Uh oh.

What was happening here?

Cora shrugged. “Okay, so maybe I heard about the gypsy and wanted to see her for myself.” She glanced at me and her lips pursed in thought. “She’s cute.”

I didn’t see Vik approach, but I most definitely heard him when he growled, “You out of your fucking mind, Corinna? What don’t you understand about ‘stay the fuck away from us’? Do you know what Lev will do if he finds out you’ve even looked at Mina?”

She crossed her arms over her chest and smirked, looking full of herself. “What? It’s not like I haven’t been playing nicely.” Cora…or Corinna…or whoever the frick she was, spoke directly to me and quietly. “No hard feelings, whatever happens.” She lifted a swimsuit off the rack and handed it to me. “Try this one.” She smiled kindly. “It’ll look good on you.”

Then she walked away and out of the store.

Still watching the spot she’d exited from, I asked, “Who was that?”

Vik muttered, “Corinna Alkaev.”

“Yeah,” I started. “I don’t know who that is, guys.”

“Irina’s sister,” Nas stated then added reluctantly, “Cora was my best friend.”

Oh my.

Drama, drama everywhere.

Our shopping trip came to an unexpected end and I bought the swimsuit Cora had chosen for me. We went home, and I was told not to leave the house until Lev got there. That was okay with me. I wasn’t planning on leaving.

It was time I found out exactly who the Alkaev family was.

While waiting for Lev to come home, I sat in the living area and watched a rerun of Oprah. The episode was about women who preyed on men that were already in relationships. It made my lip curl in disgust. How women could do that was beyond me. I mean, I understood that it took two to tango, but actively tempting a man, knowing he was with someone…yeah. No.

It seemed like fate had forced me to watch that episode, because when I heard the front door open and I rushed out into the foyer to greet my handsome man, I was accosted by another sight.

Anika walked in beside Lev, her elbow laced through his and her other hand resting on his chest, leaning her head on his shoulder.

Anika looked like she was in heaven.

Lev looked indifferent, as always.

Curse words sat on the edge of my tongue, flipping her the bird, but when Lev turned to face me and his eyes smiled in that way that made me near-swoon, my heart reminded me that Lev was mine. Fortunately enough, my mind agreed.

I smiled up at him. “Hey, you. I was wondering when you’d get home.” I glanced over at Anika, my brow raised. “I didn’t realize you had plans.”

He stepped toward me, forcing Anika to dislodge herself from him. When the tips of his toes touched mine, he enveloped me in a warm, secure embrace, reaching up to stroke my hair. “I didn’t have plans.” He kissed my temple and my skin burned from the contact. “Anika locked herself out of her apartment. She called me to pick her up. Nas has a spare key and she’s on her way.”

“Oh,” I muttered, staring at the actress over Lev’s shoulder. “Isn’t that just…” Convenient. “…the luck.”

Nas opened the front door and let herself in with a singsonged, “Knock, knock.” She gave Anika a smile. “That’s twice this month, Ani. Lucky for you I was home this time.”

Anika looked slightly crestfallen. “Yeah. Lucky.” She was digging herself into a hole. “I thought you guys were at the mall.”

It sounded like an accusation, and luckily for me, I wasn’t the only one who picked up on it.

Nas’s eyes narrowed at her friend. “We were. Something happened. We came home.” Her tone implied that she did not like explaining herself, especially not to her friend.

Lev pulled back to look down at me. “What happened?” At my light shrug, he looked to Nas, eyes flashing. “What happened?”

Nas leaned against the wall, crossing her legs. “Corinna wanted to meet Mina.”

“What?” he hissed, his arms tightening around me to the point of pain, then he did something stupid. He aimed his anger at the situation on Nas. “Where were you?”

That didn’t sound like an accusation. That was an accusation, plain and simple.

The air in the room grew thick around us.

“Hey,” I soothed, placing a hand on his chest.

Nas straightened, looking furious, then spoke on a hush. “I know you’re upset because I am too, so I’m gonna let the way you spoke to me just now fly. But do it again, Lev, and see what happens.” She spoke through gritted teeth. “You’re not the only one who cares about Mina.”

I was surprised at what happened next.

Lev released me and went to his sister. He stood in front of her and, seeming lost, awaited her next move. When she looked up into his eyes, her anger faded as quickly as it came. She put her hand on his arm and spoke quietly, not a reprimand, but a reminder. “Watch your temper, moj brat.”

He nodded, looking relieved that she was no longer upset at him, and pulled her in for a quick one-armed hug. Lev truly loved his sister. She was the one person he sincerely wanted on his side. I didn’t blame him. Nas was a good person to have on your side.

He dipped his head and spoke directly into her ear. I didn’t hear what he said, but at her response of “It’s okay,” I guessed he had apologized.

Anika decided then was the best time to speak. “Well, I’d better be going now.” She looked to Lev, eyes wide. “Can you take me home?”

Lev looked from Anika to me, deciding where his priorities lay, and I liked that he didn’t give her a straight yes. But Nas, she was on to Anika. “Vik is showering at my place. He can take you home.”

But Anika looked down at her watch to hide the pink stain of her cheeks. “Oh, well, I really have things to do. I’d like to head back now. Lev?”

Nas wasn’t having it. Her tone quiet but firm, she told her, “You can wait.” Then Nas leaned in and uttered, “Ani, you’re my friend and I love you, but I know what you’re doing and I don’t like it.” She paused a moment then warned, “Stop. You’re going to get hurt.”

Anika’s face flushed the brightest of red. Her lips thin, she glared at Nas and spoke through gritted teeth, “Guess I’ll go wait at yours then.”

Without waiting for a response, she dashed out the door and made her way to Nastasia’s house.

I huffed out a long breath. “Okay, so it wasn’t just me then, right?”

Nas sighed, running a hand down her face. “No. Definitely not just you.”

Lev, clueless as ever, asked, “What are you two talking about?”

Nas scoffed out loud as I rolled my eyes. I stated calmly, “Anika is in love with you, sweetie.”

“No, she isn’t,” he immediately denied my claim.

Nas nodded. “Yes, she is, Lev. Always has been.”

His brow bunched in confusion. “What?” Then he shook his head. “No. We’re friends. Just friends.”

I wasn’t ready for what Nas would say next. She sounded pissed. “Oh yeah? Then why’d you take her virginity?”

My breath left me in a sudden exhale. “Excuse me? You slept with Anika?” My head spun with this new information.

“Yes,” Lev replied calmly then turned a glare on his sister. “I didn’t know she was a virgin.”

Nas stalked over to him, lifting her hand and poking him in the chest with her finger. “Don’t play dumb. She saved herself for you. Planned your whole fucking lives together up until the time where you’d grow old together and have matching side-by-side tombstones. Then you fucked her and gave her nothing. She’s been mooning over you since.” She glowered up into his face. “You fucked up. You fix it. I am so done with this shit.”

Lev’s face lost all expression. He blinked, dumbfounded. “She loves me?”

I was worried by the way he said it, like he couldn’t believe that Anika could feel something for him. My heart began to race. It hurt to acknowledge the facts. Overall, she was the better option. She was Russian. She was prettier than me. Her family had been a part of Chaos. She had already told me that she could be there for him in a way that I couldn’t and she was probably right.