Ashton

The house was painfully quiet now that Nikolai was gone. His things were still there, half-packed, as if he wasn’t sure whether to return or disappear for good. And truthfully, I wasn’t sure which one I wanted.

I hadn’t seen Alyona since the day we told her father the truth about Melissa. I knew she was safe now, but safety didn’t erase the hurt. It didn’t erase the look in her eyes when she left without saying goodbye.

I missed her. God, I missed her like air.

So when I ...