Page 117 of Secrets & Lies

“Hard and fast, you surprise me. A girl after my own heart. Now, how about we bake those cupcakes?” He put one finger under my chin to bring my face back up. Then he stepped away from me.

“I’m making a cake,” I huffed, wanting to kick him but barely refraining from doing so. “For Brian. You get nothing.” I came to my senses, the hold on me broken.

He chuckled. I moved away and poured the batter into the pan, then tapped it against the countertop to get the air bubbles out. He watched me work, which only made me nervous.

“Boss, you want one in the bedroom too?” Jason asked.

“Like hell you will put a camera in my room,” I yelled, dropping the glass bowl in the sink where it shattered. Flustered, I reached out and cut my finger on a piece of glass. “Damn it!” I grabbed a towel to stop the bleeding. Shit, that was my favorite bowl, too.

Nikolai gathered me in his arms, but I fought against him.

Reinforcing my stance, I stated firmly, “You will not put a camera in my room—”

“Understood. It’s not a camera. It’s a sensor for the window. Nothing more. We can even go in there while he is setting it up. The only camera will be on the outside by the doorbell so you can see who is there.”

I sagged against him, the fight gone. I wasn’t fearful of cameras anymore as long as I knew they existed and who was filming and watching. It had taken me time to process those emotions.

“Why areyouhere?” I sobbed, and all the mixed feelings I had about Aleksandr hit me in the chest.

Why had he sent Nik? And why did it hurt so much? Sure, I’d asked him to stay away, but when did he ever listen before? What changed for him? Why wasn’t I good enough? That was the deeper question. I was afraid I already knew the answer.

I snuggled into Nikolai’s chest and allowed him to rub my back. Then he began murmuring that everything was going to be okay, and I had the sweetest flashback.

Once when I was a child, I’d done something that embarrassed Pasha, and he refused to dance with me for two weeks. I’d sobbed in my papa’s arms, and the rumbling of his words as he consoled me felt similar to this.

It was going to be a long night. This was so much harder than I thought it would be.

Chapter 45

Nikolai

A Break In The Case

I’d just gotten back from Kinsley’s place. The girl was completely heartbroken. Damn Aleksandr, he should have known better. If he’d only get his head out of his ass—and his dick out of Alisha or Jenna—he would know what a fool he was being.

I dialed Ivan to update him. Kinsley refused to come to the gym. This only seemed to piss Ivan off, and now I had two brothers who were acting like children.

“Look, if you want to blame someone, call Alek. If his ass had gone over to install the system, we’d probably be scheduling another game night. And don’t give me the ‘he’s your twin’ bullshit line. I may be my brother’s keeper, but at this point in time, I’d like to drop-kick his ass and ship him home for Marcel to sort out.”

I hung up on him and went to stare out the window. Damn, it sucked being the levelheaded one all the time.

“Mr. King, Madame Pierce is here to see you,” Elena buzzed. I refocused and went to greet her.

It wasn’t unusual for her to stop in now and again. Her organization was one we supported generously. New Haven was a progressive organization dedicated to providing girls without families a fresh start in life. With a focus on the gifted and talented, it more resembled a school than an orphanage. I assumed this visit was to thank us for the recent donation.

She was fond of tea, so I’d made sure Elena had everything ready. Madame Pierce was one of the most giving and wise persons I’d had the pleasure of knowing. Her work in the community went above and beyond. The girls under her care became her daughters in so many ways.

“Nikolai, you handsome devil. Tell me you aren’t engaged or anything. I’ve seen you with that lovely lady on more than one occasion now.” She was referring to Jenna. I grinned at her words, flattered by the compliment.

Leaning back in my chair, I crossed my arms casually. “Engaged? Me? No, ma’am,” I said with a wink. “She helps me pass the time and stay out of trouble.” I laughed at the shrewd look on her face.

“Well, I, of course, wanted to thank you and your family for this year’s donation. It’s supporters like you who make a real difference. Know that I appreciate it, and it helps to keep things running.”

“It’s our pleasure. You know we believe in what you do. How did the auction go?” We’d left the party early and missed it. Typically, a handful of her girls, twenty-one and over, would get dolled up, and the men would bid on them for a dance.

“Amazing. However, I must admit I have a completely unrelated reason for asking to see you. Now, don’t get your boxers in a bunch, but Alek has been unavailable. He’s who I really wanted to speak with.”

“I’m wounded. I knew you loved him more,” I teased as she rolled her eyes.

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