Chapter 24
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
ANTON
The next day, I’m in Konstantin’s basement gym, sparring with my brothers like usual. We rotate houses, but no one ever suggests mine. I wonder why. Probably my sunny disposition.
Kirill stands across from me on the mats, rolling his shoulders. Aleksei and Konstantin are already sparring a few feet away, the sound of gloves hitting flesh echoing through the basement.
Usually, fighting clears my head. But not today, because Thora fucking Whitlock keeps infiltrating my headspace with that pitied look of hers.
Kirill’s glove taps against mine, pulling me back into the room. “You awake, brother?”
I turn to him fully, my mouth tipping up. “Want me to show you how awake I am?”
His grin widens, and then he comes at me. I block his first strike and return one to his ribs, but my timing is off by a fraction and he manages to pull back before catching me across the jaw. The impact snaps my head to the side, pain blooming through my mouth until I taste blood.
A laugh breaks out of me. I enjoy the pain, because pain makes sense. It’s everything else that doesn’t.
Like how Thora curled around me and fell asleep in my arms, as though I was safe.
What the hell is wrong with her? I’m the last person she should feel safe around.
Kirill lowers his fists, studying me. “What’s going on? You are off your game today.”
I crack my neck, muscles tensing. The fact that people are starting to notice isn’t good.
I wipe blood from my mouth with the back of my glove while he watches me too closely, and I need him to stop.
My fist comes flying at him, and he blocks the first strike, but not the second.
The punch lands heavy against his ribs, and when he comes in close, I drive my shoulder into him and hook my leg behind his, taking him down so hard the mat vibrates beneath us.
He grunts while I stay over him.
“Am I off my game now, bratik?”
Kirill stares up at me for a long second before a grin breaks through. “Look at that. He’s back.”
Then he reaches up and ruffles my hair just to piss me off.
My eyes narrow. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“You want to fight?” He pushes himself onto one elbow, chuckling under his breath. “Fine. We’ll fight.”
I roll my shoulders and jump to my feet. “Finally. Something useful out of your mouth.”
Across the gym, Aleksei glances over, while Konstantin barely breaks focus, dodging one of Aleksei’s strikes and driving a quick punch into his side.
“Try not to bleed all over my mats,” Konstantin mutters.
“Your mats are ugly,” Aleksei says just as Konstantin catches him in the shoulder with a clean hit before Aleksei returns the favor.
Kirill comes at me again, faster now, until we fall into a rhythm. We trade back-to-back punches until sweat slides down my spine and my lungs start pulling harder.
For a while, it works. I forget her. Then Kirill shoves me back, and she’s there again, her hand tracing my scars.
I hit him harder, trying to block it out. He grunts and shoves me off, chuckling again. We keep going until we are both exhausted, sweat dripping down our foreheads.
When Konstantin and Aleksei finish, they wipe their faces, conversation starting about business, the Whitlocks, and a shipment of new ammo that’s been delayed yet again. But their voices turn into background noise, slipping further away.
While they’re distracted, I reach into my duffel for my phone and move away, just enough so none of them can see the screen. Then I open the photo I took of her sleeping beside me. I stare at it for a while before I begin to text her, needing to speak to her.
Anton
Hey.
I stand there like a fucking idiot, waiting for her to write back.
Thora
Hey! Nice to hear from you. I think this is the first time you’ve texted me.
Anton
Don’t read too much into it.
Thora
Trust me. With you, I never read too much into anything.
The corner of my mouth pulls up.
Anton
Smartass.
She starts to type, then stops, and my pulse thumps in my neck.
Anton
What are you doing today?
I need to see you again.
Thora
Actually, I’m not feeling well. I took off work, which I never do, and am hiding at my place.
That damn pulse hits harder.
She’s sick? Does her family know? Is anyone taking care of her?
Anton
What’s wrong?
Thora
Oh, nothing you probably want to hear about. LOL.
My grip cinches around the phone.
Anton
I asked what’s wrong, Thora.
There’s a long, painful pause before I see her typing.
Thora
Just that time of the month, and this month hit me hard. I feel like crap, and all I want to do is eat a bunch of chocolate and lie in my bed.
But I don’t have any chocolate and I don’t feel like going to the store, so I’m just going to curl up and watch a movie. Probably something sad where someone dies so I can have a good cry.
And they say I’m the one with a problem.
The image of her curled up on her sofa appears in my head, and I can’t seem to get rid of it.
“Did you just smile?”
I look up to find Aleksei staring at me, his expression caught somewhere between horror and delight.
I hit him with a deathly stare. “No.”
“You did.” He glances over at my other brothers. “He definitely did. Anyone else see it?” He peers back at me. “Are you having a stroke? Should we get our doctor?”
I lock the phone and slide it into my pocket. “Edy na khuy.” Go fuck yourself.
Kirill sits up straighter on the bench, far too interested.
Konstantin stands beside him with his arms crossed, a knowing curve at his mouth. “Did you meet someone?”
My expression goes flat on instinct. “No.”
Aleksei steps closer and looks me over, wearing the kind of satisfaction that makes me want to rearrange his face into something far less appealing. “Then what made you smile?”
“I was watching a cat video.” I drag enough boredom into my tone to make the lie almost believable. “It was funny.”
The room goes quiet.
“A cat video?” Kirill squints at me.
“That’s what I said.”
Aleksei scoffs. “Really? Cats make you laugh now? Since when? You hate cats.”
“I don’t hate cats.” I reach for my towel on the bench and drape it over the back of my neck, keeping my features blank, while they stare at me like I’ve grown another head.
“I think it’s a woman.” Kirill grins and glances up at Konstantin, whose smirk deepens.
“It is not a woman.”
“It’s definitely a woman.” Aleksei nods.
Kirill points at me. “Look at his face. That is a guilty face.”
“This is my normal face.”
“If you say so,” he adds with a shrug.
Konstantin studies me for another long, irritating stretch. I hate that he has always been too good at seeing things I’d rather keep buried.
“Who is she?”
“No one.” I shove my towel into my duffel and throw the strap over my shoulder. “Stay the fuck out of my business unless you want me to put all three of you on the floor and leave you there.”
“He’s incredibly defensive,” Aleksei adds.
I swear they’re all dead if they don’t stop talking.
As I start to go, Aleksei calls out, “Tell the cat we said hello.”
I mutter a curse as I head out of the room and toward the stairs, their laughter following me up. I hate them all a little more with each step.
And if they ever find out where I’m going next, I will never hear the end of it.