Page 35 of Property of Chux

Likehewas nothing.

And that terrifies me.

I don’t even realize I’m shaking until I glance down at my hands. My fingers tremble slightly, my pulse still a rapid thrum beneath my skin. I swallow hard, trying to steady my breathing, trying to process what the hell just happened.

I knew Chux was dangerous. I knew he had this edge to him, this reckless confidence that made him walk into fire without hesitation. But seeing it likethis? Watching him hold a gun to Konstantin’s head and dare an entire room of men to take him out?

It’s different.

It’s real.

And it’s terrifying.

I take a small step back, instinctively creating space between us. Chux notices. His sharp eyes flick to mine, and something shifts in his expression—something almost unreadable.

“Alaina.” His voice is softer now, like he knows exactly what’s going through my head. He reaches out giving my hand a squeeze. “Get your answers, sweetheart.”

I shake my head, unable to form words. My gaze darts between Chux and my grandfather, who’s rubbing the underside of his chin where Chux had pressed the gun. He looks irritated, not shaken. Like this is just another night in his world.

Another night intheirworld.

I’m drowning in it.

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” Konstantin’s voice drags my attention back to him. His eyes are sharp, his smirk cold. “The truth?”

I force my breath to steady. “I didn’t want this.” My voice shakes despite my effort to sound strong. “I didn’t want threats and guns being pulled?—”

“This is how things are handled here,” Chux cuts in, his tone steady. “This is what it means to be in this world, Alaina. There’sno asking nicely. There’s no waiting around for answers. There’s power. And there’s force. There is fear and there is fury.”

I blink, the weight of his words pressing down on me.

I knew my grandfather wasn’t a good man. I wasn’t blind to the things he was involved in—I’d ignored the warning signs for years, tucked away my suspicions, told myself that whatever he did behind closed doors had nothing to do with me.

But it does.

It always has.

And Chux… he’s not just a part of it. He thrives in it. Gets off on it. The reckless smirk, the way he laughed in the face of death—he belongs here.

And I don’t.

My stomach twists. “I don’t know if I can do this,” I whisper.

Chux watches me, his expression unreadable. But Konstantin? He chuckles under his breath, shaking his head like he expected this.

“Then you should’ve walked away when you had the chance.”

My head snaps toward him, anger bubbling beneath the fear. “Youdragged me into this.”

His expression hardens. “No, sweetheart. I tried to keep you out. But you had to come digging, had to chase answers you weren’t ready to hear.” His gaze flickers to Chux. “And you had to catch his eye.”

Chux doesn’t move, doesn’t react to the jab. He just keeps his attention locked on me.

And that’s almost worse.

Because the man I trusted, the man who made me feel safe despite all the chaos, just showed me exactly what he’s capable of.

And I don’t know how to feel about it.

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