Then, it started to play the most horrible visions I’d ever had. Sometimes, my mind latched onto terrible things—me accidentally stabbing myself, me setting buildings on fire, me running over someone in a car. But never had my mind tortured me like this.
Alek shooting Jules.
Jules shooting Alek.
Blood.
So.
Much.
Blood.
Staining the walls. My hands. My soul. Blood everywhere until I was surrounded by the taste and feel of death.
I blinked a few times, shoving it all into the overflowing box inside of me, and turned my attention back to the present, hoping that the anxiety of this all would be enough to keep me from breaking down.
My eyes swung back and forth between Jules and Alek. “You two know each other?”
“No,” Jules said at the same time Alek said, “Yes.”
I had deja vu of another night, a much happier night with Alek, Mia, and Nikolai. Oh, how I wished to go back there, to a time when I was naive enough to think everything would go well. “Well, which is it?”
“Would you like to tell her, or shall I?” Alek said with a cold, cruel smirk. I hardly recognized the man I was falling in love with in it, could hardly see the tenderness I knew lurked beneath. But despite his icy gaze, Alek’s body was gentle where he gripped me. Whatever anger he had wasn’t aimed toward me.
“No,” Jules hissed.
“Tell me what?”
The two said nothing.
“Alek.Please.Tell me what?”
His body softened a fraction of an inch, and it was enough to give me hope that my Alek was still there, that he hadn’t lost himself to whatever darkness had claimed him. “Your brother is the leader of one of the most powerful mob families in the city.”
I staggered back, my heart jumping to my throat. I swallowed. “W-what?”
“And the boy you’re hiding behind,” Jules began, “is the heir to the other.”
For a moment, the room spun. I hadn’t realized I collapsed to the floor until both Alek and Jules were hovering over me, apparently having forgotten their feud for a moment.
Trust me, Evangeline. This guy is bad news. I need you home, safe. Our families have too much bad blood for you to get in the crossfire.
The Drakovs.
They were the other family. The rivals. The empire.
“Breathe, baby,” Alek whispered, pulling me to his chest and stroking my hair. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
I hadn’t even realized I was hyperventilating until the moment when my breath calmed.
A mob. I was amafia princess,and I’d had no idea because my family had kept me so far away from it all. Was this why they changed my name? Sent me away to school and lessons? Refused to acknowledge me as their daughter? Was it their twisted way of trying to keep me safe from this violent world? A world where men like Alek would have attacked me?
No. Alek and I hadn’t been together for long, but I knew he wouldn’t do that. Alek would do anything to keep me safe.
I was sure of it.
“Don’t fucking touch her,” Jules said, trying to grab my arm.
