She stills. Her eyes widen a fraction before narrowing again, shoulders drawing back as something cautious slips into her expression. “Brady?”
“For a while,” I add quickly. “I’m only out of the bratva temporarily. With my father gone…” I hesitate, then finish it. “There will be expenses. For my mother.”
Her mouth parts, her shoulders dip, and the way she looks at the floor makes me feel awful.
Fuck.
“Forget about it. It was a ridiculous thought.”
“If you need money maybe I could lend?—”
Guilt slams through me, and I smile reassuringly at her. “It’s okay. Forget I said anything.”
“But your mother.” She chews her lip.
“Will also be fine.”
“I’m so sorry, Liev. I just don’t know?—”
“Seriously. Forget about it. This isn’t your problem,” I cut in.
Sera’s eyes drop to the floor between us.
Fucking Declan and Alex. They made it sound easy.
“A little white lie for the end result that’s best for both of you.”
But they left out the part about how shitty it would feel. Even though I technically haven’t lied about anything, I’m letting her draw the wrong conclusions from my vague comments. Neither my mother nor I need money. Our family has more than we could spend in multiple lifetimes.
I can’t do it. I can’t manipulate her like that. I guess I can’t be in their stupid club after all, which is a blessing. Listening to the two of them earlier gave me a terrible headache.
“Liev’s obsessed with Sera Worthington,”Alex says, the minute I enter the room at Alex’s private club.
I gape at him. “Remind me to never tell you anything ever again.”
“I have to give him an explanation why you’re here.” He shrugs.
“Brady’s sister?” Declan’s brow wrinkles. “I think I remember her. You don’t like to make your life easy, do you?”
“I don’t think he’s as scary as you,” Alex says, “and your sister is married.”
Declan lets out a heavy sigh. “I’m used to it now, but Wes doesn’t come with the same danger the two of you do.”
“You got your wife kidnapped and almost killed,” Alex points out. “It all worked out fine in the end. Tell Liev he should go for it. He’s being annoyingly noble.”
As irritated as I am with Alex sharing my secret, Declan’s comments reinforce my hesitation about pursuing Sera.
My life is dangerous.
“Sera is a lot younger than both of your wives, and the other big difference is, unlike the two of you, my life isn’t really my own.”
Declan taps his fingers on the armrest of the leather wingback chair he’s sitting in. “I met Olivia when she was Sera’s age—early twenties, right? I was worried about keeping her safe, too. But I made the critical mistake of walking away thinking it was for her own good.”
He makes a face. “It cost us twelve years we could have been together. One thing I’ve learned is no one’s life and safety can ever be guaranteed. No matter who they are.”
I’m stunned, and Alex looks at the billionaire with an odd smile. Declan throws back the rest of the whiskey in his glass, and I wonder how many the two of them have had before I got here.
“If I had it to do over again, I never would have left her. You can ask my brother James when he gets here. He made a lot of stupid assumptions about his wife Cami, and they were separated for a decade. Don’t waste time.”
