Page 28 of Thorns of Lust
Letting out a heavy sigh, I studied the French manicure on my nails, deciding next time I’d go for something louder. Red maybe. Like blood. After all, Valentine’s day was coming.
Fucking love day! Did Adrian love me? Comparing our relationship to my big brother’s with Isabella, it looked drastically different. Adrian hadn’t looked at me the way Vasili looked at Isabella.
“Tatiana!” My best friend’s voice pulled me out of the fog, her hand gripping my trembling fingers and rubbing them together.
“I’m fine.” I wasn’t. We all knew I wasn’t, but I’d claim it until I turned blue. It was the stubbornness in all us Nikolaevs. My best friend had a front row seat to all of it and had become used to it.
Bella tilted her head pensively, studying me with a worried expression and I let out an exasperated breath.
“Let’s just get to the purpose of your visit,” I grumbled.
Aurora sat her sweaty ass on the couch opposite of me, while Isabella remained sitting next to me. I’d prefer if she sat next to Aurora, but what were friends for if not to annoy you.
And to ensure you’re alright,my mind whispered.
“Okay, I’ll go first,” Isabella said, clasping her hands in her lap. Unlike Aurora who kept her eyes open wide in regards to Alexei’s business, Isabella liked to remain slightly oblivious. After seeing some of the videos, I couldn’t blame her. Not that I’d close my eyes to it. Fuck that, and fuck oblivion. Look where it left me with Adrian.
“I found a document on Vasili's desk,” she started. “He was going to buy out Adrian and you.”
“What?” That made no sense. Adrian would never sell the company. Vasili’s part of the ownership transferred to me when I married Adrian. If he needed it back, it was fine by me. But it made no sense for Vasili to buy out Adrian. “Why?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know, but it talked about violating their original agreement.”
My brows scrunched. I never heard about any of their agreements. I just thought Vasili helped Adrian with the capital to get him started.
“What was their original agreement?” I questioned.
Isabella let out a heavy sigh. “I couldn’t find the original contract. I’d hoped you’d have it.”
I shook my head. “I was never really interested in Adrian’s–” I winced. I guess it was my company. “I’m not much into that stuff.”
“Maybe what I found out will help explain,” Aurora chimed in. Both Isabella and I looked at her expectedly. Aurora cleared her throat uncomfortably. “You might not like what I’m about to say, Tatiana. Are you sure you want to go down this road?”
A thick silence crept through the room, promising of what was to come. But could it be worse than those videos I have found? Could it be worse than the insinuation that Adrian was storing shit against my brothers?
“Yes.” A single word that would change the course of my life.
This time it was Aurora who looked nervous, twisting her hands in her lap. She chewed on her lip nervously and each second that ticked by felt like a bomb exploding in my brain.
“You know what my brother Kingston went through.” I nodded, although none of us knew exactly what he went through. Truthfully, I didn’t know the details of what Alexei went through aside that whatever it was, it was horrific, so I could only imagine Kingston was in the same boat.
“It’s okay,” Isabella comforted her. “Whatever it is, we know that he’s a good man.”
“He’s a survivor,” I agreed. “Like Alexei.”
Aurora offered a grateful smile. “Thank you.”
“We’re family,” I whispered, scared of the truth that was to come. “No matter what.” Vasili pounded that into me, in the best way possible. He always took care of us all, regardless of hard times we’d given him. “Now tell me what you know, please. I’m going out of my mind here.”
“Adrian blackmailed Kingston.” The bomb dropped. My heart stopped. My lungs filled with poison.
But denial came along too. I shook my head. It couldn’t be. Adrian would never do that to our family.My family.He knew they wereeverythingto me. When Aurora married Alexei, her family became my family. Our family.
Then why does he have those videos on that laptop, my mind whispered.
I shut the doubts down, and in my brain, I went through the videos I’d found. None of them were of Kingston. I’d stake my life on it. I’d met Aurora’s brother, and it wasn’t a face you’d easily forget. Kingston's face reminded me of the god of war. Jesus, which Greek god was that?
Shut up with ridiculous shit,I scolded myself silently.
