Kira clenched her lips and shook her head.
“No, don’t hold back now. How is this about me?”
Kira struggled with indecision. Some things were better left unsaid. But Luerna stared at her in wait. Honesty was a family trait, and she didn’t know how to stop it. “You hate your life–”
“I don’t hate my life.”
“You want to escape. You want to find meaning. You want to feel alive. There’s nothing wrong with any of that. But this isn’t a good way to go about it."
Luerna bit the inside of her cheek as she studied her sister. There was a plethora of words running in her head. Kira was acting ridiculous just as much as Luerna was, and to call her out on it was hypocritical. Kira was Luerna, just six years younger and more naive. Maybe if Luerna hadn’t been sold off as soon as she turned eighteen, she could be just as self-righteous.
But this was bitterness that Kira didn’t deserve.
“Rurik wants another baby.”
Kira’s brows knit, and she reached for the bed as if the news weakened her knees. “After what you went through with the twins?”
She nodded. The tears were pushing behind her eyes, and she swallowed tight, all the emotion clogging her throat.
“Oh, Luerna, I’m so sorry.”
Luerna shrugged, shaking her head. She quickly wiped away the tear that fell and prayed Kira hadn’t noticed. The fear of postpartum coming back was enough to keep her celibate for the rest of her life. Would she become one of those women on the news that ended up killing all her children in a mental break? The terrible thoughts she had during those months were frightening and followed her around like a ghost. She didn’t want to go back to that. But there wasn’t much of a choice.
There was never any choice.
Which is what brought her here in a terribly selfish act. She wanted to use Levka in more ways than Kira suggested. How he looked at her outside the bathroom the night of the dinner had lived in her dreams. It was the only thing that could help her during Rurik’s drunken touches.
In a selfish desperation, she sought out Levka for the last six months. It took her a long time to find him, but when she did, she was thankful for an excuse to see him.
But it was for nothing, apparently.
A knock on the door got her up, exasperated, fearing it was Levka there to yell at her. But instead, she was surprised by a band. They held random instruments in their arms, and the lead vocalist was a female smiling politely. “Mr. Harold sent us up for your entertainment, ma’am.”
Kira jumped excitedly and pushed Luerna out of the way to let them through. A guitarist, two men carrying drum equipment, and a violinist came in and set up right in the living room.
Luerna sat on the couch beside her sister, semi-interested in the music. This, in no way, made up for the lack of going out.
But then, to her surprise, instead of a guitar being pulled out of a guitar case, it was a speaker. They set it up right in front of the door and then triple-locked it. The lights shut off, and a strobe light came on.
Instead of setting up their instruments, the band stood in a V, waiting silently for the music to start. The woman in charge began to unbutton her top. “Who’s getting married?”
Kira nervously raised her hand.
“Well, we hope you enjoy the show.”
Luerna knit her brow. “I’m sorry, what is this?”
The woman continued to unbutton her blouse until she reached the bottom, and then the music snapped on, and her shirt exposed her breasts in a tight lace white bra. The men behind her began to dance, and only then did Luerna acknowledge their extensive muscle and incredible good looks.
“Oh my god,” Luerna whispered. “It’s a strip show.”
Kira was giggling up a storm, leaning into her side. “Oh yeah. He’s still in love with you.”
Chapter nine
Mistake
Themusicwaspumping,vibrating the bed as Luerna sat in her room with closed doors. At some point, the dancing and the stripping became a lot more touching than she was ready for. When they brought Kira into their circle, Luerna took that as a sign to get the hell out of there before they mistook her for a willing participant in an orgy. But that left her here, unoccupied, with sexual thoughts floating in her head. She kept walking up to the phone. And after the eighth time, she picked up. “Is Mr. Harold available?”
