Page 87 of Shadows of the Past
It’s true. I’ve always been nearby even if he never realized it. If he’d only checked the shadows, he might have seen me more times than I’d care to admit.
Maybe I always watched him because I wanted to see what life could have been if my heart had worked right from the start.
Luna practically vibrates in anticipation of seeing him, and I think about my twin rallying an army to reach her.
"Never thought I'd see him this soft for anyone. He's completely gone over you," I admit quietly.
It’s true. For years, I had Julia and she proved my heart could still feel. All this time, I wondered if Roman’s was just as broken, only in a different way. Maybe he couldn’t love the way most people did. But looking at Luna now, I know his heart beats for someone, too.
"Have you kept up with everything that's happened to him?"
I hear the genuine curiosity in her voice, and I feel a little surprised she even asks. He’s my brother. Even if he never knew I existed, even if we spent our lives on different continents, I always needed to know he was okay. Since the day I found out he was alive, I couldn’t stop myself from watching.
"Of course," I say, and she can probably hear the protectiveness I can’t hide. "I was hoping for an opportunity to catch you alone and ask for your help, but when I saw those cars running you off the road, Julia was already loading the machine gun."
She turns toward me, wanting me to keep going, and suddenly, I want her to understand why I’m telling her all this.
"Julia says that in my subconscious I chose you precisely because of the connection you have with him, and I suppose she's right."
"Why haven't you tried to contact him until now?"
Good question. I could have, at some point. But that would’ve dragged the whole family into a bloody war that would’ve left casualties on every side. Ivan would have had a new weapon to control me, and that’s something I never needed.
I catch her watching me, and with a crooked smile, I tease, "You’re staring."
She looks a little surprised by the smile on my face when she responds.
"I'm thinking about how identical you are yet so fundamentally different."
I’m not saying Roman’s life was easy, but compared to the horrors I saw in Russia, his soul came away cleaner than mine. Alexei Borisov wasn’t father of the year, but compared to Ivan, he deserves a damn trophy.
The sound of the gates rumbling open signals a car speeding up the drive. Luna nearly jumps with joy. When the SUV halts in front of us, Roman leaps out and sweeps her into his arms, checking her over like I might have left bruises, while Niko climbs out of the passenger side. I don’t know much about our little brother, but the shock on his face is almost funny. I’d swear he’s gone a shade paler in the last minute.
After the initial shock fades, the man who shared my world for the first nine months lifts his gaze and almost spits the words at me.
"Who the fuck are you?"
All right then. Not exactly a warm start. His tone is almost funny—almost—if I weren’t the supposed enemy here.
Luckily, Julia chooses that moment to throw open the door, cutting off my twin before he can try to rearrange my face.
"Let's go inside. It's cold and Luna's been standing out here for quite a while," she calls.
I watch Luna pull Roman by the hand, motioning for them to follow.At least she gets that we’re not the bad guys.
"I'll go prepare coffee for everyone, and, Roman, you might want to radio your boys before they decide this place needs redecorating with explosives," Julia says, disappearing into the kitchen.
She knows how much this moment means to me and wants to give me space to decide how to tell my story. But looking at them, the brothers I always wished I’d had beside me when I was hungry at the orphanage, when I was getting my latest bruising, or when I was forced to kill others as punishment, I feel something twist tight in my chest.
They’re the family I had to watch from the shadows, keeping them out of the hell that owned me for twenty-seven years.
Roman immediately relaxes with Luna at his side, so I finally gather the courage to speak up, the tension thick in the room.
"Well, I suppose it's my turn to talk," I begin, seeing my twin bristle at the sound of my voice.
"You’d better," he grumbles. "Niko, contact Anton and tell him to stay on standby. If he doesn't get a call from us in fifteen minutes, he can unleash the mother of all apocalypses in this forest." There’s a threat in his tone he doesn’t bother to hide.
I have to bite my tongue to keep from laughing becausehe actuallythinks he’d stand a real chance against us.
