Page 188 of Heir

He snuggled closer to me.

The light bouncing off the water of the Sacramento River reflected out to the window and into the dim room. He told me everything as soon as we got home. I was still in disbelief.

Jude was Aleksei.

Jude was alive.

Jude was William’s son, and the illegitimate heir of the Savkin Bratva.

He was also the one who’d set up the site my mom used to auction off my virginity, which his grandpa had won.

I wrinkled my nose in disgust at the thought.

I had only met Jude a handful of times, and every one of those times, there was something about him…

“Are you okay?” I asked.

He shrugged.

“How are you feeling?”

“Angry. Betrayed.”

“I understand. Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Just your being here helps.”

He turned his head and kissed the inside of my palm.

He covered my stomach with his hand.

“I won’t let him get to you,” he said.

I nodded. “I know. I’m protected by you. You won’t let anything happen to us.”

“Never.”

I smiled and slid closer to him. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

“Have you ever seen him?” Kai asked.

“Alek—Jude?”

He hummed.

“Yeah. I saw him around William’s office a few times. I didn’t like him.”

“Did he ever touch you?” Kai asked darkly.

I shook my head. “No, it’s… I think I was reacting to how William acted around him.”

“How did he act around him?”

“Like he was scared of Jude, and I didn’t know why. And I always got the creeps. I stayed away from him when possible.”

Kai nodded against me.

“What are you going to do?”

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