“Like how much you’ve spoiled her since she was young and how you were one of the first to learn sign language for her. Not to mention that she loves spending time in your house because she feels loved and safe.”
Don’t get me wrong. Mia never really told me these things and I haven’t been able to ask her or get alone time with her when Kyle has been acting like my designated warden. But I witnessed her talking to Maya and Rai earlier this morning and saw how excited she was to visit her grandpa’s house again. Since I’m a mastermind at linking patterns, I managed to create the image of everything I said just now.
My effort is greeted with a smile from Mikhail. “I see. I always knew Mia was smart and would know how to choose properly.”
“Naturally, Sir. She had a brilliant upbringing, and from what I see, a fantastic family support system as well.”
“Don’t call me ‘Sir.’ It’s too impersonal for my Mia’s boyfriend.”
“Of course… Grandpa?”
“Much better.”
Mia gives me two thumbs up as her grandfather guides me to the extravagant living room that’s decorated with animal heads and gruesome renaissance paintings.
This ‘Grandpa’ has no qualms about appearing entirely unwelcoming. In fact, I suspect he does it on purpose to blow fear into his enemies’ veins. But then again, I wouldn’t expect anything less from a man who probably spent his whole life in the Russian mafia and survived to reach an old age.
Maya and Rai walk alongside me and Mikhail, but Kyle wraps his arm around Mia’s shoulder and glares at me.
I meet it with a smile.
What? I’m working hard for his approval, and I doubt that would be achievable by being a dick.
And while I have no fucks to give about other people’s opinion of me, Kyle matters because he happens to be the man who contributed in the making of my little muse.
I’ll dance to his tune until he realizes that he can’t get rid of me. His father definitely likes me and he should follow his lead. Not going to lie. It’s irritating to be seen as a threat by him when I’ve been so dutifully stopping myself from planning to break Nikolai’s arms and chopping off his legs for his stunt a couple of days ago.
He had the audacity to not only try to keep Mia away from me, but to also try to break my genius hands. But then again, just because I can’t and won’t hurt him physically—which he should thank his sister for—doesn’t mean I won’t destroy him emotionally.
Nikolai made the mistake of messing with what’s mine, not once but twice, and I don’t react well to being threatened, now, do I?
He better sleep with one eye open going forward.
But that’s a thought for another day. Right now, I’m more concerned with making a good impression on Mia’s aunts and uncles, who are being introduced to me by Mikhail.
I compliment one aunt on her scarf and another on her massive ring that could accidentally blind someone. I also talk American football and hockey with the three uncles, which they respond to with enthusiasm. I had some help from Mia in this regard. I texted her to ask about her family’s interests and she sent me a whole list of what each of them enjoys.
Currently, as she watches me capturing their attention like the god I am, her mouth is agape. She must be wondering how I’ve managed to remember all of this, but I’m a bit wounded. I thought she would know by now about my superior genes, but anyway, Operation Charming Mia’s Family is a staggering success. By the time we sit down for lunch, I seem to be the center of attention.
Mikhail even says that Nikolai was being overprotective and could’ve taken it too far by ruining my handsome features.
Don’t worry, Grandpa. He’ll pay for it in due time.
After lunch, we go to sit in the garden, and I notice something in their family dynamic. Everyone here—and I mean everyone—looks up to Kyle and Rai. They keep cornering them together and separately for a brief conversation, and I can tell Kyle is so done with his family’s shit.
Rai, however, is more diplomatic. She listens carefully and nods along.
That’s probably why she’s more receptive to me than her closed-minded husband.
I meet his eyes across the room, and he narrows them as he tightens his hold on Mia’s shoulder. I smile again.
Just wait, old man. I managed to win over your difficult daughter and it’s only a matter of time before it’s your turn.
Since Mia is unfortunately out of reach, I slide up next to Maya, who’s sitting on a chaise lounge and obsessively checking her phone.
“Waiting for an important text?” I whisper close to her ear from behind the chair.
She startles, and in her surprise, the phone falls to the grass beside her. She grabs it hastily and glues it to her chest. “What the hell do you want?”
“I was asking an innocent question.” I cock my head to the side. “But judging by your highly suspicious reaction, I have reason to be curious. What are you hiding, Maya?”
“None of your business.”
“I’m afraid it is.”
“Don’t push your luck just because Mia chose to like you.”
“Jealous?”
“Fuck you.”
“As I previously mentioned, I’m interested in your sister, not you.”
Her lips lift in a snarl as she jerks up and storms away, still holding the phone in a death grip.
As I watch her leave, Rai walks toward me. I straighten and stop glaring at her daughter.
I lift my hands in the air. “I was only asking what she was doing. I swear I had nothing to do with her sour mood, even if it seems like it.”
“I believe you.” She smiles and shakes her head. “Maya has always been Mia’s closest and best friend, so she feels a bit threatened that Mia has someone of her own now. You understand that since you also have a twin, right?”
I nod. The day Bran finds someone, though it’s very unlikely, I’m not sure what sort of beast I’ll turn into. I’d like to think that I’ve changed some of my mindset, but my brother has always been a red line that couldn’t be crossed by anyone—our parents included.
“Maya has the right to have as much antagonism toward me as she pleases. As long as she doesn’t get between me and Mia, I can tolerate her attitude.” Mostly because I couldn’t care less about her entire existence. Her only merit is being my Mia’s sister.
“I appreciate your understanding.” She pauses and looks across the garden to where Mia’s telling Kyle and Mikhail a story about her plants.
All I can see is her carefree smile and the way her light eyes twinkle under the afternoon sun. I have the urge to go there and devour that smile and feast on her full lips. But since I’m sure that would only result in my balls being cut off by Kyle, I focus back on his wife.
She studies me closely. “I admit I wasn’t comfortable with the idea of you after Maya told me you’re like my nephew Killian, and I’ll probably always be wary of that.”
I knew Maya was campaigning to be the president of my anti-fan club.
“However,” Rai says. “I can see how much Mia has changed since the last time I saw her, and according to what she told me, it’s all because of you that she smiles more now and seems more comfortable expressing herself. So thank you for bringing back my daughter, Landon.”
“As much as I would like to take the credit, I can’t. Mia is the one who worked on herself and is fighting to find her voice. And I’ll be there every step of the way until she manages to do so.”
And I mean it.
I don’t care who I have to upset for Mia to regain what she lost against her will.
If that means her family will hate me, so be it.
None of them matter.
The only one who does is the girl who keeps stealing looks at me whenever her dad isn’t looking.
“Is everything okay?” she signs from the distance.
I nod but stop there before I accidentally say what I’m thinking.
Everything is always okay whenever she’s in my sight. Not even my demons could interfere with this sense of peace.
She’s managed to tame them by merely existing.
And I’ll make sure to bring her demons to their knees before they hurt her, even if it’s the last thing I do.
MIA
If someone had told me a few weeks ago that Landon would be a doting boyfriend, I would’ve called the psych ward.
But here we are, two days after we got to New York and he’s already met—and completely charmed—Aunt Reina, Grandpa Mikhail, and even my uncles and aunts from Dad’s side.
His bruised face didn’t stop him from conjuring the charming god in him. He openly told them it was Nikolai being slightly overprotective. He even had the audacity to tell Aunt Reina, “I never liked Killian, but now that I see you’re his mother, I can try to tolerate him for your sake. And my sister’s, of course.”
He was invited to dinner with Grandpa—who’s more paranoid about strangers and security than a US president—and even played against him in chess.
Mom was a bit wary of him, despite not saying it out loud, but she eventually warmed up to him.
Even Maya has kept her illogical distaste to herself and, as promised, tried to be civil.
The only unchanging variable is my dad. The more others liked Landon, the harder he glared at him and threw jabs in his direction.
He does it less in my presence, especially since Mom and I elbow or try to stop him.
And while Lan’s muddied relationship with Dad saddens me a bit, it’s not enough to drown out everything else.
For the past two days, we’ve been on a rollercoaster ride. We eat together. Landon introduced himself to my family as my ‘boyfriend’ with a hand at the small of my back. If he couldn’t do that, he interlinked our fingers together. At the end of the dinner we had with Grandpa, Lan said, “We’ll surely see each other again, Mr. Kozlov.”
I never expected Landon to be perfect boyfriend material, but he’s proved that he’s so much more than that. Maybe it has to do with his superior people-reading skills. Or the fact that he knows exactly what people want to hear.
While a part of me likes this. The other part is confused, to say the least.
“Why do you think he’s doing this, Iris?” I ask my favorite flower on my balcony. A whole bed stretches over the entire terrace, sparkling in different colors. This is the only place where the monster couldn’t slither into the corner.
In fact, I developed my love for plants and flowers because it was the only sanctuary where I could escape the monster’s sharp claws.
Aunt Reina has done a marvelous job at keeping them beautiful and alive. I can tell they missed me, though, because they’ve become much brighter since I came back.
Or maybe I’m seeing them through the rosy lenses I’ve been wearing lately.
Sweat trickles down my temples and I wipe it with the back of my arm.
The sun descends in the lake, casting an orange reflection on the clear water. And just like that, our stay here will come to an end.
We’ll have to go back to the island tomorrow.
But why do I feel like every ounce of happiness I experienced will vanish as easily as the sun?
I crouch in front of the flowers and stroke Iris’s rosy petals. “You don’t know either, huh?”
“Please don’t tell me you’re talking to flowers again.”
My spine tingles at the very familiar voice and a sudden frisson erupts at the back of my neck. I tilt my head to the side to find Landon standing in the middle of the terrace, his usually impeccable shirt slightly untucked and his hair ruffled and finger-raked.
I slowly stand up and search behind him. “What are you doing here?”
“I jumped through your sister’s balcony.” He points a thumb behind him. “I always wanted to try and see what it’s like to climb walls and windows for your beloved à la Shakespearean. Not too bad. Four out of five would recommend.”
“Why only four?”
“Whether or not I add the fifth star depends on the results of this.” His darkened eyes rake over my satin shorts and thin camisole. “So far, it’s looking promising.”
I suppress a smile. “You should probably leave before Dad notices your absence from his immediate surroundings and comes knocking at my door.”
“We better be quick, then, or else I’ll fall victim to his relentless cock-blocking.”
I bite my lower lip and inspect our surroundings. It’s probably better that I push him out, but then again, he’s not the only one who’s sexually frustrated. With Dad keeping Lan on a leash—as much of a leash as Landon will allow—it’s been impossible for us to get time alone. Especially since Lan has made it his mission to meet every single member of my existing family.
“So you want to spend time with me now?” I sign. “I thought you were more interested in Grandpa, Aunt Reina, and the rest of my family.”
He searches around the flowers.
“What are you doing?” I sign.
“I’m checking to see if one of these edgy flowers is perhaps poisonous and might cause hallucinations. Otherwise, why in the ever-loving fuck would you think I’d rather spend time with your family than you?”
“Well, didn’t you want to meet them all?”
“Yes, but only because I figured it’d make you happy if I get to know the people you love.” His brow furrows. “Did I miscalculate something? Is my spending time with your family perhaps not something you want and actually makes you displeased instead?”
My lips part as I study his face.
He looks genuinely confused. He was going against his nature to provide me with a form of happiness, but I shot him down.
I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face in his chest. Lan engulfs me, his larger hands covering my back in a protective cocoon.
“If you don’t speak to me, I won’t understand, Mia. Do my actions have the opposite effect of what I intended?”
I shake my head against his chest and then push back. “It does make me happy. I guess I was a bit salty because I missed you these past couple of days.”
A wolfish grin lifts the corner of his lip and he strokes my cheek. “Say that again.”
“It makes me happy.”
“No, the other part.”
I smile. “I missed you, Lan.”
“You did, huh?”
“Don’t get too cocky.”
“That’s part of my charm, though. Besides, I’m allowed to according to your aunt, who I like very much, by the way, no clue how she’s the tasteless Killian’s mother, but I digress.”
“Aunt Reina said you’re allowed to be cocky?”
“No, but she did mention that I’m the only guy you ever introduced to the family. There was apparently this Brian in high school, but he barely met your mom and only due to a coincidence. By the way, what’s his full name?”
“Brian Muller. Why?”
“I just want to know the name of the loser so I can disrupt his life.”
“Don’t be unreasonable. Brian and I went on five dates max and we didn’t technically do anything.”
“I know, which is why I said I’ll disrupt his life, not destroy it. Now, define technically because the answer to that will certainly decide his fate.”
I purse my lips.
“Did he touch what’s mine, Mia?” He wraps his fingers around my throat. The grip is loose enough to let me breathe, but it’s firm enough to establish who holds the power. “The lack of answer is an answer, muse.”
“No, it’s not. I just refuse to succumb to your unreasonable demands.”
“Tell me, then. Did the loser Brian touch this pretty little throat? Did he feel your pulse point and get hard by the notion that he holds your life in his hands?”
My heart nearly stops beating as Landon slides his free hand beneath my camisole, over my stomach, and to the swell of my breasts. My nipples tighten against the satin cloth and he twists one, then pulls. A shudder flashes through me and an ache blossoms between my legs.
I can’t stop the way I respond to him or even tame it.
Maybe I don’t want to.
The reason I’ve been addicted to Lan isn’t only due to his intensity but also how utterly unhinged he tends to be.
“Did he play with these, then? Did he tease your nipples like an inexperienced pubescent who’s only seen real tits through porn? Did you enjoy his touch?”