Scarred Prince: A Bratva Romance by K.C. Crowne

Author:K.C. Crowne [Crowne, K.C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-05T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 19

Nikita

I anxiously spin my bracelet around my wrist, thinking about Leo’s answer.

A pawn shop. I was passing by. Saw it in a window. I thought you might like it.

I turn his words over in my mind. What are the chances Dad would hock our jewelry at the same pawn shop Leo just happened to be strolling by? That’s one hell of a coincidence, but I’m not sure what else to believe. The odds are too astronomical, but the thought of Leo being a bold-faced liar doesn’t make sense to me, either. He’s been nothing but courteous and kind. What reason would he have to lie to me? Then I think about the impromptu meeting in his apartment. All of those people in expensive suits and his abrupt dismissal of me. I don’t know what to think, so I try not to think anything.

“Are you okay?” Kseniya asks me. “You look a little pale.”

I snap back to reality, blinking away my confusion. Kseniya and I are seated at the side of the room, preparing for our daily warm up. My mother, as expected, is downright pissed with me. How can I tell? It’s simple, really. She hasn’t bothered to look at me once, nor has she spoken a word. When Inessa gets like this, she freezes me out and makes her disappointment glaringly obvious.

I decide not to let it bother me. I’m not sure which is worse, putting up with her constant criticism or her silence. I guess I can’t have it both ways. It’s unfortunate there doesn’t seem to be a middle ground with her, so for now, I’ll stay in my lane and keep my head down. I have too much on my mind, anyway.

I rifle through my bag, looking for the spare bandages I keep at the bottom to wrap my toes. Every inch of my body is sore from over practice. My feet are in a sorry state of disrepair. I’ve got blisters, my arches ache like you wouldn’t believe and now, to make everything so much worse, I can’t find my things.

“Here,” Kseniya says, handing me a roll of her spare athletic tape, as if reading my mind. “That’s what you need, isn’t it?”

I breathe the sigh of relief. “Thank you. I could have sworn I packed it. My warm-up jacket is missing from my locker, too.” Concern suddenly swirls within me when I connect the dots. Could somebody be stealing my things?

First the threatening notes in my bag. Now my missing things. We never did find out who was behind putting pins and Vanya’s shoes. I can’t fathom their motivations. I’ve never done anything to warrant such treatment. But what if they’re after me now? What if I’ve become their new fixation?

“Alright,” Inessa says clearly to the room. “Everyone, line up. It’s time to practice our jumps.”

Dancers move about the space, getting into position in a hurry. I still have to put on my pointe shoes. I pull them from my gym bag and slip them on—

Only to stop short, something cold flooding my veins.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.