They were moving in perfect tandem. Him thrusting into her, and her rocking her hips to meet him. She ran her nails down his back and he felt himself tremble in response. He was putty in her hands. He should’ve been terrified. Should’ve been worried by how much power she had over him, but he didn’t mind.
He kept moving inside her, feeling her grow more and more tense-
A knock sounded on the closed bedroom door and before either of them could say or do anything, Saylor was walking into the room.
“Hey, Kae, I saw an opening at Karl’s-“
Saylor let out a horrified scream, seeing the scene she had just walked in on and hurriedly ran out, slamming the apartment door on her way out.
Shit.
6
Kaelyn
Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit.
Those were the only words going through Kaelyn’s mind as she quickly pulled her clothes on. She looked to Alexei apologetically.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go after her.”
“Of course.” He nodded, pulling his own pants on, and went out on the balcony where she saw him light a cigarette.
She could tell something was bothering him, but she didn’t have time for that, and ran after her sister. Saylor was already halfway down the stairs when Kaelyn caught up to her.
“Saylor, please, wait! We need to talk about this!”
Saylor kept going, pretending as though she hadn’t heard her. Kaelyn followed, her mind continuing its whirlwind of shit, shit, shit.
She never wanted Saylor to find out like this. Things with Alexei had been getting better and more serious by the day, and she had been genuinely considering telling her sister. But it would’ve been over coffee, or a homemade dinner, not this.
Saylor reached the bottom of the stairs and was heading out of the apartment building, when Kaelyn grabbed her hand and made her turn around.
She wished she hadn’t.
The look on Saylor’s face of absolute hurt and betrayal cut deep into Kaelyn’s heart. Kaelyn wanted to wipe that look of her sister’s face and never see it again, but knowing that she was the one who had caused made it all that much worse.
She opened her mouth, sure that she had something to say in her defense, but the words got stuck. They couldn’t make it past the wedge of shame and guilt lodged in her throat. She could do nothing but stand there, in front of her sister, silent, speechless, sorry.
It wasn’t enough.
Saylor shook her head and turned to leave again. Kaelyn wanted to follow her. Knew she had to. But her feet stayed glued firmly to the ground. She had never thought her and Saylor would ever reach this point; where she’d cause her pain and have nothing to say for it.
How could she have let this happen? Who gave a shit if Saylor judged her relationship? Who cared if telling her sister would’ve made it more real?
Wasn’t it real?
If it was real enough that she knew she loved him and wanted to spend every moment of the rest of her life with him, then she should be able to tell her sister that. If she could admit it to herself, it should have been that much easier to admit it to Saylor.
How could she have kept this from her?
They never had secrets. Nothing in Kaelyn’s life had ever been hidden from Saylor. Even the biggest thing that had happened to Kaelyn, she couldn’t keep it from her sister.
It was a freezing day when Kaelyn had been huddled up on the ice-cold tiles of the bathroom floor. She didn’t know how long she’d stayed there, staring at nothing. She knew she should probably move, at least to close the open window in her room that was letting in this unbearable chill. But she stayed locked in place.
Her mind was still reeling in shock, although it shouldn’t have shocked her that much. This situation shouldn’t have caused her so much pain, but it did. She didn’t want to believe it. Couldn’t believe that the world could do something like this. But there was the proof; the positive on the pregnancy test.
A baby. Oh, the world was cruel. Not to her. No, this certainly wasn’t her punishment, it was the baby’s. How could she be a mother?She barely knew how to take care of herself, let alone someone else.
Kaelyn was barely passing her classes at community college, spent most nights out at clubs or bars, and had no job, mooching a living off her sister. Great parent material, she thought.
She couldn’t do it. Couldn’t put a baby through that hell. She wasn’t fit to be a mother. Wasn’t fit for that responsibility. What if she messed up? This wasn’t like some test she could retake; this was someone’s life. Her child’s life. if she ruined it, she would never be able to forgive herself.
She was so torn. She had no idea what to do. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t speak. Couldn’t think.
And that was where Saylor had found her – curled into a ball on the bathroom floor, shivering, her lips and fingertips almost blue from the cold.
Kaelyn wanted to hide the pregnancy test. Didn’t want her sister knowing how much of a screw-up she really was. But, still, her body wouldn’t move. Saylor didn’t notice it, though. She was busy closing the window, turning on the heat in Kaelyn’s bedroom and wrapping her in a warm blanket.
Kaelyn wanted to cry. She didn’t deserve any of this. And she certainly didn’t deserve her sister. What would she do when she found out Kaelyn had wasted the life she had practically paid for with all her savings? Or that she was about to ruin another life?
The tears began streaming down her face and there was no way to stop them. Saylor merely held her in her arms, and rocked her back and forth the way she used to when they were little and Kaelyn would have a nightmare. But now Kaelyn had felt like she was the nightmare. The more Saylor rocked her, smoothed her hair, and made soothing sounds; the more Kaelyn’s tears burst forth.
Finally, amidst the sobs and gasps, Kaelyn was able to whisper, “I’m-I’m pre-pregnant.”
Saylor’s comforting words were quiet for a minute before she continued.
“It’s alright. It’s going to be alright. We can make it through this.”
Kaelyn wanted to cry more, but she’d already cried her tear ducts dry. She turned to Saylor with disbelief in her eyes.
“What do you mean ‘it’s alright’? Saylor, I fucked up. I fucked up like I always do. And, for the first time, someone else is going to pay the price.”
Saylor looked at her with determination.
“Kaelyn, you made a mistake. No one is going to pay the price of anything. We’re going to deal with this as we deal with everything else – together.”
Kaelyn looked at her helplessly. “I can’t be a mother.”
“Of course, you can! You’re just going to fix up your life a bit. And I’m going to help. I’m going to be here every step of the way. I don’t care what it takes. Do you know who the father is?”
“Yes, but it doesn’t matter. He doesn’t want anything to do with me or the baby.”
“Then he’s a disgusting son of a bitch.”
Kaelyn let out a small laugh. Then, she looked to her sister questioningly. “You-you’re not mad at me?”
Saylor gave a small smile. “No, I’m not mad. I know you, Kaelyn. I know all the wonderful things you’re capable of. I know that, despite what you think, you’re going to make an amazing mother. I believe in you and I always will.”
Kaelyn couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She truly didn’t deserve how wonderfully accepting her sister was. There was nothing else she could possibly say.
“Thank you, Saylor. Thank you so much. I can’t tell you how much you being here means to me. I was so afraid that you’d be disappointed or think that I was taking you for granted. The last thing I ever want is to hurt you.”
“Kaelyn.” Saylor gave her sister a huge smile. “You could never hurt me.”
Those words and that memory echoed in Kaelyn’s mind as she saw Saylor disappear out of the apartment building. She couldn’t let it end this way. She wouldn’t.
“Saylor!”
/> Kaelyn yelled out at the top of her lungs. She could see that Saylor had stopped right in front of the building, but didn’t turn around. She caught up with her and stood before her.
The hurt look was still on Saylor’s face, but mixed with some annoyance. Kaelyn took a deep breath.
“Saylor… I am so so sorry you had to find out this way. But Alexei and I are together. We’re not just together; we’re in love.”
Saylor said nothing. Kaelyn kept going.
“Look, I know it was wrong keeping it from you and clearly you don’t approve. But I love him. I love him with everything in my heart, and he loves me too. I know his past. I know you’re just looking out for me, but I trust him. He’s so good to me. And Amelia.”
Saylor stayed silent. Kaelyn was starting to panic.
“At first, I was scared of these new feelings, and everything was just so chaotic and dangerous, I didn’t want to set myself up for hurt. I thought that if I just pretended that we were in some sort of bubble where nothing could touch us, I would be happy. And I was, for a while. But now something has happened. I know that it’s scary and risky and anything could happen, but I’m fine with that. I’m fine with taking those risks for him.”
Saylor was still not saying anything and it was starting to not only worry Kaelyn but slightly piss her off.
“Look, I’m trying to apologize here. And explain to you why I did what I did. But if all you want to do is stand there and judge me, I don’t want to hear it-”
“Why?” Saylor’s whisper was barely audible in the hustle of the street. But it was filled with so much agony that it punched through the haze of anger that was starting to form in Kaelyn’s mind.
“Why?” she asked again. “Why would you not tell me about this? This important part of your life? This intimate relationship you’re in?”
Saylor’s voice was rising with every question.
“What have I ever done to indicate to you that there is anything in this world that you can’t tell me? Am I such a horrible sister that you would be scared to tell me about the man you love? Do you really think I’m that heartless that I would try to come between your happiness?”
Saylor’s eyes welled up with tears, but that didn’t stop her questioning.
“Tell me, Kaelyn. When did I make your image of me drop so low? What did I do to ruin the trust we had?”
“You didn’t do anything!” Now, Kaelyn’s tears were also flowing down her face. “You’ve always been the perfect sister! I can’t believe you think I didn’t tell you because I don’t trust you. There is no one on this entire planet that I trust more than you!”
“Then, why would you keep this from me?”
“I was terrified, Saylor. I felt like if I told you then it would become real. And I wasn’t sure I was ready for something like that. But now I know that it is real. And it would never be really a part of my life unless you knew about it! I just thought that you would hate us together. I thought that was why you stormed off.”
“Kael, you’re a grown woman and can make your own decisions. I know that. Of course, that doesn’t mean I’ll ever stop looking out for you, but I trust you to know what’s best for you. Besides, Alexei is a good man, and if you love him, I will never stand in the way of your happiness! I just…I just never thought…you’d keep something like this from me…”
“Oh, Saylor.” Tears were gushing from both of their eyes in an endless torrent. They’d never thought they could inflict so much hurt and pain on each other. They were sobbing, blubbering messes. Kaelyn reached out and hugged her sister.
“I am so so sorry, Say! I will never keep anything from you again! I promise!”
Saylor hugged her back and they were both holding each other when they heard a single gunshot split the air.
7
Alexei
Alexei didn’t see the bastard coming.
All he remembered was hearing something like a car backfiring then feeling a searing hot pain in his back.
It all happened so fast.
The cigarette tumbled out of his fingers, and he grabbed the balcony railing, trying to keep himself from tipping over into the street. It felt like someone had taken a piping hot rod and jammed it into his back and was just pushing it even further in. He looked down his front, but there was no blood, meaning the bullet was still lodged somewhere inside his body.
Well, that’s not good.
He made himself turn around to see who was in the apartment. Whoever it was, was already running out the door and before he could slip through the emergency stairwell, Alexei noticed a deep punctured scar on the back of his hand.
Aaric.
Of course, Senya would send Aaric to get the job done. Or he probably volunteered to be the one that put a bullet in Alexei.
Aaric was a sadistic, vicious little ass. His specialty was torture. He loved breaking a person down one by one, mentally and physically, until he sang like a canary. It was sick watching him at work, but Senya used to make them all sit and observe. Said they could probably learn a thing or two from him. It was horrible watching his smug satisfied smile as the person was strapped down howling in pain. They all knew he got off on it. Found it fascinating.
The fact that he agreed to go into the field was significant. It was personal. And Alexei knew why.
It was one of those days where Alexei’s uncle was feeling just a tad too cruel. He pushed them for nine hours straight, doing various drills. The targets were so bridled with shots, they’d need to rebuild all new ones.
Alexei didn’t mind. Training was distracting. It helped focus his mind. Do one drill after the other, one by one. It was systematic. Routine. Familiar.
But then Senya called all of them to the Hole – the pit in the middle of their home base where practically everything took place. Practice fights, interrogations, public punishments, meetings, anything.
There was a man, about thirtyish, tied to a pole dug into the ground. He looked like hell. His hair was a rat’s nest, and his clothes were a disheveled mess of rags. His face was caked with dirt and grime and tear stains.
It was honestly pathetic.
Senya stood at their head and addressed them.
“You all know me as a reasonable man. But I fucking hate spies. This man,” he kicked him in the ribs. “tried to sneak into our base two days ago. And I want to find out who hired him. Whoever gets me that information will be excused from work for the next three days.”
Almost everyone was raising their hands, wanting to get the break, promising that they’ll get that bastard talking. Alexei didn’t care. He definitely didn’t want three days with nothing to do but sit and simmer in his own thoughts. And, as Senya had noticed, he never had the stomach for torture.
Senya Ruskov didn’t like playing favorites. And just because Alexei was his nephew didn’t mean he would get off the hook with avoiding interrogation drills forever.
Eventually, Aaric was chosen – like he was most times – to interrogate the man. Just when Alexei was about to turn and go back to his training, Senya called out,
“Testova! You’re going to be helping him.”
Alexei knew there was no point in arguing. If his uncle told him he’d be the one to do it, there was absolutely no way he was getting out of it.
He walked back and dropped down into the Hole. Aaric was already there, surveying the tools he had at his disposal. Some of the others had gone back to their drills, but most were still there, hoping to watch what would happen.
It was no secret that Alexei shied away from this kind of work. It was also no secret that he and Aaric couldn’t stand each other. So, this was going to be one hell of a show.
Aaric looked to him with a smirk.
“Strap him down to the table.”
Alexei did as he was told, trying not to gag at the stench wafting off the guy. He also ignored his whimpering and pleas to be let go. Alexei knew there was no chance that man was getting out of this place alive.
; Aaric went to work, using a small delicate scalpel to crisscross his way over the man’s body. The man was screaming, letting out a wail after wail. Aaric hadn’t even begun asking any questions yet; he was just warming up.
The interrogation finally began. The man was more than cooperative. He gave them the name of every single person he knew working for his employer. Told them where the hideouts were, what information he’d managed to pass onto them about their operations, and what exactly they’d planned to do with that information.
Alexei was nauseated. Aaric had him holding clamps in place, stretching out the skin so he can have room to work, passing him equipment. He just wanted to leave. When it was clear that the man had nothing more to give them, Alexei was relieved.
At least it could all be over soon. Sure, the man had to die, but it had to be better than watching Aaric at work.
But it wasn’t over. Alexei stood frozen as Aaric asked him to bring him the small scalpel again.
“What are you doing?”
“Got something in your ears, Testova? I said, get the fucking scalpel.”
“He told us everything he knows. That’s it. We’re done.”
“I know he told us everything. But we’re done when I say we’re done.”
Alexei could feel Senya’s eyes on him. He knew his uncle wouldn’t interfere; he’d let them battle this out together.
He also knew that Aaric would probably have his fun with the guy until there was literally nothing left.
They stood, both men glaring at each other, holding another man’s life in both their hands. Alexei walked over to the table and picked up the small scalpel.
“There you go. That wasn’t so hard now, was it? Now, be a good boy and-”
Before he could finish the sentence, Alexei had slit the tortured man’s throat in one move. Everyone went wild. They were shouting and shoving. Alexei had spared the man who’d snuck onto their territory. He’d reduced the pain to be inflicted on him. What was more, he had denied Aaric his plaything. They could feel a fight brewing.
Love Affair with the Billionaire’s Brother Page 4
