Page 21 of Shattered Cradle (Makarova Bratva Duet)

I take a deep breath and remind myself that Mia is not the enemy. None of them are—for crying out loud, they’re myfamily.They love me. They care for me.

They just have a different perspective on the strange situation we’re in.

And who knows? Maybe their perspective is right. My heart is still too fragile to decide.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. I guess I’m just a little on edge recently.”

“Oh, honey,” she says, moving towards me and taking my hands. “Come and sit down. I feel like we haven’t talked properly in ages. Things have been… well, let’s just say weird.”

The way she says the word gives me pause. It seems to point at more than just the crazy circumstances—abductions and threats and two powerful men locking horns.

It points atus. At me and her. Is she feeling this new distance, this festering uncertainty? I’ve always been able to tell Mia anything. But now, I’m not sure who to trust. It’s unsettling.

“I feel like I’m on a reality TV show. I didn’t know people actually live in hotels.”

She chuckles. “It takes some getting used to. But honestly, you’ll adjust. I did.”

“What if I don’t want to?” I ask quietly.

“Liv—”

“No, I’m serious. Why can’t we just stay at the house? Someone needs to take care of it, right?”

“That will be the first place he looks for you, Liv.” She doesn’t even mention him by name, but it’s obvious who she’s talking about. “And we can’t risk losing you to him again.”

“You don’t have to worry about that,” I say softly.

“It’s not forever, okay?” she assures me. “This is just until the threat of this crazy Russian asshole is eliminated.”

“Eliminated,” I repeat with a frown. “What exactly do you mean by that?”

“What do you mean, what do I mean? He has to go, Liv. He’s a bad man.” She must see the horror on my face, because she pats my knee and gives me a comforting smile. “Don’t you worry. You know Rob—he’s a force to be reckoned with. Same goes for Donnie. They’ll take care of everything.”

A shiver races down my spine. “You don’t know Aleks.”

She shrugs. “He may be a powerful mafia king or whatever, but—”

“Bratva don.”

“Excuse me?”

I shake my head. As if the distinction matters. “Never mind.”

Mia shrugs and continues. “My point is, they know he’s powerful, but Donald has endless resources at his disposal. He can expose Aleks without even involving the cops. Let’s see any woman fall for that bastard’s trap once his smug face is plastered all over the television.”

My heart clenches. “Would Hargrove actually do that?”

“Donnie, darling,” she chides. “He wants everyone to call him Donnie.”

“What a pal,” I mutter. I shiver again. A deep sense of unease has taken up root in my stomach and it’s not showing any signs of leaving.

Mia nods, blissfully unaware of how uncomfortable I am. “At this point, he’s practically family. Even Mom loves him.”

“Mom loves everyone.”

She gives me a serious look. “She doesn’t love Makarova.”

It feels like Mia lobbed a grenade and is waiting for the explosion. I meet her gaze, but she doesn’t look away. Doesn’t say anything.

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