The next night, Illyra paused as she got ready for the New Year’s Eve ball. She looked wanly out the tall curved window of their bedroom.The wintry Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea looked nothing like Hawaii’s warm turquoise waters. It was even worse than Alaska’s frigid sea. Even in the weak, short hours of daylight, the Russian waves were choppy and gray. But the sun had set long ago, and the world was dark. The black, icy water here could suck the life out of you within seconds if you were dumb enough to fall into it.Kind of like falling in love with a man who would neither love you back nor set you free.Illyra closed her eyes. Yesterday, the workaholic tyrant had been neither workaholic nor a tyrant, playing hooky from work to entertain her. Letting people keep their jobs in his merger. Tipping that saleswoman at the boutique. Getting rid of the men who’d threatened Illyra and her little sister. And more.I’ve never forgotten you, Aurora. She would never forget the stark vulne
He shrugged. “Perhaps she forgot something at your old apartment. You don't have to worry about her. She is old enough to take care of herself. You worry too much about her.”“Spending every penny she owns, just to go back for some old sweater or something?”Andrei pressed his lips together. Illyra saw him hesitate, then reluctantly say, “Apparently she was trying to get the police to take an interest in your case. But they laughed at her, both in Seattle and Honolulu.” He looked at Illyra sideways. “They thought our wager sounded like a lovers’ game between consenting adults.”“Right.” She had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach. “So where is she now?”He shook his head. “The trail went cold.”Lyra was missing? Illyra opened her mouth, then stopped. Telling him her fears would do no good. She feared it would only set off another tirade from him about how Lyra was a grown woman and that Illyra should allow her sister to face her own consequences.And for all she knew, he was righ
As Andrei finished zipping up the ball gown, he turned her to face him. Brushing tendrils of hair from her face, he looked down at her with electric blue eyes. “Are you ready? The ball is in a few minutes.”Looking up at his handsome face, Illyra tried not to feel anything. But her heart slammed against her ribs.His forehead furrowed. “Illyra ?”She turned away with a lump in her throat. “I, um, need some lipstick.” Going to the mirror, she made her lips bright Chanel red. Lifting the silk hem of her gown, she stepped into her expensive shoes with sparkling crystals decorating the four-inch heels, and took a deep breath. “Ready.”Downstairs in the foyer, Andrei took a sharply tailored black coat from the closet, wearing it over his tuxedo. Then he removed a black hanging bag from the closet. He unzipped it. In dismay, Illyra saw white fur.He noted her expression. “Don’t worry. It’s fake.”Dubiously, she reached out and stroked the soft white fur. “It seems real.”“Well.” His lips cu
Two days after Christmas, I stood on a deserted sidewalk and lifted my head to the top of the skyscraper across the street. I swallowed as my gaze caught his penthouse. I couldn't do it. Marry him? It was impossible, except I had to do it. "I'm not scared," I muttered to myself and tightened my grip on my tattered backpack. I had to marry the devil himself to save my sister. That was my last option. I had assumed it would never come to that. I always believed that the police would help me out and rescue my sister. Instead, they mocked me each time I shared my story. "Let me get this straight." the first policeman I met said. "Your older sister wagered herself in a poker game and lost to her ex-boyfriend?" I had cried and begged for help, but none was coming. One of the police officers had even threatened to arrest me for illegal gambling. Now, I was shivering in the cold in front of a massive penthouse. No one was coming to save Illyra. It was just me and my backup plan. I had
I braced myself before turning around. My heart was pounding in my chest, and my palms were perspiring. "You can do this," I whispered as I turned to him. Deep blue electric eyes cut straight to mine, and I felt my heart stop beating. Prince Viktor Andreevich's incredible looks still hit me like a fierce blow. He was even more impossibly handsome than I could remember. He was tall, around six foot three, with broad shoulders and a hard-muscled body. His face was perfectly chiseled, and his lips were alluring. His expensive suit, which spread across his chest, spoke of money while the ruthlessness in his eyes and ticking jaw screamed power. Despite my best efforts, I was still briefly thunderstruck. Usually, I had no problems talking to people. In fact, I had a problem with over sharing with people. But Viktor left me tongue-tied. No man this handsome and hot had ever paid me attention. Better, he was a prince and Mafia lord. Staring at his face, I almost forgot to breathe. "The la
No. He couldn't do that to me. How could he say no to me? "Please, you don't mean that," I said, moving closer to him."A few days ago, you rejected me." He shrugged. "No one says no to my proposals."Real fear rushed through my heart. I had spent my last money to come to him. Without him, I would lose my sister. She would be entangled in the reckless life of Andrei Andreevich. She would be his possession forever. A slave. Tears gathered in my eyes, and without thinking, I flew toward him and grabbed him by his arms. "Please, you said you would do anything for me to get the land back. That you made a dying promise to your mother." Although I was pleading for him to accept me, I couldn't help but wonder how much weightlifting he did. He looked at me, and I slowly let go of his arms. I had forgotten for a second that he was a mafia lord. He looked down at me like he cared, and I wished he did. But he was no lover boy. Viktor was a survivor, and that made him dangerous. He was not a
Viktor I didn't start the feud with my brother ten years ago. As a child, I idolized Andrei. I was proud of him, my loving family, and my home. Our great-grandfather was one of the last great princes of Russia before he died fighting for the white army in Siberia. But he sent his wife and son to safety in Alaskan exile. Since then, my generation has lived in self-sufficient poverty on an Alaskan homestead far from civilization. To me, it had been an enchanted winter kingdom, and I loved it. But Andrei despised the isolation and the wildlife. He hated the lack of electricity and indoor plumbing. As I played, running around with sticks and toys, he buried his nose into business books. He wanted to be rich and leave the homestead. "Someday, I'll have a better life." He told me one day. "I'll buy clothes instead of making them. I will buy a private jet and travel around the world. I would eat at fine restaurants and leave this life behind." I listened to him breathlessly. "Really, An
I had long despised Illyra Bennet, the con artist that caused a rift between me and Andrei years ago. The girl who made my brother weak and vulnerable. All this time, I had kept track of her, waiting for her to go back to her old ways, but she didn't. It came as a shock to me when I realized that she might have changed after all these years. I knew her failed engagement with Andrei had everything to do with it. I had sent several private investigators to watch when she would start gambling again, but she didn't. She had also blatantly refused to let Lyra marry me to get the land, and she could go to hell for that. When I realized none of my plans were working, I decided to try another way. Lyra herself. Until we had met at the restaurant a few days ago, all I knew about her were from a private investigator with a grainy photograph. Illyra had always made a great effort to keep her away from me. They moved to different cities once they suspected they were being watched. It was a s