I hide my reminiscing from Sergey with ease. He doesn’t even notice the tension in my body as he drops his arm over my shoulder. “So, it’s better than that?”
Sergey barks a loud laugh and stumbles a little as we walk through the warehouse. “Much. Longer high, cleaner buzz. And you want to fuck? It’s almost like you can’t stop. You don’t want to fuck? Well, that’s just as good because you don’t get the choice. It will be good for the ones that Olga has found for us. Not everyone gets off on struggle.” He snickers at his obvious jab.
I can feel the frantic pulse of his energy, and I take a step away from him, in case he decides he wants someone else underthe influence like he is. I don’t need more reasons to dislike my brother.
“Are you going to be okay to do this?” I ask, carefully.
Sergey scoffs, shaking his head at me. His chemical high turns as quickly as his mood does, disdain pouring off him in waves. He must realize it too. One second, he’s looking at me like he’d like to see me dead at his feet, and the next he’s lunging playfully at me, his laughter overly loud and forced.
I jump backward, narrowly missing the swing of his palm—to my bad side.
“Look at you, brother, eyes of an eagle always on the watch.” He grins maliciously as he rights himself. And then he chuckles again, not bothering to hide the malice in his eyes; he only changes his expression once he knows he’s inflicted the damage he intended. “Bad choice of words, perhaps?”
“I think we need to get some food and coffee for you. We’ve got half of Russia waiting to talk business with you tonight.”
“No one is coming to talk. It’s my bachelor party, and that means we’re throwing a party to end all parties. And you have no excuses for not being there and partaking.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
QUINN
Sleep is impossible. It’s not the noise so much, but the choking weight of the atmosphere that makes me restless. I can barely get a solid breath past the rising chaos; it’s almost the same feeling I had while working in the hospital the night Aleksei and I crossed paths.
Kade stands like a statue just outside my room. He might be unmoving, but I can feel him on a cellular level. I always have, though, but tonight everything is heightened.
As I walk up behind him, my resolve to stay away crumbles, and I need to feel him against me. Before all the reasons why I should stop flood my mind, I push myself against his back, my arms going around his waist.
He tucks his arms over mine, drawing me closer. “You’re okay.”
After I’ve taken my fill of his scent, and its magical qualities are working through my system, I rest my cheek against his back, listening to the steady beat of his heart. “I am.”
“I’m getting a bad feeling, Quinny.”
I squeeze him tighter. “I’ll be okay. You know that, right?”
“I want more for you than just okay. I want you to have it all.”
“Including you?”
He growls softly under his breath. “You want to talk about us now?”
I press a kiss to his back before I force myself to let go. “I will always be grateful for the time we had.”
“That sounds ominous,” he says quietly.
“Not really. I guess we spent so much time dancing, I need you to know I enjoyed every move we made.”
“I would have, and still will, jump headfirst into forever with you.” He starts to turn around, and I step a little further back.
“I know. But you being aware of how much I truly appreciate you is equally important.”
When he sees me, he reverts to his earlier stillness. “You look incredible. I’d give anything to be the man standing next to you, but that doesn’t take away from the honor you’ve given of letting me stand behind you.”
His sweet confessions get interrupted as Santiago comes back into the suite. Like with Kade, I can feel him more intensely this morning. It’s like he’s an extension of me, which, in a sense, is true, considering we’re scent matched. Maybe I’m having my own version of pre-wedding jitters.
I try not to fiddle with the ivory wedding dress that was delivered with a whole new wardrobe when I was trying to fall asleep. I’m not sure who arranged it or how they knew my sizing, but everything that was sent is stunning.
If I had to pick a wedding dress, I’m not sure I would have ever considered even trying on one with three-quarter sleeves, a round neck and a flowing skirt. This one, though, makes me feel both elegant and strong, which, considering the task at handand the audience waiting, are the virtues I most want to embody today.
