“Fuck, Babygirl.” I yank Alena into a hug, kissing her cracked lips, my throat burning to hold her again, to marvel at her strength. “Goddamn, I love you,” I rasp before remembering…
Sasha.
I turn to hold her as well, but flinch, unsure.
“I got her.” Alena sighs. She wraps an arm around my waist, draping her other over Sasha’s shoulder. Leaning down, she whispers to her, “Your brother. Your twin.”
“Privet, sestra. Ya brat.” I try to tell her she’s my sister, I’m her brother, but my Russian is bad. For our safety, I didn’t speak it growing up.
But Sasha’s aqua eyes search mine in the moonlight. Forging a natural reconnection. I feel it deeply; the sacred pull to my blood as she marvels, barely touching my cheek.
“Here.” Remi’s taken off his black leather jacket, wrapping it around her. “Warm,” he mutters, pointing. “For you.”
Shyly, Sasha shrugs, accepting it before nuzzling back into Alena’s side.
“We’re okay.” Alena looks at me, tired tears welling in her eyes. “We’ll be okay now.”
I kiss her forehead as Grant growls, “Where’s Sheremetev?”
Alena burrows into me, muttering, “High elevation. Birch trees. A new camper. It’s all I know before we ran.”
Brakes squeal with another truck stopping in the middle of the parkway, but who gives a shit? It’s two a.m., and this is a rescue.
“Alena!” Nash runs to her, and now I understand his love. Every crazy ass thing he’s done to protect her.
I’m building a twenty-foot barbed rock wall around ourfuture log cabin with bear traps for Bratva at its base. Watch me.
Stepping back, I let him hug her. “Are you okay?” Nash rushes out, “Are you hurt?”
“Yes, and no,” she mumbles into his jacket. “We’re cold and tired and need to take care of Sasha.”
Nash pulls away, in awe of the vision I’m going to marry, make babies with, and worship until my dying day.
Alena, our queen, who rescued another.
Fuck me, the wind is making me cry again.
I wrap my arm around Alena again, kissing her silky strands, needing everything about this badass woman as Axel walks our way, his worried eyes taking in Sasha.
“Teper' vy v bezopasnosti.” Cautiously, Axel cups Sasha’s shoulder, his rare smile is warm and tender for her, assuring, “My vashi brat'ya. Teper' tebe nikto ne prichinit vreda.”
I understand more Russian than I can speak.
He tells her she’s safe, we’re her brothers, and no one will hurt her now.
Sasha bursts out crying, throwing her arms around Remi’s neck. His eyes widen in shock, hands frozen, not knowing what to do with a sobbing woman at first.
Softly, Alena chuckles. No one has the heart to tell Sasha that Remi’s not her brother. He’s a contract killer, but he takes it in stride.
Tenderly, he scoops her up, carrying her toward my truck.
I move to do the same, but Alena sighs. “I hiked this far with Sasha on my back. Let me finish and walk to your truck.”
This woman, so tough and tender, turns, burying her cold face in my neck, her warm tears wetting my skin. “But thank you for knowing I could save her, and thank you for always saving me too.”
Her words echo her first night in my arms as I wrap mine around her, forever letting her collapse into me.
The riptide of my emotions with this woman always carries me home to her.
