Page 75 of Beneath the Light of the Moon
And, in turn, disappointing her family.
WAKING WITH A start, her heart thudded against her ribcage with enough fervor that it was a miracle she hadn’t jolted awake sooner. But now that her eyelids had cracked open, sleep evaded her; the warm embrace of her bed was suddenly too hot and stuffy. The blankets wrapped around her legs as sweat collected on her skin and made the feel of her satin sheets unbearable. The city lights still felt too bright even though they were dimmed from the foliage surrounding her house. And her thoughts were too loud.
In reality, she should be calm, settling into her schemes. Everything was falling into place, her diligence of collecting information on Mikko Romanov to use it against him later was coming together. Anika had her house, health, and job—a piece of stability soothing her mind when she felt she was losing everything to avenge her family. At least at the end of the day, she could still support her mom if needed.
The only wild card was Levi.
After he’d left the night before, she’d promptly thrown her clothes in the washer, scrubbed her skin raw under the scalding stream of water in her shower, and brushed her teeth more times than she could count. Even after all that, she still didn’t feel entirely clean. It hadn’tgone farther than making out on her couch, but it still tainted her body and her house.
His borderline harassment that he cloaked in faux chivalrous gestures had ramped up after their dinner date. While that might work on some people, Anika saw through Levi’s bullshit immediately. While he fueled her ego, Anika wasn’t dull; despite their differences, Mikko and Levi worked closely together, Romanov Real Estate bringing together the worst of the worst, apparently. In reality, all of this was for Mikko.
Then there were Levi’s ways of showing up when she least expected it, or when she hadn’t given him any clues as to where she would be making her skin prickle with unease. He was Mikko’s little puppet, going where he commanded, but Anika wished Mr. Romanov would grow some balls and come to her himself.
Things would be much more fun.
It was all a necessary evil, a way to kill two birds with one stone. Draw Levi in and see what useful information he would divulge about Romanov Real Estate, and in turn its CEO. Mikko had resources to watch her, stalk her, and blackmail her. He’d already begun, exacting tasks he thought she wouldn’t notice, but he was daft if he believed he could win that battle. The unknown number texting her was him, the miscellaneous beauty items he’d snatched up, and the missing scarf from her coat rack near the entry door was courtesy of him as well.
Now if only he could get close enough for her to tear apart…
Turning over and kicking off her blankets, Anika’s mind wandered even more. Her previous knowledge of Mikko gave her reassurance. While Levi was still a mystery to her, Mikko wasnot.As much as he pretended to be stoic and unreadable, she’d seen the tumultuous waves of emotions in his eyes atBubblegum.
And their multiple interactions after that.
She’d done enough research to write a paper about him.
Not that I’d tell anyone…
Mikko was a rich, real estate developer; eligible bachelor but allegedly refused to date; lover of nice cars and motorcycles; scarce number of friends; and a recluse despite him being his father’s successor.
But at night, well, that was when therealMikko emerged. On the surface, he shed the corporate clothing in favor of his motorcycle gear—something he thought protected him both physically and mentally. The night he’d shown up outside her gym resurfaced, a small smile gracing her lips. He thought he was so slick, so intimidating, but Anika only felt contempt toward him.
Let him come close, let him think he has a chance.
But beyond that, the real estate facade faded away, replaced by organized crime—a detail Anika had stumbled across years ago when she’d let her curiosity and repressed hatred loose. It was another piece to her puzzle; this city was one Alek Romanov had cultivated.
The same one that took her dad and injured her mom.
Sweat slicked hands clenched the satin pillow next to her, her anger spiking.
You’re not that little girl anymore,she internally coached,you’ve got knowledge and weapons at your disposal now.
Those words did little to calm her racing heart.
Glancing at the clock, Anika determined five in the morning was the perfect time to get up and head to the gun range.
If I can’t pull the trigger in my dreams, I better keep practicing.
* * *
BANG! CLANK.
Bang! Clink.
The firearm recoiled against Anika’s palms as she stood with her feet firmly planted. Its force was a welcomed reminder that she was in control—that she could do what she needed to when the time came.
Right? Right.
Besides, she’d done months of research, learning the parts of a gun, how to clean and disassemble it, looked into gun safety classes, and now regularly came to the range to fine tune her aim.
