Crave (Beneath The Secrets #3)

32. Alexei

CHAPTER 32

ALEXEI

Three whole days I haven’t been in the same space as Lara. And my heart hurts. Watching her from a distance isn’t enough.

Watching her as she sleeps is not enough.

Maybe I need to hear her voice.

”Alexei?” Mikhail clears his throat next to me.

God, I am so distracted. “Sorry, what?”

I clench my fists as Nikolai claps me on the shoulder. I never usually want to swing for him, but everything is irritating me. Even Jax’s tongue piercing, I see why Niki gets cranky about it.

“You too busy looking after your birds?” Jax chuckles, tipping back his beer.

“You wouldn’t understand. It’s hard.”

It’s not really, but being without the woman who breathes life into me is.

“Lara called,” Mikhail says, raising a brow at me.

“Is…is she okay?” I know she is physically. I’ve been watching her.

“Why aren’t you there? I’ve never seen one without the other. Did you have a falling out?” Jax asks.

I shake my head. “No. We never argue. She’s worried someone is watching her house at night.”

She never tried to tell me. That hurts. Does she think I’m useless because I didn’t save her quickly enough?

I hold up my palm to stop the questions I know they’re going to ask. “There isn’t, though. I’m still protecting her. Don’t worry.”

Mikhail nods and Nikolai looks at me quizzically. If they knew how I really felt about their sister and what I wanted to do with her, they would not be okay with me being so close to her.

“I’ll go check in on her tonight.”

“Good. Ivan is unpredictable and until we find that fucker Kirill, she could be in danger,” Mikhail grumbles.

I know that. It’s all I think about.

I can’t wait to kill that asshole. So fucking painfully.

Dropping a handful of bills to cover my beer, I push out into the hot night and head to my bike. It takes me straight to Lara’s, where I wait out on the road until all her lights go out.

I miss laughing with her.

I miss the way she would pout at me pretending to be annoyed.

I miss the way she smells like vanilla.

I miss the way she made me feel all warm inside. Something I’ve never experienced in my life.

My parents never loved me or cared for me.

Lara does.

Maybe I can give her what she wants. I am a quick learner, especially for her.