Page 98 of Silent Heart

I was going to kill him. He put Harley in danger, and not just by letting her in here with me. Launching off the bed, I stalked forward.

“And he’s back, ladies and gents!” Luka mimicked a loudspeaker at a fight. “Our fearless Master Chief has awakened from his cryo sleep and is ready to fight the Covenant—”

I swung at him.

Luka dodged, grinning at the contest I proposed.

The way he moved, the door slipped from his grip and nearly closed. Harley darted to catch it with a yelp.

But I was already on my brother, ready to pound him into submission. He’d been asking for another ass whooping, the cheeky brat. And not just from tonight.

No, this one had been building up ever since he went and fell in love a year ago.

The problem with fighting Luka was that he played dirty. A sprightly fucker, he used his smaller size to dance around us larger opponents. In and out he wove, dodging and baiting me.

“Come on, chica!” he howled. “Let it all out, there’s a good girl.”

I charged.

The door clapped closed and a heartbeat later, Harley skidded to a stop in front of me. “Kolya!”

I barreled into her, the momentum sweeping her into my arms. I cradled the back of her head, rolling at the last second to take the brunt of the fall. The crash echoed through the hall.

“Shit!” Luka wheezed. “You okay, bro?”

“Shut up,” I growled.

Harley let out a shaky laugh. “Nice catch, gargoyle.”

“Are you mad at me?” I couldn’t stand it any longer. The words tumbled out of me before I could stop them.

Her soft, but firm palms slid over my chest. Heat shot straight to my groin. The urge to crush her to me was so strong that had my brother not been here, nothing else could have stopped it.

“You owe me a huge explanation, but first, I need my damn coffee, and you know it.” Harley pushed off my chest.

“Let me call Dimi to get us out of here,” Luka quipped.

Chapter 39 – Harley

It might be six in the morning, but the kitchen of this castle was bustling with activity. Kolya had ducked into another room on our descent and emerged with wallet, phone, and keys. I could have sworn there was something tucked in the waist of his jeans, but the flannel he pulled over his shoulders hid the metal objects.

What kind of people walk around their house with guns?

Not the normal, tax paying family, that was for damn sure. One look at the bustling kitchen, and I knew this was a homogenous mix. Three different languages were being shouted amongst the women with only an occasional mix of English smattered in there.

“Madre, I’m not going to stay for breakfast,” Kolya murmured, ghosting to the beautiful middle-aged woman who looked fresh and rosy despite the chaos.

The matron looked between Kolya and me, then back to him.

“I need to speak with her…alone.” Kolya squeezed the woman’s hand, bringing it to his lips for a kiss on the palm.

“Bring her back!” the woman insisted, reaching up to pat his cheek. “I want to meet her.”

“No, it’s best they go,” Luka smirked, falling into a chair. “See if you can calm him down, Harley. The way he came at me!Ssshhwwwooooww! He was like a bull, and I was the matador!”

The oldest of the women slapped her wrinkled palm against the countertop. A thick string of harsh words launched at Luka, who only seemed to beam even brighter. I stared between them, trying and failing to grasp the exchange. The woman’s accent was too heavy, too thick.

But before I could decipher the meaning, Kolya swept me out the back door. The kitchen led to a backyard and a rambling garden that was falling into hibernation. It sprawled across the whole area, vines climbing up the house. Kolya slowed to let me look as we moved toward a far structure. Multiple garage doors were closed, but without hesitating, Kolya went to one and pressed a keypad to open it.

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