Twilight Sins (Kulikov Bratva Book 1)

Kayla lifts her head from the giant pool floaty and looks at me over the top of her sunglasses. “If Yakov wants to kidnap me, too, tell him to go ahead.”

She has no idea how close that was to being a reality. I do not plan to inform her.

“Really? That’s all it takes to lure you into a trap? A pool with a view?”

“No. Not all.” She holds up a hand and begins ticking things off on her fingers. “It would take a pool with a view, full-time maid service, a personal chef, and being able to quit my job. For all of that, I’d give up my life in an instant.”

“I’m not sure Grant would approve.”

She waves a hand. “He’d be fine. Yakov has you for all of his sexual urges, anyway. I’ll just be here as decor. Someone to lounge in the pool and eat the snacks left out on the counter.”

“Hey!” I kick water at her. “That is not what I’m doing here. It’s more complicated than that.”

“Okay, but are you or are you not hopping into bed with that man every chance you get?” She holds up her hands. “I don’t even blame you. Now that I’ve seen him, I actually understand all of this so much better.”

I flop back on my floaty and squint into the bright blue sky.

Yakov and Kayla met for all of three minutes this morning. He nodded to her as she arrived and then dragged Mariya out the front door with him for a day of “nonstop, super fun, brother-sister bonding.” Those were Mariya’s words, not Yakov’s. And she said them with her trademark cutting sarcastic edge.

Kayla now knows that Yakov is ridiculously, unbelievably attractive, but she still has no clue that I’m here for so much more than his looks. It doesn’t even have anything to do with his money or the fact that I’ve had more orgasms in this mansion than I’ve had in the rest of my life combined.

I’m in love with him.

Still.

I thought being locked in that room might have broken me of the habit, but the gnawing ache in my chest is as strong as ever. I love Yakov Kulikov… and I have no earthly idea what he feels for me.

Kayla and I drip dry by the pool and then head inside. She melts when she sees fresh bruschetta and crunchy bread waiting for us on the counter.

“Movie snack!” she declares, swiping the entire serving tray and taking it with us into the living room.

“Since when is bruschetta a movie snack?”

“Since you got a fancy pants boyfriend whose personal chef makes bruschetta and who has every streaming service in existence.”

We pile onto the couch in the living room and make it halfway through Taken—Kayla’s choice, despite my protests that it’s more than a little bit on-the-nose—when the front door opens.

When the front door slams open and bounces off the wall, actually.

I sit up, my heart thundering. I’ve always felt safe in this house, but maybe Yakov was right. Maybe bringing Kayla here was a bad idea. Maybe someone followed her and now they’re here to kill us both.

Then Mariya storms past the living room.

“Don’t slam the door!” Yakov bellows—at the exact moment Mariya slams her bedroom door closed.

“Uh-oh,” Kayla whispers, sinking down into the couch. “Looks like that nonstop day of super-fun brother-sister bonding didn’t go so hot.”

A second later, Yakov slams his own office door.

I wince. “Guess not.”

Kayla and I finish the movie, but I don’t register anything that’s happening. All I can think about is going to Yakov. I want to know what happened, if he’s alright, if there’s anything I can do to help.

When Kayla is finally getting into the car, she squeezes me tight and then pushes me back towards the house. “Now, go check on your boyfriend.”

“He’s not my boyfriend.”

She rolls her eyes. “Whatever he is, I can tell you’re worried about him.”

“Things with his sister are a bit… tense. His mom sent her here without telling him. Now, Yakov is kind of playing Dad and taking care of her. I’m trying to help where I can, but there’s only so much I can do. I just want the two of them to get along. He’s trying to do what’s best for her, but Mariya can’t always see that.”

“Wow.” Kayla shakes her head, a wary smile on her face. “You are in deep, Loon. I’ve never seen you like this over a guy.”

I cross my arms as if I might be able to shield my feelings from my best friend, even though it’s obviously too late for that. Kayla has only been here a few hours and she sees right through me.

I give her another hug. “I’ll see you again soon.”

“Now that your boyfriend approves, I’ll be allowed to visit?” Kayla rolls her eyes. “I don’t know what he thought I was going to do, show up wearing a wire or something? I am not a narc. I’m cool.”

“I know that. Now, Yakov does, too.”

I close the car door and stand waving until the car pulls down the drive. Then I head inside and straight for Yakov’s office.

“Come in,” he booms before I can even knock.

I crack the door open. “You can see through walls now?”

“I heard footsteps. Since they weren’t angry stomps, I made the leap that it was you and not my sister.”

“Boring ol’ deduction. Not as fun as magic powers.”

He half-smirks. “I never said I didn’t have them; just that I didn’t need to use them.”

I close the door softly behind me. Part of me wants to leave it open as an escape route. Being in enclosed spaces with Yakov does weird things to my body. Even when he had me pinned against the counter this morning, shouting ridiculous accusations at me, I wanted him to touch me.

I blow out a ragged breath and face him. “So how did⁠—”

“Kayla is okay,” he grunts.

“What?”

“Kayla,” he drawls slowly, like maybe I forgot my best friend’s name. “She seems okay.”

“That’s a glowing review coming from you. Especially since you weren’t around all day. You barely spent any time with her.”

“Didn’t need to.” He closes his laptop and leans back in his chair. “I wouldn’t have left you alone if I wasn’t sure about her.”

Was it for your sake or for mine? Do you care what happens to me the same way I care about you?

I swallow down the questions. “Well, I’m glad you were able to leave… so you could spend time with Mariya.”

“That was a nice segue,” he snorts. “Very casual.”

“Fine, I’ll be direct.” I plop down in the chair across from his desk. “What in the hell happened with you and Mariya today? She was pissed when she came back.”

“I was pissed,” he says, his jaw clenched. “She was throwing a hissy fit because I won’t let her run around and get herself killed.”

“She tried to run away?”

Mariya running away seemed like an option when she first arrived, but I thought the threat had passed. Partially because Yakov had agreed to let her stay here. But also because she and I were friends. Or I thought we were, anyway.

“That’s what I thought at first when she told me she was going to the bathroom and didn’t come back for fifteen minutes. I went to look for her and the bathroom was empty. She wasn’t anywhere. Neither was our waiter.” Yakov’s lip curls. “Then I overheard two cooks talking about some waiter named Trey and ‘the fine piece of ass’ he was hooking up with in the alley.”

I drop my face into my hands. “She didn’t.”

“She didn’t. But she would have,” he growls. “I found them in time. The skinny fucker had his hand up her shirt when I dragged him off.”

“What did you do to him?”

“He’s still alive, if that’s what you’re asking.” He’s still scowling, but amusement flashes in his eyes. “But his continued ownership of his dick is dependent on it never being within fifty feet of my sister again.”

I chuckle. “Good for you.”

“Mariya didn’t think so.”

“Of course she didn’t. She is probably mad you cramped her style and embarrassed her in front of a boy she liked. One day, she’ll realize that guy was a creep and thank you. Trust me.”

“Maybe, but that day sure as fuck won’t be today. Or any day soon.” He sits forward, his elbows resting on his desk. “Mariya has no fucking idea the danger she’s in.”

I chew on my lower lip. “Have you told her? I mean, it’s hard to be afraid of a threat you don’t understand.”

His eyes snap to mine and I have to force myself to meet his gaze.

“I know you’re trying to look out for me by keeping me in the dark about things,” I continue, “but that doesn’t mean it’s easy to stay in line. Humans are curious. We can’t help it.”

“She can help it. Mariya was born in this world. She knows the risks. When I give her a command, she should follow it. No questions asked.” He drums his fingers on the desk. “I need to be harder on her.”

“Good luck with that,” I mutter. Yakov glares at me and I hold up my hands in surrender. “Look, maybe it wasn’t the same for you since you’re some super special breed of human, but most human teenagers defy authority. Usually in the most annoying way possible. When you tell them to ‘jump,’ they ask, ‘Why?’ and ‘Can I do it later? I’m tired right now.’ Mariya isn’t going to obey you just because she should. If she obeys, it’s going to be because she trusts and loves you.”

“Trust and love. The two easiest things to earn and control.”

I sigh. “It might be hard, but there are things you can do. I know you’re busy with everything going on, but you could try spending more time with her.”

“Because it went so well today?”

“It will take effort,” I tell him. “The two of you have been apart for a long time. It’s going to be weird at first, but Mariya wants to know you. I can tell. She is just afraid of being hurt again. But the only way to get to know people and build trust is to spend time with them… do things together… talk.”

He stares at me long enough that my skin starts to heat. “Funny. That’s what Mariya said about you and me.”

I frown. “What?”

“The main topic of conversation today was Mariya trying to convince me to let you get out of the house and get some air. Any thoughts on who might have given her that idea?”

“I never said anything like that to her,” I insist. “I swear. I’ve never complained to her about anything. She was the one who gave me her phone to call Kayla. All I did was mention it had been a week since I’d spoken to her. Mariya came up with the idea on her own.”

He drags a hand through his hair. “I’m not surprised. My sister has always been determined. When she gets something in her head, she doesn’t stop pushing until she gets her way. And right now, making sure you’re being treated right is her goal.”

I duck my head. “I’ll talk to her. I’ll make sure she knows I’m content here and⁠—”

“You and I are going on a date. Tonight.”

I snap my mouth closed and look at him.

“Somewhere ‘intimate,’” he says with a faint trace of sarcasm. “I can bring extra security with us, but only an idiot would try anything while I’m with you. They all know they won’t survive the attempt.”

Yakov and I have done a lot more than date. I sleep in his bed every night. We share body wash. But for some reason, this feels like a big deal.

It isn’t. He’s only doing this because his sister wants him to. It’s for her. Not you.

I can’t convince my pounding heart of that though. I swallow down my nerves. “Can’t wait.”