see all three of them. “How are you?”

I swallow, nausea swirling in my stomach, and I glance away from them, up at Nik to see his jaw tight, his hand trembling slightly where he holds the phone.

“Princess?” Roman prompts, and I look back down, licking my suddenly dry lips.

“I’ve been better,” I tell them, not ready to go into the sordid details of Sergi’s nightly visits and his control of what I eat, wear, and do. “I’m good now though, and Nik is here.”

“Why the fuck hasn’t he gotten you out then?” Hunt growls, and my gaze flicks to Nik’s, his jaw clenched so tightly now I’m worried he’ll crack a tooth.

“It’s not that simple,” Nik grits out, moving so he’s on the screen behind me. “My father is too powerful, the influence he has is too strong, and he’d just do what he did before and take her away again.”

All three of my Shadows growl, their nostrils flaring as they adjust to the reality I’ve been living since Nik came back.

“We just have to wait,” I tell them, the words tasting bitter in my mouth, because waiting is more attention from Sergi, and the longer it goes on, the more I worry that I’ll never be clean again. “He’s taking me to a poker game tonight. Sergi is, I mean.”

“We’re going too, Princess,” Rowan tells me, and the rush of lightness that fills me leaves my muscles weak. It’s quickly followed by nausea once more though, knowing that they’ll have to see me on Sergi’s arm and none of us can do a thing about it.

“How did you get an invite?” Nik asks, and I can feel the tension that thrums through him behind me. I lean back into him and his free arm wraps around me, pulling me closer.

“Lucifer invited us,” Hunter says, and I frown, not knowing who he’s talking about. Nik clearly does, a breath puffing out of him.

“I wonder what their game is?” he muses, and the guys look pensive too.

“Who’s game? Who is Lucifer?” I question, wanting to know why they all seem a little on edge.

“He’s the leader of the Fallen,Malyshka,” Nik answers, and I glance over my shoulder at him.

“Who are?”

He smiles. “I forget you are not of this world like us. The Fallen are a branch of the Enlightened, a society that is shrouded in mystery but has incredible power.”

A shiver runs down my spine, a sense of something foreboding making me lean more into Nik as I turn back to look at my Shadows.

“And you know them?”

“Not exactly,” Roman answers. “Turns out one of our Irish cousins is one of the Fallen, Azazel to be precise.”

“That is a good connection to have,” Nik states, and he sounds impressed, but also like he’s trying to work out how we can use that to our advantage. “What did you do to earn an invitation? My father has been working on them for months just to get an in.”

“We’ll owe them a favour, no doubt,” Hunt answers, and Nik stiffens.

“You know they could ask for anything?” My eyes narrow, that forbidding turning into razor-tipped butterflies that swarm inside me.

“There was a dried iris in the envelope. It will be worth it, whatever it is,” Hunt replies, and my eyes widen.

“How did they know I’d be there? And that would be something you’d want?” I ask, my tone hushed like these mysterious guys might be listening right now.

“They deal in favours,Solnishko. They gather information, there is nothing they can’t find out. Just like some of the other branches of the Enlightened deal in weapons, the sex trade, and money laundering.”

“So, we want them as our friends?”

“Yes,” they all answer, and I’d laugh if it wasn’t such a crazy situation. It’s like ultimate conspiracy theory territory.

“Okay, so I’ll see you later on at the poker game?” I ask, getting back to the most important part for me.

“Yes, Lamb. We’ll all be there and we won’t leave without you, even if we have to kill every fucking Russian in the room,” Rowan states, and my heart thuds inside my chest even as horrorleaves me feeling almost lightheaded. It’s far too dangerous because they’d have the whole Bratva on their tails for the rest of their lives.

“That would be a declaration of war,” Nik states, his voice grave. “Are you equipped for that?”

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