The Love Risk [boyxboy]

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Sixteen (Mark)

 "Do you even have a plan?" I asked Vladimir as we headed to the street to flag down a taxi. Vladimir walked with his head held high, posture proper and rich. He wore a pair of black slacks, a partially unbuttoned white shirt under a sleek black blazer. And the expression on his face hardly answered my question. Instead, he spoke softly, which surprised me as he always spoke to me as if I were an idiot.

"No." He responded honestly. I grimaced, shifting uncomfortably as I peered out the corner of my eye at Luca, who walked beside me. He hadn't slept at all since the DVD, but he had stopped crying, thankfully. He kept a flat expression on his face, blue eyes staring straight ahead. He tilted his head a little.

"You're confronting one of the worst terrorists in history, Vladimir, without a plan. If I didn't know any better, I'd say this was a suicide mission." Luca said aloud, his voice monotone. Vladimir didn't look at him as he merely stood there, a hand in the pocket of his pants, his eyes narrowed.

"Tell me about it." He replied, his voice unwavering and calm. That made me uneasy. Even though he said he didn't have a plan, something in me told me he was lying. He knew something was going to happen. I had no idea what, but if it was bad enough for Vladimir to keep it to himself, it was going to be catastrophic.

A taxi pulled up onto the curb, allowing us inside as Vladimir ordered him before sitting back. I nibbled on my lower lip, glancing out the window.

The sky was still bright during the afternoon, cloudless and such a shocking shade of blue that it reminded me of Alexander's eyes. I looked away at Luca, who sat between Vladimir and I. His hands were clasped in his lap, his eyes moving to scan the darkness he saw. Vladimir just sat there, staring out the window.

There was a sickening veil of dread and I could feel it close down on my stomach, making it twist and clench painfully in nervousness. I hugged myself tightly, squeezing my eyes shut.

Stop it!

Just stop, Mark.

The more you worry, the more stress on the situation there is. You need to trust Vladimir, no matter how sick and angry it makes you. Vladimir was the man who wiped out my clan. He killed my parents and he almost killed me. He hated me for loving Storm and for Storm loving me.

But he was the only one I could depend on now.

If I wanted my husband and my best friend back, I'd do anything.

Even trust the bastard who ruined my life.

Because I knew Vladimir loved Storm. He took every chance he could to show him that. He bought him things, praised him, and unlike some fathers who refused to say I love you for fear of sounding weak, Vladimir said it loud and proud and would cut down anyone who brought harm to him.

And Alexander. If there was one person who could make Vladimir insane, it was Alex.

I could see it. Alex was pure. And sometimes, it pissed me off. I hated how nice he could be, how understanding, how unbiased he could be. I hated how he could forgive Vladimir for killing Nicholas. I couldn't stand the way he smiled, even though I knew he was dying inside. Alex didn't want to worry anyone else with his problems. And it'd be a lie to say that Alex wasn't beautiful. He was bred as the representative of the Grey Clan. His hair was naturally pale blonde, his eyes the same color as the sky. And a soul that made the rest of us look like demons.

And that was why Vladimir loved Alex.

Opposites attracted.

Storm's filthy stinking rich. He's proper and smart and cool.