Page 60 of Johann

“Maybe you’re just not worth my time.”

“Maybe not. Always was second best.”

“Idiot. Sascha’s second best. I don’t know whatyouare.” When Alexei didn’t rise to the bait, Ivan paused for only a moment before continuing on. “Aren’t you going to miss the money, Alyosha? You haven’t exactly stashed much away. You haven’t been withdrawing from your accounts either.”

Alexei had already assumed Ivan was monitoring his bank activity, so that little dig wasn’t any sort of surprise. Looking at the pictures in his hand, Alexei realized he needed one of Jay. One where Jay didn’t look so horribly stiff and uncomfortable, dressed in a suit Alexei just knew he must have hated. “Would you believe me if I said I’m hooking up with a billionaire?”

“No, I really wouldn’t. Too high-profile for you, if nothing else.”

“This one’s…underground.”

Another pause, then dark, taunting laughter from Ivan’s side of the line. “Oh, Alyosha. Are you telling me you went to all the trouble of burning your bridges, leaving your family in the soot and the wreckage, only to plunge yourself into new criminal activity? That’s adorable.”

Ivan wasn’t exactly wrong. Alexei thought about what would happen if Jay couldn’t stay in Hyde Park after all. If he asked Alexei to go back to the den with him (Alexei could only hope Jay would ask him—he was too big to stow away in one of Jay’s suitcases), one with cruel vampires, strange power plays, and blood money soaking through its roots.

And yet Alexei would go, no question. In whatever capacity Jay would have him.

If Jay asked to be his master, the way Vee had been to Jay, Alexei would serve him gladly. Grateful for the chance to stay close.

The irony didn’t escape Alexei; it was the kind of devotion his brother had always wanted from him and Alexei had never been willing to give.

He sighed, tucking the photos into his back pocket. “Just know, if youaretracing this and you send someone after me, they won’t survive the encounter.”

“Like I said, adorable.” It was clear Ivan didn’t believe Alexei’s threat. Fine by Alexei. Ivan would learn soon enough, if he decided to test it. In the meantime, Alexei wanted out of this conversation. He would keep the photos, but his flesh-and-blood brother was staying behind him. “Take care of Sascha for me, Vanya.”

There was only silence in response. Alexei hung up. He’d probably stayed on the phone for too long after all, but it was hard to care. He and Jay had bigger, stronger, immortal fish to fry.

Alexei gathered up what meager belongings he cared to—mostly a few articles of clothing—and placed them in a duffel, sending a text to Jay.

You’ve got a stray coming your way, kitten.

He opened the door, feeling surprisingly light for all the insanity of the past twenty-four hours.

That was until he saw the bigger fish in question standing at his doorstep, wearing another tweed fucking suit, smirking at the shock on Alexei’s face.

Decades of experience remaining calm in potentially life-threatening situations had Alexei’s voice staying even as he greeted his unwelcome guest. “Wolfgang. What a surprise.”

“Is it?” The way Wolfe cocked his head with the question reminded Alexei so much of Jay, and the reminder in that moment—a moment where odds were quite high Alexei wouldn’t survive—physically hurt, like a fist slamming into his sternum. “You see,” Wolfe drawled. “As far as I can tell, you’re the only thing standing between myself and what I want. It would be perfectly reasonable for me to snap your neck right now.”

Alexei let out a slow breath. “I suppose it would be.”

It had been a long, long time since Alexei had been afraid to die—possibly since he was too young to remember—a character trait his father had worked so hard to instill in him. And Alexei had to hand it to the bastard: that lack of fear was how he’d survived so long in the toxic environment in which he’d been raised, how he’d been able to do something as fundamentally stupid as cost Ivan a massive amount of money and flee into the night. Alexei hadn’t cared enough about his life to weigh the consequences with any seriousness, hadn’t honestly cared much whether he’d succeed or get caught.

Only instinct—that deep, wretched animal part of his brain that wanted to survive at all costs—had led to him trying as hard as he had to lie low.

But he cared now. And with that caring came fear, more overwhelming than he remembered it to be. Alexei’s next breath was stuttered, the fear tightening his throat, but his voice somehow still came out even enough. “Is that what you’re going to do?” he asked when Wolfe said nothing more. “Snap my neck?”

“I’ve been quite seriously considering it,” Wolfe mused, letting out a heavy sigh. “But I fear it would make our Johann even more difficult to handle in the end. The loss of a mate can make a vampire so…unpredictable. Too hard to control the outcome.”

“The loss of—excuse me?” Oh fuck. There was that fist to the sternum again. Because Alexei could have sworn Wolfe was implying…

What was he implying?

Wolfe’s lips twisted into a half smile. “Tell me you’re not that stupid,” he said, false pity lacing his tone.

Which was maybe fair. Because apparently Alexeiwasthat stupid. Or maybe just blind? Or possibly simply confused.

Was Wolfe really saying Alexei was Jay’s mate?

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