Page 50 of No Promises, No Lies

But instead of letting go, Aidan’s grip tightens on my arm. The sudden anchor behind me forces my attention back, confused.

Aidan’s eyes are a blaze of fire as his stare penetrates mine. Full of anger, malice and something else—confusion? Regret?I can’t know for sure.

I blink up at him, the intensity of his stare holding me in place, more so than the grip he has on my arm.

I nearly jump at the sound of Niko’s deep voice. “Don’t even think about it, O’Rourke.” Both Aidan and I turn to see Niko pushing the barrel of his gun roughly against Alexei’s skull. “Let her go,” my brother threatens, shoving the gun into Alexei’s temple. His finger grazes the trigger. “Now.”

My eyes plead with Aidan. Another moment passes, and he finally releases me.

I don’t know what to make of it, but Ineedto get Alexei back to the Irish. He desperately needs medical attention. The amount of blood he’s had to have lost by the state of his body alone… It’s a miracle he hasn’t bled out already, standing before us in his state.

My walk across the remaining space is slow but determined. I’m hyperaware of the powder keg I’m currently in the heart of. One wrong move from anyone and we’re all dead.

When I’m nearly to the Bratva side, Petr shoves Alexei forward. He stumbles past me. Our eyes meet, and he gives me a small reassuring nod. I open my mouth, unsure of what to say with everyone watching us. But I’m cut off when Petr extends his arm. He grabs hold of my sweatshirt and forcefully drags me the rest of the way towards him.

A low growl sounds to my right, and suddenly I’m pulled into a different hard chest: Niko’s. He wraps one arm tightly around me, the other holding the gun steady and trained on Aidan. The Irish defenseman remains right where I’d left him. Murder dances in his eyes.

Eyes that are focused over my head, on my brother. I hold my breath until Alexei reaches him, nearly collapsing onto the Irish enforcer. Aidan supports Alexei’s weight, but he doesn’t take his eyes off Niko, as he backs away slowly until he reaches his brothers. Liam takes Alexei’s other arm over his shoulder.

We stay and watch the Irish load up. Tensions are still high as both the Irish and Russians eye each other with mistrust. Some guys look like they’re itching for a fight. I spy crew cut—Jimmy—from the club, watching me with a narrowed expression.

“That’s enough, Nikolai.” My father’s voice to our left startles me and I flinch in surprise. Niko’s arm tightens around me, but he finally lowers his gun. Aidan gives me one last hard look before disappearing into the SUV behind Alexei. The Irish pull out.

“It’s over Aurora. You’re safe now.” My father strokes my hair in a loving gesture that doesn’t match his expression. “Take her home,” he advises to Niko coldly before stalking off, forgetting about me entirely and conferring intensely with Petr and another one of his men.

The wordssafeandhomecircle through my mind.

Numbly, I climb into Niko’s car, barely aware of anything he says to me. Not at all eager to get back to the life I’d left behind.

30

ICE TIME

RORY

“So are you ruined?”

My father’s first question to me. I’d no sooner walked through the mansion doors before I found myself in my father’s office. I was grilled for hours about my time with the Irish. Niko stayed too, though he remained mostly silent, lurking in the back corner with his arms crossed and an extra pissed off expression on his face, even for him.

I clench my fists just thinking about it. No, “are you okay?” Or “what can we do?’”

Nope. Why am I not surprised his primary concern is the status of my virginity?

Not that I am a virgin—but I certainly haven’t toldhimthat. A tiny little rebellion in a world where I’ve had little choices. My father couldn’t exactly controleverythingwhile I was away at boarding school...

After what seemed like hours of reassuring him that the Irish hadn’t touched me. He finally allowed me to go up to my room, with orders to remain there until further notice. Restricted to the property. The thought of missing even more training… I begged him to reconsider.

All I need is some ice time. I need toskate. All it got me was a backhand smack to my left cheek, reopening the healing cut I suffered from the glass window shattering at Elements.

Wiping the blood away with my sleeve, I stomp up the stairs. I throw myself on my bed, fuming over being forbidden from leaving the house.

National qualifiers are four weeks away!I don’t have time for this.

After one week stuck in this house, I’m on the verge of madness.

I spend most of my days downstairs in the mansion’s gym, working out and practicing off-ice jumps, but it’s not the same. I can’t take it anymore… The need to get on the ice consumes me. The ice has always been my safe place, the only outlet I’ve ever had in my lonely little world. Being away from it for this long has me on edge. I’ve felt different ever since I’d arrived home. Since my time with the Irish, I’m desperate for a taste of the familiar.

The clock on my bedside table reads precisely four-thirty a.m. when I carefully slip out of my bedroom door. Clutching the skate bag I have slung over my shoulder, I walk down the hall on near-silent toes.

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