Page 13 of Shattered Altar (Makarova Bratva Duet)

“Because I used all my bravery just to make the move,” I admit. “Once I got here, I never left my apartment. I just sat at home and patted myself on the back for being here at all. But the only reason I did it is because I got a job. Without that, I definitely never would have come.”

He nods, non-judgmental but not letting me off the hook, either. “I see. And how did your family deal with the move?”

“Supportive, of course, but they miss me. Well, my mom and sister do, anyway. I don’t know about Rob.”

“Rob?”

“My brother,” I explain. “The one with the sailor mouth. We’re close, but he keeps his emotions close to the vest. He’s a tough guy.” I feel a little bit like my description of Rob is coming out all wrong. It’s not exactly painting him in a flattering light—not that Aleks cares, most likely, seeing as how the two of them are never in a million years going to cross paths. “What I mean is, he’s in the FBI. He has to be a certain way for his job. You know?”

“It’s clear how much you love them,” he says. “And how much they love you.”

I give him a grateful smile. “Yeah, well, we have our fair share of dysfunction beneath the surface, believe me.”

“Doesn’t every family?”

I laugh, feeling immediately at ease. It’s strange how easy it is to talk to him. Is it possible to have both great chemistry and great conversation with the same man?

I thought so once. When I was a kid. But around eighteen, I ditched the rose-colored glasses. The world isn’t nearly that kind.

“Forgive me for pointing this out,” Aleks says. “But it does feel a bit like you’re worried about this family reunion.”

Wow. “Perceptive” might be an understatement. “How did you guess that?”

He shrugs. “I’m a people watcher, too.”

“Well, you’re not wrong. Christmas is a hard time, anyway. It was my dad’s favorite holiday. Since he passed, it’s harder to get into the spirit,” I say. “And then, this year, Isabella won’t be with us, either. She was Rob’s fiancé.”

“Was?” Aleks inquires, picking up on the key word.

“She… disappeared,” I admit. “There was a small segment in the news when it happened. But the story faded away pretty quickly. Just not enough evidence to give us any leads.”

“That must have been hard on your family.”

“I’ve never seen Rob that way,” I admit. “It was the first time I was actually scared around him.” I take a deep breath. “He’s obsessed with finding her now. And sometimes, I actually believe he will. When Rob sets his mind on something, he won’t stop until he gets what he wants.”

“We have that in common,” Aleks murmurs.

I want him to move closer, but he remains stubbornly on the far side of the sofa. Might as well be the far side of the moon, if my libido has anything to say about it. His arms are sprawled across the cushions on either side, his biceps doing delicious things to the thin material of his shirt.

Then, suddenly, there’s a buzzing sound. It’s not until Aleks speaks that I realize it’s a doorbell to the room we’re in.

“Enter.”

“I do apologize, sir,” the hostess says with a sickly sweet smile as she sticks her head in. “But I just wanted to inform you that your flight is ready to board.”

“Already?” I ask, glancing around for the time. “But we still have—” I stop short when I catch a glimpse of the clock hanging against the back wall. “Oh my God. I didn’t even realize so much time had passed.”

The hostess doesn’t even glance at me. She only has eyes for Aleks. It probably happens all the time. Women flirting with him, propositioning him, offering him things that I don’t even have the capacity to dream up.

It doesn’t matter, goes a little voice in my head. He’s not yours to keep.

But the moment I hear the thought, I feel a piercing sense of disappointment. This is the end of the road for our little rendezvous. After we get on that plane, we’ll be back to being strangers.

I should have put my fucking phone on silent.

We gather our things in silence and head to the gate. Aleks and I are the last two there. We’re hurried onto the jetway and into the plane, and I realize that I have to move past first class and leave Aleks behind.

Both literally and otherwise.

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