I watched my brother and Nik fighting in the pool like children and not dangerous men and I felt a jealousy that I couldn’t explain. Tearing my gaze away I looked at Marisha with a smile, slipping my sunglasses back on my face.
“Always. They’ve been this way since they were kids.” I sighed and sat back down on my lounger and Marisha took the one next to me.
We watched both men in the water for several moments. The water glistening down their hard muscles, their laughter echoing around us. They both looked so carefree. You would never think that both men had killed so easily and so frequently.
“I love seeing him like this,” Marisha said, breaking me from my reverie. “He looks so carefree. He’s always so intense, don’t you think.”
I watched as Alex started to climb out and Nik grabbed him, dunking him back under the water. The infinity pool now resembled a kid’s water park, water flying everywhere and the relaxed atmosphere nowhere in sight. I smiled, loving that Nikolai didn’t give a shit what any of these people thought.
“Alex? Intense? Never,” I laughed and tore my gaze away from the men to look at her with a grin.
She really was very beautiful. Her skin like smooth marble, her freckles like specks of gold dotted across her perfect skin. Her body was perfectly proportioned, nice hips, perfect breasts. I could see why Alex had fallen so easily for her. My gaze fell to some of the bruises on her stomach and arms, and the ones she’d tried to cover on her face, and I remembered how badly she’d been mistreated. What she had gone through.
I loved my brother even more in that moment.
For loving her. For protecting her. For risking everything just for her.
That was love.Real love.And admiration and jealousy rolled inside of me.
I’d never have that.
Not unless I was as lucky as my parents and happened to be paired with my soul mate. But what were the chances of that?
I was destined for someone of my father’s choosing. This time next year, would I even be holidaying with my family or would my husband be denying me this? Marisha’s husband had beat her, controlled her, lorded over her… would that be me?
“Are you okay?” Marisha asked, bringing me back to the present and I nodded quickly, forcing myself not to cry.
“Yes, just wishing these two idiots would keep the noise down so I could get some rest.” I lay back down, this time on my back so I could watch Nikolai through my sunglasses.
“Yes, she was up all night, weren’t you?” Nikolai said as he and Alex climbed out of the pool. He shook himself like a dog, cold salty droplets landing on my already sun heated skin and making me shiver involuntarily, my nipples hardening.
“Yes, all night,” I said throatily.
I watched his jaw twitch and I smirked.
“I’m surprised you heard anything what with the two women you had in your bed,” I retaliated. If he wanted to try and shame me for having a one-night stand, he had another thing coming. I’d watched him and Alex for years taking different women home and they had no shame, so why should I? I was a strong, independent woman and I wasn’t afraid of my sexuality in the slightest.
“Two women?” Alex said, and there was no denying the envy in his tone.
“Yes, two beautiful, bronzed beauties. You missed a good night,” Nikolai said, but his gaze was on me and not Alex. “One of them did this thing with her tongue and when I was…”
“Nikolai,” Alex snapped and Nik tore his gaze from mine to look at Alex. “I don’t think Marisha, or my sister, needs to hear this.”
Nik smiled sheepishly. “Sorry, you’re right. I’ll tell you about it later. Though your sister already heard all about it, isn’t that right?” he winked at me and laughed, and I scowled.
Alex glanced at Marisha nervously.
Nervous...my brother.
The future King of the Bratva nervous around a woman? I started to laugh and everyone’s gazes fell back to me. I rolled over onto my front and closed my eyes, still laughing to myself.
Chapter Eleven
Nikolai
“We’re on vacation,” I protested, staring out at the ocean, my gaze flicking over to theOcean Darling.Alexander had been convinced. Finally. To ditch the lady purse and go catch some evening waves off Tavarua. If we left right after an early dinner or a late lunch, we could make it before sunset. Spend a few hours carving waves and being like we used to be--brothers with an unbreakable bond.
But now he was telling me that his father had called a damn meeting.
