Page 73 of Mountain Mens' Curvy Obsession

“The fact that he didn’t just kill you as soon as he saw you outside the coffee shop speaks volumes as well,” Chance says.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

Chance nods slowly, the shadow of a smile stretching across his lips. “Of course. It all makes sense now: what Max said to you before he tried to kill you, and Leo’s behavior from earlier. Yes.”

“Yes what?” I’m in their arms, but on the edge of my seat.

He runs his fingers through my hair. “Leo might need you alive to cement his hold over the Asimov enterprises. It tracks with the rumors we’ve been getting out of New York.”

Wait until Leo finds out I’m pregnant. And certainly not willing to marry him after everything he did.

It feels like my original nightmare has just warped into something else. At least I know I’m not alone. The Hayes brothers have a firm grip on my body and my soul.

But I’ve seen firsthand what the Sokolovs are capable of.

19

Booker

With all this information to process, I leave Anya in Chance’s and Nico’s care the next morning as I head out to handle some of our more pressing errands. The sheriff knows Leo Sokolov is in town, and I trust him to deal with him accordingly—within the law. I walk up the steps of Breonna’s cabin, take a deep breath, and look around before I knock on the front door. There’s not a soul in sight.

“Booker,” Breonna says as she opens the door.

I give her a polite smile. “Good morning, Breonna. Apologies for the impromptu visit. Can we talk?”

“Sure. Come on in, I was just about to make some more coffee. Would you like some?”

“That would be nice, thank you.”

I follow her inside and straight to the kitchen, temporarily distracted by the sound of her furry slippers slapping the hardwood floor. I’m not sure why, but everything about Breonna now irritates me.

“How is Anya? Is she feeling any better?” Breonna asks as she finishes setting up the coffee machine.

I take a seat at the counter island. “She’s good, thank you. You knew about the pregnancy, huh?” I ask, and Breonna gives me a terrified look, making me hold up a hand. “Relax, we’re not upset or anything. If anything, I appreciate your discretion. She asked you to keep her secret, and you did.”

“Thank you, I guess.”

“Anya is fine, and so is the baby. But I want to apologize for sending you away yesterday.”

“And in such a brusque manner, too,” she says and rolls her eyes at me.

In the meantime, the coffee machine gurgles furiously, pouring two shots of espresso into two ceramic mugs. I try to carefully analyze the woman before me. Her past behavior makes me suspicious. Not that she isn’t trustworthy, but her emotions tend to get the better of her. Breonna took it hard when Nico didn’t want a long-term thing with her. Spite and bitterness triggered unpleasant reactions and harsh words, and her initial behavior toward Anya wasn’t pleasant either. But she’s come a long way since, and she did help Anya keep Leo Sokolov at bay.

So I owe it to Anya to at least try to keep Breonna out of future trouble. “That guy you ran into yesterday,” I tell her, “he’s bad news, Breonna.”

“I figured as much when Anya started running,” she says as she brings the coffees over. “I didn’t know what else to do other than threaten him with the police.”

“You gave Anya time to get away from him, and I want to thank you for that. She’s a good woman, but still young and green on so many levels,” he says and chuckles dryly. “But she’ll see for herself soon enough.”

“What do you mean?”

Breonna shakes her head at me. “You three are delusional, if you think the so-called relationship of yours is ever going to work. I mean, I get it. It works great in the sack. You satisfy a fetish, you gain complete dominance over a woman, but a relationship, a real relationship… that takes work. You three—and don’t get me wrong—you’re great guys, but you’re not cut out for Anya. She needs stability, protection, love. You can’t have that in your type of situation, not really.”

“I beg to differ.”

“Differ all you want. It just doesn’t happen. We’re monogamous by nature, and you’re asking Anya to be the opposite so the three of you can satisfy a whim.”

I take offense at that. “I’m sorry, Breonna, but Anya isn’t a whim. She’s someone we care about deeply. Maybe that’s just your bitterness talking.”

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