Page 95 of The Dark Side

Alexei flicked his rebellious blue eyes up, replying,"Do you have something to say, brother?"

Adrik met Alexei's gaze, a warning that he didn't want to give."Your infatuation is obvious."

Alexei sneered."My infatuation? I am doing this for you. To take father's eyes off ofyou."

A servant came in and stopped their conversation. Adrik sat, unbuttoned his black coat, and waited for the servant to fill his mug before he sipped his steaming coffee.

Jolie questioned, "Is everything okay?"

"Fine," Adrik bit.

Alexei wasn't about to let it go so quickly. He waited till the servant left the room. "My brother is jealous because he has no sense of humor."

Adrik scoffed, rolling his eyes and shaking his head. But he found himself unable to reply because it was the annoying truth. He didn't know how to make Jolie laugh like Alexei did, which bothered him severely. He was good at everything, but the only thing Alexei excelled at was jokes. And killing people.

Alexei took a bite of a bagel, and said in Russian,"She is obsessed with you. Maybe because she hasn't seen your dick yet."

Adrik snorted, dropping his head, chuckling low.

Alexei smiled and winked at Jolie, assuring her their relationship remained intact.

"Aww, you guys are so cute," Jolie gushed. "Nothing is better than siblings that are best friends."

Alexei agreed, "He is my best friend. But he's also the bane of my existence."

When Yakov and Tatianna came through, the feeling of the table drifted to anxiety and annoyance. It was crazy how someone's presence could do so much. Katia rejoined a moment after, greeting them with intense happiness that Jolie found awkward. The conversation was mainly about the party, with a contemptuous talk about Agent Mally in their midst. At least Jolie wasn't the only one who didn't like that woman.

Adrik and Alexei stood up.

"Where are you two off to?" Their father sat back, interested.

"Puerto Rico."

"What for?" their mother asked.

"To check on merchandise."

"And you both must go?" Adrik leaned over and kissed his mother's cheek. She patted his face. "Be safe."

Katia got up, and Adrik straightened as she leaned in, kissing his cheek. He rested a hand on her hip, looking down at her. "You enjoyed last night?" he whispered heavily in seduction.

Jolie's eyes widened, her fork mindlessly touching the eggs. She could feel the dread pour into her like lava, suffocating her heart. The room went quiet, and she could only hear the pounding in her ears. Her body went stiff, hot, and unbearable.

'There's nothing between Katia and I.'Adrik had assured her, yet here it was. Undeniable, unerasable. The image would stay with her for the rest of her life. How he looked at Katia had been how he looked at her last night. He used the same tone that could make her knees shutter and liquefy her insides.

Tears were pushing against her eyes, and her breath was coming in panicked pants, but she remembered she was at the table. She swallowed, shutting a door in her brain, clamping a lid on the ticking timebomb.

Jolie put a spoonful of egg in her mouth. It was tasteless, but thankfully, her body automatically knew to chew.

Katia giggled and buried her face into his neck. "I don't want you to go."

"I'll be back soon. Perhaps"—Adrik touched her stomach—"you will have a surprise for me."

Jolie nearly gagged on her food.A baby? Were they trying to have a baby?

Katia held his hand, rolling her eyes playfully. "Too soon, darling." He kissed her temple, and they separated.

Adrik kissed his father's cheek. "We will text when we land."