Page 78 of Porcelain Lies

Meanwhile, Maranzano needs to pay. For stealing from me. That’s all. Though, if he feels a shred of remorse for what he did to her while my men are beating the shit out of him, then that won’t be a bad thing.

It definitely won’t.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Stella

The key clatters against the lock as I open my apartment door, stepping into darkness that matches my churning thoughts.

The silence wraps around me like a shroud as I drop my keys on the entry table. My skin still tingles where Aleksei touched me, ghost sensations of his hands, his mouth, his…

I press my thighs together, trying to suppress the ache that lingers.

“Twice,” I whisper into the emptiness. “Twice, I’ve had sex with men to save my brother.”

The words taste bitter. I sink onto our worn couch, curling into myself.

Except with Gianni, it was hell. Or worse. And with Aleksei… it was different. It was…

“You loved it,”says Boyana, her voice teasing in my mind.

I press my face into a throw pillow, unable to deny it. The memory of Aleksei’s touch sends fresh shivers through me, so different from the revulsion that followed Gianni’s assault.

Hannah still isn’t back from her training camp. Her absence hits me harder tonight — no one to talk to, no one to help sort through this mess I’ve made of my life. The apartment feels bigger, colder without her infectious energy and ready advice.

I curl tighter into the couch cushions, wrapping my arms around myself. The ghost of Aleksei’s hands haunts my skin, while shame and desire wage war in my chest.

A key turns in the lock. I jerk upright, heart racing until Nick’s familiar silhouette appears in the doorway.

“You’re back.” He flips on the lamp, flooding the room with unwanted light.

I squint, trying to compose myself. My head is still reeling, making it hard to focus on Nick’s concerned expression. The guilt hits fresh — here I am, fantasizing about the very man who held my brother’s life in his hands hours ago.

“How did it go?” Nick perches on the coffee table, leaning forward. “Did you get the money to him?”

“It’s handled.” I keep my voice steady, fighting the memories that keep threatening to overwhelm me.

“Just like that?” Nick’s eyebrows shoot up. “The most dangerous man in LA’s underground just… took the money and let it go?”

I press my lips together, tasting Aleksei there. “It’s more complicated than that.”

“Complicated how?”

The worry in Nick’s voice cuts through my hormone-addled brain. Here I am, getting lost in dangerous attraction while my brother still needs protection. Still needs his big sister to think clearly.

But Aleksei’s dark eyes flash in my memory, the way he looked at me like I belonged to him. The possessive grip of his hands, so different from Gianni’s entitled pawing.

“Stels?” Nick waves his hand in front of my face. “You’re starting to freak me out. What happened?”

I take a deep breath, studying Nick’s hopeful face. He looks so young in this moment; the four-year age gap never seemed so wide before.

I can’t tell him.

The truth would crush him — knowing what I did with Gianni, what happened with Aleksei. The weight of protection settles heavily on my shoulders.

“The money’s been delivered.” I choose each word with careful precision. “Tarasov accepted it as payment for your debt.”

“Just like that?” Nick leans forward, eyes wide. “He didn’t… I mean, he’s not coming after me?”

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