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Authors: Jeanne Bannon
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him. Only his maker can,
and he has no idea where he is.”
“But I do,” Alexei said with a smile. “Will you help me,
brother? I really am sorry that it’s too late for you, but your heart will mend
in time. You’ll find another woman to love. You always do. Between the two of us,
we can overpower him. He’s not stronger than the both of us together. And
please, keep your voice down.”
“Why would his maker kill him? You’re not making sense.”
Alexei rolled his eyes. “Let’s just say he likes me.
Everyone does.”
Not everyone, Lev thought, then swung. His fist met
Alexei’s jawbone with a crack. “Bastard!”
Alexei put a hand to his jaw and rubbed. Shock was
written all over his face for a moment, then his demeanor changed, his eyes
narrowed, and he slunk into a crouch—hands raised, fangs at the ready. Alexei
was a blur as he plowed into his brother like a ram, sending him skittering
backward over a pile of books and magazines. Lev hit the floor but quickly
found his feet.
Another flash of movement caught Lev’s eye. Boris now
stood between them—arms spread out like a referee, a palm on each man’s chest.
“What the hell is going on?” His voice was a growl of discontent.
Lev shot daggers at his brother. Should he tell? Could he tell? If he did, it would mean the end of Alexei.
“Just a disagreement between brothers,” Alexei said,
giving his jaw another rub. He returned his brother’s gaze as if to send a
message to keep his mouth shut. “Perhaps we should go now.” Alexei took a step
toward the exit of the great room. “Lev and I will get back to you with our
decision.”
“No!” Boris bellowed. “This will be settled here and
now.” He bent to Alexei’s level, eyes narrowed. “Do you think me a fool?” His
purple lips spread into a grin. “I know where you live now. It was not
difficult to follow you home, you stupid creature.”
There was fear in Alexei’s eyes, and Lev almost felt sorry for him. Instead, he stepped away and allowed Boris center stage. It
felt as if he were watching a play, and he was eager to see what would happen
next.
The darkness in him surfaced. He let it take the reins
from the true Lev. He watched as Boris and Alexei began to circle each other.
Low growls percolated deep in their throats, fangs flashed, eyes narrowed.
Alexei was slighter and quicker, but Boris seemed made of brick and mortar—a
broad-shouldered, barrel-chested monster.
Alexei made the first move. Lashing out with an open
hand, he clawed a gash on the side of Boris’s leathery face. The big man
lunged, but Alexei sprung up quickly. His back was now against the ceiling
where he hovered in a corner and peered down with a smile.
Boris barreled toward a window but managed to swing over
a step to stop from crashing through the glass. He hit the wall with a thick
shoulder instead, leaving a cavernous dent in the plaster and sending a plume
of dust into his own face.
He shook it off like a dog after a bath then looked up,
but Alexei had already moved to the doorway and would have left, except Lev
made it there before him and stood solidly in his way.
“Brother?” Alexei’s voice was pleading and filled with
surprise.
There was no stopping what Lev had just set in motion.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lev’s nostrils filled with the scent of coppery blood as
he watched Boris rip Alexei apart as easily as a man pulling pork from a barbecued
rib.
What the hell had he just allowed to happen? He fought
the impulse to stop the carnage. True Lev struggled to wrestle the reins from
the darkest part of him. It wasn’t easy to witness his brother die, but he did
his best to steel himself, closing off what was left of his heart, reminding
himself this was his only way to be reunited with Carly. And there was the fact
that Alexei had lured him back to Boris’s house under false pretenses—all
self-serving. Killing Boris meant freedom for Alexei. It meant never having to
look over his
and he has no idea where he is.”
“But I do,” Alexei said with a smile. “Will you help me,
brother? I really am sorry that it’s too late for you, but your heart will mend
in time. You’ll find another woman to love. You always do. Between the two of us,
we can overpower him. He’s not stronger than the both of us together. And
please, keep your voice down.”
“Why would his maker kill him? You’re not making sense.”
Alexei rolled his eyes. “Let’s just say he likes me.
Everyone does.”
Not everyone, Lev thought, then swung. His fist met
Alexei’s jawbone with a crack. “Bastard!”
Alexei put a hand to his jaw and rubbed. Shock was
written all over his face for a moment, then his demeanor changed, his eyes
narrowed, and he slunk into a crouch—hands raised, fangs at the ready. Alexei
was a blur as he plowed into his brother like a ram, sending him skittering
backward over a pile of books and magazines. Lev hit the floor but quickly
found his feet.
Another flash of movement caught Lev’s eye. Boris now
stood between them—arms spread out like a referee, a palm on each man’s chest.
“What the hell is going on?” His voice was a growl of discontent.
Lev shot daggers at his brother. Should he tell? Could he tell? If he did, it would mean the end of Alexei.
“Just a disagreement between brothers,” Alexei said,
giving his jaw another rub. He returned his brother’s gaze as if to send a
message to keep his mouth shut. “Perhaps we should go now.” Alexei took a step
toward the exit of the great room. “Lev and I will get back to you with our
decision.”
“No!” Boris bellowed. “This will be settled here and
now.” He bent to Alexei’s level, eyes narrowed. “Do you think me a fool?” His
purple lips spread into a grin. “I know where you live now. It was not
difficult to follow you home, you stupid creature.”
There was fear in Alexei’s eyes, and Lev almost felt sorry for him. Instead, he stepped away and allowed Boris center stage. It
felt as if he were watching a play, and he was eager to see what would happen
next.
The darkness in him surfaced. He let it take the reins
from the true Lev. He watched as Boris and Alexei began to circle each other.
Low growls percolated deep in their throats, fangs flashed, eyes narrowed.
Alexei was slighter and quicker, but Boris seemed made of brick and mortar—a
broad-shouldered, barrel-chested monster.
Alexei made the first move. Lashing out with an open
hand, he clawed a gash on the side of Boris’s leathery face. The big man
lunged, but Alexei sprung up quickly. His back was now against the ceiling
where he hovered in a corner and peered down with a smile.
Boris barreled toward a window but managed to swing over
a step to stop from crashing through the glass. He hit the wall with a thick
shoulder instead, leaving a cavernous dent in the plaster and sending a plume
of dust into his own face.
He shook it off like a dog after a bath then looked up,
but Alexei had already moved to the doorway and would have left, except Lev
made it there before him and stood solidly in his way.
“Brother?” Alexei’s voice was pleading and filled with
surprise.
There was no stopping what Lev had just set in motion.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Lev’s nostrils filled with the scent of coppery blood as
he watched Boris rip Alexei apart as easily as a man pulling pork from a barbecued
rib.
What the hell had he just allowed to happen? He fought
the impulse to stop the carnage. True Lev struggled to wrestle the reins from
the darkest part of him. It wasn’t easy to witness his brother die, but he did
his best to steel himself, closing off what was left of his heart, reminding
himself this was his only way to be reunited with Carly. And there was the fact
that Alexei had lured him back to Boris’s house under false pretenses—all
self-serving. Killing Boris meant freedom for Alexei. It meant never having to
look over his
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