So, Alexei isn’t the only one in this family who has boundary issues.
“Thank you.”
“You don’t need to be scared of us. I know my sons can be a lot, but they’re all sweet in their own way. Will you tell me how the two of you met?”
We didn’t actually cover this topic beforehand, so do I tell her the truth or sugarcoat it?
I don’t really want to lie to her, so I brace myself for her reaction.
“I was working night shift at the clinic when Alexei broke in and told me he would kill me if I didn’t pull a bullet out of him.”
She doesn’t even react, just nods like this is completely normal. “Did you?”
“Yeah, I managed to get it out. He had lost a lot of blood though and passed out afterward.”
“You didn’t call the police?”
“Uh, no,” I say, rubbing the back of my neck awkwardly.
“Alexei told me you love Christmas, so I put this together for you.”
She squeezes my shoulder. My throat goes tight. She did this for me? Alexei actually listened to me and told his mother that Christmas matters to me?
“Thank you. This means a lot. It’s been really hard since my mom died. I miss her every day.”
She opens her mouth to speak but stops when footsteps approach us.
Alexei walks in with his brothers behind him. Blood coats his fists. Yulian rubs his jaw, furious. I bite my cheek to keep from laughing. This family is unhinged. None of this is normal. Except Lina—she’s amazing. We’ll get along just fine.
Alexei crosses the room, kisses the top of my head, and pulls me into him.
“Are you okay?” he whispers against my ear.
“I think so,” I whisper honestly, because lying to him feels pointless when he can read me so easily. “Your family is a lot to process.”
His arms tighten around me, and Lina watches us with something that might be approval in her eyes.
Mom would’ve liked her. I can’t help thinking it. They would’ve gotten along. Both with that way of seeing straight through bullshit, that quiet strength underneath the elegance. I think Mom would’ve approved of Alexei too, which is wild considering what he does for a living. But she always said youjudge people by how they treat you, not by what everyone else thinks. And Alexei treats me like I matter.
Everything about my life is better with him. Different, obviously. Significantly more dangerous and morally questionable. But better in ways I didn’t expect.
He took me to the gun range the other day. Taught me how to shoot, how to reload, how to break it down and clean it and put it back together. How to stand, how to aim, how to breathe through the shot. The feeling when I fired it was incredible.
I felt powerful. For the first time in years, I felt like I could do something. I wasn’t just the guy who froze, who made himself smaller and quieter and hoped the danger would pass. I could fight back. I could protect myself. That feeling changed something in me.
I want to ask him to teach me self-defense too. I want to learn how to defend myself, to not be so scared all the time. I know he’d teach me. He was so proud when I hit the target for the first time.
Chapter 29
Alexei
Inarrow my eyes at my mother when she walks over with the turkey, setting it down like it’s something fucking sacred before glancing at Kelly and giving him that sharp smile she does when she’s pretending to be warm.
“I made food that Americans like.”
I lift my brow at the turkey. I’m sure that’s a Thanksgiving thing. Do they even eat it for Christmas? Fuck if I know.
“Wow. Thank you. It looks good,” Kelly says, and he actually sounds like he means it, smiling a little as he glances at the table looking impressed.
