Page 154 of Begin Again, Part 2

"Are you out of your mind?" Aleksei roared at her as he grabbed and twisted her wrist.

Jace was out of the car in a heartbeat.

"Let go of her," he said as he opened his jacket and tapped the butt of his gun.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Aleksei warned him. Nodding at his bodyguards not too far behind him, he continued. "See those two men; they'll have her brains splashed on this door before you draw your weapon."

In a blink of an eye, Jace had already drawn his gun and cocked it. "I'll take my chances."

As Aleksei twisted her wrist and his goons pointed guns at her head, Eden finally understood how Liam got shot. The man was not only a highly unpredictable son of a bitch, but his guys were also a little trigger happy.

With his weapon already drawn, Aaron inched closer. "I'd listen to him if I were you. He's ex-special forces."

"Am I supposed to be impressed?" Aleksei asked.

Eden didn't know about him, but she certainly was. She'd never have guessed Jace had gone through one of the hardest selection processes in the world to earn himself a spot in the country's elite unit.

"I don't care if you're impressed, but I'm a bloody good shot. Your men will be dead before they can cock their guns," Jace said, his lips barely moving. "Now, quit being an asshole and let her go!"

Aleksei dropped her hand, and Eden almost moaned with relief as she blew out a huge sigh.

"You can't go around slapping strangers," Aleksei snarled at her, and she could only scoff at his absurd statement.

"Strangers? Don't act like we don't know each other. You're lucky you got away with just a slap. Liam wasn't so lucky. No thanks to you! How the hell are you even out? I suppose you paid someone off."

"Wait? What? Liam Anderson?"

"Don't—" Eden was close to losing her shit all over him when it hit her. The blonde devil in the sleek, dark chocolate suit had the same green eyes, the same air of cockiness and arrogance. But he wasn't Aleksei. He was the other half of the crazy duo, the recently returned prodigal son.

"This is all a big misunderstanding," he said and held out his hand to her. "Andrei Ivanov. Aleksei is my younger brother."

"I figured," Eden said, refusing to shake hands with the man whose brother had almost cost her everything. She slipped through the revolving doors and hurried inside, trying her damnedest to ignore the curious stares of the lurkers who'd witnessed her standoff with Aleksei.

Jace and Aaron didn't let her out of their sight this time. They followed her to the pharmacy on the ground floor and stuck close to her. Andrei lingered beside her as well. He grabbed items from the shelves and glanced at them briefly before placing them back.

Eden's cheeks burned with mortification. She was the biggest fool on earth for allowing her fear and paranoia to get the better of her. She should have known Aleksei was still in jail. But like an idiot, she'd allowed her mind to run all over the place and had now likely pissed off the other crazy brother.

"I came to see Anderson as soon as I heard what my brother did." Andrei carried on, trying to make amends, while she picked items from the shelves and dumped them in her basket.

She paused and contemplated buying the box of waterproof emoji patterned Band-Aids. The nurses had told her there was no need for the plasters, but she wanted to make Liam feel better in her own little way.

She threw the box in the basket and glared at Andrei. "You can't be serious right now. You and your brother are the last people the Andersons want to see. Now, I suggest you turn around and go back that way—" She pointed at the door and tapped her foot, her face taut with fury. "That's where you'll find the exit."

"You heard her," Jace drawled from behind her. "Leave. Don't make things more complicated than they have to be."

Andrei glared at them for a stretch before muttering in her direction. "Tell Liam I want a meeting with him."

"There's a lot of things we want, Mr Ivanov, but can't have. I wanted to go to bed with Liam's arms around me last night, and every other night since your brother shot him, but I couldn't. I wanted him to have breakfast with his son this morning, but he couldn't because your crazy brother decided to play God with Liam's life. So forgive me if I don't give a flying fish about what you want!" she yelled at him, her body shaking from anger, shame stinging her eyes when she looked up and saw a thin crowd of pill poppers watching her meltdown with glee and curiosity. Hospitals were such depressing places, so any drama helped, and they were all there for it.

"If I want something, Ms—" Andrei said, but Eden ignored his attempt at an introduction.

"How rude of you!" he said, clearly disturbed by her impertinence. "As I was saying, if I want something, I make sure I get it. I want a meeting with Anderson, and you'll make it happen."

"I don't remember being on your payroll!" Eden snapped and approached the till. She dumped the basket on the counter and rifled in her purse for her debit card.

"Is that all?" asked the cashier.

Eden nodded, and Andrei handed over his black card in a flash.

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