Sweet Agony (Angels Halo MC Next Gen Book 2)

by Terri Anne Browning

  Yet as confused as I was by this new strain between the two of them, I was glad to have her pushing him out the door.

  “I’m staying,” Theo informed her.

  “Stay in the house all you want,” his sister told him tightly. “But you have no reason to be in Tavia’s room. She’s no longer your responsibility, and from the way she’s cowering from you right now, it’s safe to say that your company is at the bottom of her list.”

  “She and I need to talk,” he told her in a menacing tone. “You’re the one who needs to get out.”

  “I seriously doubt there is anything the two of you have to talk about. You did your part. She’s back where she belongs, where Mom and I can take care of her. Now, you should just leave her in peace and allow her to heal. Seeing as though all of this is your fault to begin with.” Walking around him, she set the tray on the end of the bed. When she straightened, her bright smile was back in place. “Come. You must be starving. You can tell me all about your time in California while you eat.”

  Food wasn’t at the top of my priority list, nor was telling her about my stay on the other side of the country. But more than anything, I didn’t want to have to pass Theo to get to the bed.

  “Krasotka, please don’t send me away,” he pleaded quietly, taking a step toward me.

  On instinct, I took two steps back, lowering my gaze to the floor.

  “Do you call everyone ‘krasotka,’ brother dear?” Sofia’s voice was like the sharp lash of a whip. “Did you call Courtney Blanco that last night when you were holding her in the club?”

  Another slice of pain struck me in the center of my chest. I had no idea who Courtney Blanco was, but the pure conviction I heard in my friend’s voice told me she wasn’t just standing there making up hypothetical questions for him. Whoever the woman was Sofia was talking about, Theo had been with her. The night before. Only hours after leaving me behind in California. Alone.

  I’d never thought about him calling anyone else besides me “krasotka.” It was a beautiful endearment, one that sounded both passionate and loving when he spoke it. I thought if nothing else, it meant I was a little special to Theo.

  But I really should have known better.

  Chapter 20

  Theo

  Right before my eyes, what little fight I’d seen in Tavia’s eyes faded like a dying candle. Seeing the light completely disappear left me cold.

  Fuck this shit. I was tired of Sofia running her mouth when she didn’t know the first thing she was talking about. She had no clue about my life, even though she wanted to think she was an expert on all things Theo.

  Picking up my sister by the waist, I carried her to the door.

  “What the hell are you doing?” she screeched, thrashing her legs and trying to make me drop her. “Theo! Put me down. Put. Me. Down!”

  I placed her on the other side of the threshold before slamming the door in her face and flipping the lock. She pounded on the door with her fists, her voice full of rage as she demanded to be allowed inside.

  Ignoring her, I went back to Tavia, who was watching me with a neutral expression on her beautiful face, and lifted her into my arms. She felt even lighter than normal as I carried her to bed and placed her so her back was against the pillows.

  Turning her head away, she tried to hide from me, but I was done with all of this bullshit. Taking her chin between my thumb and forefinger, I leaned over her and forced her to look at me. “I returned to New York yesterday and went straight to the clubs my father is a silent partner in. Three of them, in fact.”

  She looked at me blankly with her darker-than-espresso eyes, but I continued my explanation. “My plan was to draw Petrov’s attention, make him come out of hiding so I could set a trap and catch him. I wanted to protect you, and that meant eliminating the bastard. Courtney was at the club, she came on to me, and I picked her up and set her away from me, like I just did with Sofia. But someone took a picture and posted it to social media. It was taken at the perfect time because it looked as if things were going to happen, but the truth is, I put that skank as far from me as I could, and I got the fuck out of there.”

  “Why are you telling me this?” Her voice was devoid of all emotion, as blank as her eyes were, and I fucking hated it.

  “Because you deserve to know why I left. And my sister thinks she knows everything, but she doesn’t know shit. I didn’t leave you behind, Tavia. I came back here to protect you. And as soon as I took out Petrov, I was going to return for you.”

  “You’re good at leaving, Theo. It’s all you’ve ever done with me. I don’t expect anything less.” Jerking her head back, she made me drop my hold on her chin and scooted over several inches, putting space between us. “I’m tired. Anything you feel you have to say or explain, save your breath. I don’t want to hear any of it.”

  “Too fucking bad. I’m not leaving here until you understand everything.” Reaching down to the foot of the bed, I picked up the tray and placed it across her lap. “Eat.”

  “I’m not hungry,” she said in a small voice.

  “Eat, or I will feed you, krasotka,” I threatened, only to see her flinch. Biting back a curse, I cupped her face in one hand. Fucking Sofia and her big-ass mouth. All she’d wanted to do was score points off me, yet all she’d accomplished was hurting Tavia more. “You are the only one I have ever used that endearment for. Fuck, you’re the only woman I have ever used any endearment for at all. No one else matters enough to me. Only you, Tavia. Only ever you.”

  She lowered her lashes, hiding her eyes from me. “Your charm is award-winning, Theo. Too bad I see through it.”

  My heart sank, realizing that even though I was telling her what was in my heart, she didn’t believe me. Not that I could blame her, but fuck, I needed her to trust me, if only just a little. If there was none left for her to give me, how could I win her back?

  “Baby, you mean everything to me—”

  “Obviously,” she said in that same toneless voice that sent chills down my spine.

  “I know I’ve made mistakes, but you are the only one in my heart. Give me a chance to show you that above everything else. All I want is to make you happy.” Clutching her hands in both of mine, I begged her with my eyes, but the look in her dark depths never changed. It was like there was nothing there, as if her soul was just…gone.

  “Listen to me, Tavia,” I commanded, desperation deepening my voice. “I will never leave you again. I’m going to spend the rest of our lives showing you how much I love you, how much you mean to me. If it takes me until my dying day to prove it to you, I don’t care.”

  “Sure,” she said with a nod. “Okay. Yeah. Whatever you say, Theo.”

  The lack of belief in her voice wounded me, but again, it wasn’t anything I didn’t deserve. Fighting back the frustration of being unable to get through to her, I sat on the edge of the bed and picked up the bowl of overcooked bowtie pasta and creamy white sauce. There were peas mixed in to the dish, and I took the fork off the tray.

  Lifting a bite, I touched it to her closed lips. “Eat for me,” I insisted.

  She shook her head. “I’m not hungry.”

  “You haven’t eaten in over twenty-four hours. You need food to get your strength back. Raven gave Mom plenty of meal ideas to keep you happy while still following the soft food diet the doctors said was necessary while your intestines heal.” I teased her bottom lip with the fork. The food smelled good even if it didn’t look overly appealing to me. I’d already had dinner with Pops, and it had been a hell of a lot more fulfilling than this seemed.

  Some of the cream sauce smeared across her full bottom lip, and she snuck out her tongue to swipe it clean. Once she tasted it, her eyes drifted closed, enjoying the flavors. It was the first real sign of emotion I’d seen from her since Sofia had started running her mouth, and I felt something untwist in my chest.

  Smiling at her in approval, I touched the fork to her lips again, and this time, she opened up just enough
for me to slide the food inside. As she chewed, I glanced over the rest of the items on the tray. A cup of the ice cream the cook was famous for. It was sugar-free so Mom was able to eat it, but it sure as hell didn’t taste like it was lacking the good stuff. Tavia had always loved this dessert, so I knew she wouldn’t be able to turn it down.

  For the next few minutes, she allowed me to feed her, but then she spotted the dish of ice cream, and I knew the pasta would no longer hold any appeal. I started to pick it up, wanting to continue to take care of her like this, but she snatched it from my hand and grabbed the spoon, digging in with a contented sigh.

  Grinning at how childlike she was acting, I placed the tray on the nightstand and then reached for the remote to the television. With the push of a button, the TV came to life, and I sat back against the pillows beside her and channel-surfed while she enjoyed her dessert.

  “I like this show,” she said around the spoon still in her mouth then pointed it toward the TV set. “I didn’t think I would like that guy as this character, but he’s actually my favorite now.”

  “I’ve never watched it.” Her eyes were glued to the television, but mine were on her, watching her eyes follow the characters on the screen while taking random bites of her ice cream.

  Fuck, she was so damn beautiful.

  “What?” she grumbled when she caught me staring. “Do I have ice cream on my face?”

  “Yeah,” I lied and leaned in, kissing her bottom lip. The cool, sweet honey of her mouth hit my taste buds, and I couldn’t hold back a groan. My hand caught the back of her head, holding her in place so I could deepen the kiss and suck on that luscious bottom lip.

  With a soft gasp, she pulled back, her eyes narrowing on me. “I…I don’t think this is a good idea. I’m not supposed to… To…”

  I stroked my thumb over her cheek. “It’s just a kiss, krasotka. That’s all I want for now. I promise you, I won’t ever do anything you don’t say you want.” Brushing her damp hair back from her face, I wrapped my arm around her and tucked her head against my shoulder.

  When she didn’t struggle or pull away, I took that as a small victory and kissed the top of her head. Small steps, I told myself. Small, delicate steps were what I needed to take to prove to her that I meant every word I said.

  Chapter 21

  Tavia

  Sofia sighed and shifted restlessly on the bed beside me, her homework spread out in front of both of us. When she did it again, for the tenth time, I dropped my pencil and frowned at her.

  “What’s wrong with you?” I asked, more than a little irritated, but it wasn’t all her fault.

  I was restless too. Over the past two weeks, Mrs. Volkov had continued to insist I stay in bed as much as possible. She or Theo brought me my meals. They kept me company throughout the day when Sofia was at school, but I was going stir-crazy locked in the guest room. If I so much as walked downstairs, Theo picked me up and carried me right back to my room.

  But at least he stayed once he placed me in bed. Most of the time, he would call down to the kitchen to order us a snack and then climb into bed beside me so we could binge-watch something on Netflix.

  He never tried to kiss me, but he would wrap his arms around my waist and stroke my hair until my head felt weak. Then I would pillow it on his shoulder and fall asleep right there in his arms.

  To say I was conflicted where he was concerned would have been the biggest understatement of my entire life. He confused the hell out of me, and I didn’t know what to make of this change in him. Sure, he’d said he was going to prove how much I meant to him, that he loved me, but I still wasn’t sure if I believed him or not.

  Part of me wanted him to be sincere, but a bigger part of me kept waiting for his real motives to make themselves known. It was like I was holding my breath, waiting—always waiting—for him to show me what a joke he really thought I was.

  “Sorry,” Sofia said with a grimace. “I’m just bored as hell. I haven’t gotten to go anywhere outside of school or my cousins’ house in almost a month. I’m starting to get cabin fever, and it’s making me twitchy.”

  “Trust me, I know what you’re feeling,” I told her with a twist of my lips. At least she’d gotten to go to school, though, and to visit with her family. With Raven, I’d been allowed outside a little to soak up the sunshine and breathe the fresh air. But Theo refused to even talk about me going back to class yet, saying I was still too weak. At least he’d arranged with all my professors to finish out the semester online and made sure my scholarship wasn’t jeopardized.

  Sofia must have been thinking something sly, because a devious grin tilted at her lips. “Let’s sneak out,” she said, lowering her voice as if she thought someone was listening at the door. “Go to a club or something. Have some fun. We deserve a break from all this schoolwork bullshit, and you seem perfectly fine to me. I don’t know what Theo and Mom are so worried about.”

  Neither did I. There was no soreness left, the doctor had let me graduate from soft foods to a normal diet, and had even encouraged me to do more physical activity. Yet the Volkovs treated me like I was delicate glass that would shatter under the slightest pressure.

  It was maddening.

  And sweet. So fucking sweet.

  Which only drove me crazy because the sweetness of it made it impossible for me to stay mad at either Theo or his mom when it came to their bossiness about staying in bed and taking it easy.

  But Sofia’s whispered suggestion held great appeal. I bit my lip, glancing at the door, then my closet. “I don’t have anything to wear,” I whispered.

  “Please,” she said with a snort. “I have plenty for you to choose from. So, we doing this or what?”

  Before I could talk myself out of it, I nodded.

  She bounced up to her knees. “Yay! You shower, and I’ll be back with a few things for you to pick from.” Hopping off the bed, she headed for the door. “Good thing Theo is in meetings all evening. That makes sneaking out so much easier.”

  I rushed through a shower and then did my hair. I didn’t have much experience with makeup since it had always been out of my budget, but when Sofia returned, she had a bag full of things I didn’t even understand how to apply. Within an hour of her suggesting we go out, I was looking in the mirror at a complete stranger.

  My friend had a gift, that was for freaking sure. I didn’t even recognize myself with the way she’d highlighted certain parts of my face, while making other areas seem like they weren’t even there. The outfit I’d picked from the pile of clothes she’d brought was a simple sleeveless black dress. There was no back to it, but there was a built-in bra so my boobs weren’t bare. The hem ended a few inches short of midthigh, and the heels Sofia insisted looked amazing with it were gold and six inches high.

  How the hell I was going to sneak out of the house—which was basically a damn fortress—in those neckbreakers I wasn’t sure, but Sofia didn’t seem all that concerned about it.

  It was another hour later—and a few heart-stopping moments when I was sure we were going to be eaten by the dogs that roamed the Volkovs’ property—that we walked into a club in the middle of downtown.

  Sofia at my side, we’d been ushered straight inside, bypassing the line and the hundred or so people standing on the sidewalk outside of Project X.

  There were two levels to the club, and after taking my hand, Sofia led me to the second floor. A bouncer at the bottom of the stairs gave her a lifted brow but stepped aside without question. At the top of the stairs, a hostess-like person was already waiting.

  “Welcome, Miss Volkov,” the woman greeted, her smile bright, but something in her eyes suggested she was nervous. “How long will you and your friend be joining us tonight?”

  “As long as we fucking want,” Sofia told her. “We’re going to be in that back corner. Keep the drinks coming, and keep the goons away because we’re here to have fun, not have your trained apes chase all the guys away.”

  The woman pressed her
lips into a firm line but nodded. “As you wish, Miss Volkov.”

  Without another look at the hostess, Sofia pulled me through the crowd to the corner she had indicated, and we plopped down on a long, buttery-soft couch. No sooner had our butts touched the seats than there was a waitress asking for our drink orders.

  After ordering for both of us, Sofia waved the girl away and then let her eyes trail over the people in our vicinity. I was doing a little people watching myself. This was the first time I’d been to this club. Really, it was my first trip to any club. I was always too busy with school and tutoring to even think about partying, so this was all a new experience for me.

  The music was loud, but not so much that we had to yell to be heard when we spoke to each other. The lights were dim, giving the whole place an intimate ambiance. There was no mistaking that the people on this floor all came from money. Every single one of the women had on jewelry that looked like it could easily fund small countries. But it wasn’t so much what they were wearing as how they held themselves that told me all of these people were used to snapping their fingers and getting what they wanted then and there.

  Our drinks arrived, both of them nonalcoholic since Sofia wasn’t flashing her fake ID around. I sipped at my cola and listened to Sofia as she filled me in on several people and the juicy details of their social lives. I didn’t know how she kept up with all the things going on in other people’s lives and still remembered all the stuff she needed to in order to pass her classes. But some of the stories she told me were so amusing, I was almost in tears from laughing so hard.

  It felt good to be out of the house, out from under Theo’s and Mrs. Volkov’s watchful eyes and to just breathe. I didn’t have to wonder what Theo’s motives were for spending time with me or worry about hurting his mother’s feelings if I did or said something unknowingly wrong.