Crave (Beneath The Secrets #3)

30. Alexei

CHAPTER 30

ALEXEI

I haven’t heard back from Lara. She told me her and Mikhail are looking for my baby, Sheila. Why would she want to leave me?

I twist the throttle and weave between the traffic, I have to get home quicker.

That doesn’t stop me pulling a few wheelies, the adrenaline takes my mind off it all.

I could lose Sheila and Lara. Both my girls.

My life would end.

By the time I get home, I don’t see Mikhail’s bike here, only Lara’s BMW. With my helmet in one hand, I run towards the door.

“Did you find her?”

Lara stands there biting her nails, her eyes wide.

I take a slow step towards her, damn she’s so gorgeous. Those lips. And that tight white dress she has on.

“Ummm,”

I raise a brow as I hear a kind of familiar sound, that same honking Sheila does. But it’s different.

I look past Lara at that thing in my house.

Not my Sheila. I know just from glancing. The feathers aren’t the same pink, nor as glossy. I stop right in front of Lara, inhaling that sweet scent of hers.

Distracting.

Looking up at me, she sucks in a breath. I know I am looking directly at her pout.

“Who the fuck is that in my house?” I whisper. “That. Is. Not. My. Shelia.”

“I, err.” Her voice trails off.

She can’t lie to me, same as I can’t to her.

“I’m sorry. Mikhail’s gone back out to look.”

I shake my head and step back, creating the space before I grab her and take her upstairs.

“Why? Why would she do this?” I toss my hands in the air and stomp over to the kitchen, grabbing one of my Gobstoppers from the cupboard.

Leaning back on the counter, Lara watches me warily as I stare at this imposter bird in my dining room.

“The hell do I do with this? I can’t look after two of the damn things,” I mutter to myself.

“I guess, I can help, it kinda is my fault.” She shrugs, sliding her hands into the pockets of her dress.

“No.” I push myself upright, making my way over to this new bird, walking around it cautiously. I know Sheila tried to bite me a few times at the start.

“Nope. This one’s gotta go.”

Striding over to the front door, I open it wide. Lara runs after me, grabbing me by the wrist. That tingly thing happens again and my dick twitches.

“What are you doing, pchelka?”

“You can’t just throw the poor thing out? What if Sheila comes home, I bet she would love a best friend. I know I love mine.”

That almost knocks the air out of my lungs. What kind of love does she mean? Friend love? Real love like Jax and Sofia?

I’d die for her, I’m obsessed with her, is that love?

I step forward and she takes one back and I slam the door closed. She doesn’t flinch until her back is against the wall. There's a thud as I put my hand over her head and the other in my back pocket to stop myself from touching her.

Everything about her, even the way she is staring into my eyes, is making me want her more, in really filthy ways.

“I’m so mad at you right now,” I tease.

“I’m mad at you too.” She bites her lip and I have to hold in a groan.

“Is that right…”

I lean in, running my nose along her cheek and I hear her sharp intake of breath.

“Tell me for what reason you could possibly be mad at me, when you lost my flamingo?”

“Because you’ve been avoiding me, Alexei. Because you seem to be more interested in the whereabouts of a damn bird than speaking to me.”

She crosses her arms over her chest and I pull back.

Her cheeks are burning red.

She’s flustered and probably angry. It hurts. Running my hands over my jaw, I sigh.

This is a mess.

“Just go. I’ll stay and keep an eye on this one. Maybe keeping your distance is for the best.”

The pain in her voice tells me that’s a lie.

For some reason, I just nod, bow my head, and leave. Her words replay in my head. I need to find Sheila, then I can calm down and work out what to do.