Page 55 of Shattered Cradle (Makarova Bratva Duet)

Aleks turns to Rob. “And here I thought it was all about Jennifer for you. Olivia did tell you about Jennifer, didn’t she?”

“Her name is Isabella,” he growls. “And just because my sister believed your story doesn’t mean I will.”

“Rob,” I protest, “I talked to her, and—”

My brother holds up a hand to silence me. “No! I know her. I know Isabella.”

“You knew the version of herself she portrayed. She was never real, Rob,” I whisper, trying to soften my tone so that it’ll hurt less, if such a thing is even possible. “She was a make-believe character. She was always going to leave.”

“I don’t believe you,” Rob says. “Either of you.”

“Is it any wonder you drove her to me?” Aleks snaps. “You treat your own sister like some brainless child who can’t tell wrong from right.”

“She’s always been gullible,” Mia interjects. “We know that because we’ve known her longer than you have. She is our baby fucking sister.”

My jaw clenches with fresh hurt. “But I didn’t grow up with you, did I? I grew up alone. The two of you were off, busy being teenagers. The person who really knew me was Dad. And he’d be ashamed of the way the two of you are trying to lock me in a cage.”

“Acage?” Mia blurts, gaping at me. “We’re trying to protect you, Liv!”

“I can protect myself, thanks.”

“Stop, please!” Mom cries out. Her eyes are filled with sadness, but she’s not focused on either Aleks or Hargrove. She’s looking between Mia, Rob, and me.

I wonder if she can see the fissures between us growing deeper and wider. Becoming uncrossable. She must. It’s the only explanation I can think of for why her skin is pale and her fingers are starting to tremble.

But I charge ahead anyway. There’s no turning back now.

“I know I’m the youngest. I know I’m the baby of the family. But I’m not a kid anymore. I’m an adult, and I know my own mind. I can form my own opinions, and I know what I want.”

“Oh yeah? Since when?” Mia scowls coldly.

“Since I got some distance from this family,” I say. “Since I stopped hearing your voices and started hearing my own.”

“Oh, for the love of God…” she mutters with a vicious roll of her eyes.

Everything she says and does right now feels like a knife to the back. But I’m not willing to compromise anymore. I’m not willing to back down. After Dad passed, she became the voice in my head.

And it has finally hit me…

I’m fucking sick of it.

“Please, girls,” Mom says, “don’t fight. Remember what your dad always said? Look out for one another—”

“That’s what I’mtryingto do!” Mia erupts. “Except that your idiot daughter went and fell in love with the man who snatched her out of our home!”

The room goes deathly silent. I can hear my own heartbeat thundering furiously against my chest. I feel so fragile right now that I think I might splinter off into a million different pieces and float away in the sunlight streaming in through the half-drawn blinds.

Aleks is tense beside me. I’m not sure if that’s a good sign or not. I’m too scared to look at his face. Terrified of what I’ll see there.

Contempt?

Disinterest?

Irritation?

“This has gone far enough,” Hargrove says at last. “It’s time to end this.” He turns his gaze to me. “Your family loves you, Olivia. They only want you to be safe. I can keep you safe. I can keep youallsafe.”

He tries to move closer, but Aleks grabs my arm and hauls me back behind him. “You take one more step towards her and I will end your miserable fucking life.”

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