Page 50 of Anton

He nods, satisfied enough to move on, already turning his attention back to a possible new supplier. But I’m not listening anymore.

Because for the first time, I just lied to my brother. For her.

And I know without a shadow of a doubt, if that ublyudok hurt Thora, then there’s no chance in hell I’m handing that information over. Not to Konstantin or anyone else.

That belongs to me.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

THORA

Anton is becoming too much of a fixation. The kind I look forward to every single morning, and today is no exception.

I wish we had the kind of relationship where I could call him whenever I wanted. Talk to him. Actually be friends with benefits—and by benefits, I don’t only mean his penis, even though that part is admittedly incredible.

I just want him around. Is that really so bad?

But I don’t even have his number.

Cider nudges my arm with her nose, pulling me out of my thoughts. The sun is already high, warming my skin inside the paddock.

“Okay, okay. I get it.” I stroke her face. “You can tell my mind is somewhere else. But can you blame me? If you met him, you’d understand.”

She shifts her weight and flicks her tail.

“He’s…complicated,” I continue, glancing toward the fence, half expecting him to appear out of nowhere. “But also annoyingly attractive. Weirdly sweet when he doesn’t mean to be. And kind of impossible to stop thinking about.” I let out a dreamy sigh, and even I want to slap myself. “Yeah, yeah. I know. Don’t judge.”

Cider huffs and edges closer, making me laugh.

“Hey, don’t look at me like that. I’m figuring it out as I go.”

A little while later, Greer enters the paddock, her boots sinking into the dirt as she approaches.

“Do you want to grab lunch with me?”

Something about her tense demeanor makes me pause, though I can’t tell what’s bothering her.

“Yeah, sure.” I wipe my hands on my jeans. “Let me wash up first.”

The moment I climb into the passenger seat of her Bentley, she pulls away from the farm. With every glance she sends in my direction, the silence between us becomes more unsettling.

I study her from the corner of my eye, waiting for her to say whatever she’s clearly desperate to get out. But she keeps quiet, her grip locked around the steering wheel and her features too rigid as anxiety knots deeper in my gut.

Something must have happened. Maybe with the family or the business. Maybe even some new danger that has gotten bad enough for them to tell me about it.

Time drags until we arrive at an upscale seafood restaurant overlooking the water, and once we’re inside, the hostess leads us to a table in the corner. Greer sits across from me and opens her menu, her eyes moving over the page, but I know her well enough to know she’s not reading a single word.

The waiter comes by, we order drinks, and the second he strides away, I set my menu down and stare her way.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

Her brows lift. “What do you mean?”

“Come on. I know you better than that. Something’s going on, and you want to tell me, so what is it?”

She scrubs a hand over her face. “Shit. You know me too well.”

“It’s a blessing and a curse.”