Lies of My Monster (Monster Trilogy #2) by Rina Kent

Despite all the question marks buried around her like a deadly minefield.

“I can’t,” she lets out with a small sigh. “It’s dangerous to be my original gender because…well, I’d be a target.”

“To whom?”

She shakes her head. “I don’t even know anymore.”

So that’s the extent of what she’ll reveal.

For now.

One day, I’ll know everything there is to know about her.

I slowly remove my hand from hers and stand up. “If you’re better, go take a shower.”

She’s caught off guard and seems to only now realize that she’s actually entirely naked. Her face turns a deep shade of crimson as she uses the wall to stand up.

“Do you need help?” I ask.

“What? No, no, why would I?”

She remains there, probably waiting for me to leave, and only after I make sure it’s out of embarrassment and not actual weakness, I exit the bathroom.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is on the list of the top five hardest things I’ve ever had to do, right below not fucking her a week ago when she was splayed out naked on my bed.

There’s nothing I’d love more than to help her shower, but that would mean touching her. It would mean being intoxicated by her nearness, smell, and presence, which seems to overshadow the whole fucking world.

And if I did that, I’d succumb and fuck her without a second thought.

I’d take out all of today’s complex emotions, frustrations, and failures on her body, and I can’t do that when she’s traumatized about nearly being assaulted.

So I choose to deal with that part instead.

I text Viktor to wait for me downstairs with Yuri and Maksim, then I change into a fresh suit. After making sure Sasha is actually showering, I step out of the room and softly close the door behind me.

I find my best three men in front of the house.

“What’s up, Boss?” Maksim asks, yawning. “I thought we were all praying for this day to be over.”

Viktor hits him upside the head without even looking at him.

Maksim clutches the spot and shouts, “What the fuck was that for?”

“Your insolence.”

“I’m just voicing what everyone is thinking. The fuck?”

“We’ll only be done after we burn down all the Albanians’ nests.”

Yuri’s lips lift in an uncharacteristic smirk. “Are we going after their other branch?”

“Yes, we are.”

Viktor's brow creases. “The Pakhan told us to take care of them in our own time.”

“Tonight is as good a time as any.” I head toward the car, and Viktor makes way for me. I stop in front of him and grab his shoulder. “I shouldn’t have punched you earlier.”

“I’ve forgotten about that.”

“I haven’t.” I meet his dispassionate eyes that mirror mine sometimes. Viktor is more unfeeling than I am and uses the loyalty he has only for me as his driving force and occasionally allows it to influence his entire personality.

He was brought up by a single father, who worked as Roman’s head of security and died during a mission when Viktor was around twelve. He had no other family, and since he was always a grumpy asshole who’s a fan of pointing out other people’s shortcomings, no one liked him.

I was the only one who sat beside him during meals and practiced martial arts with him. I did it because I liked his silent company and pragmatic personality. As time passed, he became my shadow and grew to be my most loyal man.

I squeeze his shoulder. “But I’m warning you, Viktor. Don’t get in my fucking way again.”

His expression doesn’t change, as he says in his robotic voice, “I won’t. Unless it comes to your safety.”

He sounded exactly like Sasha just now. What the fuck are they? Telepathic or something?

“I’ve gotta say.” Maksim opens the passenger door. “I love the idea of getting rid of them once and for all. I can sacrifice sleep for this.”

Yuri pushes him and covers his mouth with his palm.

Yes, the day should be fucking over already, but not until every last one of Sasha’s assailants has paid the price.

I might not have been there to stop it from happening, but I’ll take care of the aftermath.

I will annihilate each and every person who attempts to harm Sasha.

She might be peculiar, and I still don’t know much about her past, but she’s mine.

And no one touches what’s fucking mine.





17





SASHA





The shower lasted longer than usual.

Not only did I scrub clean every inch until it turned red, but I also stood under the streaming water for twenty minutes so it could cleanse away those assholes' filthy touch.

It didn’t help much. I feel like no matter how much I clean myself, there’s something dirty inside that I can’t reach.

Why do women have to deal with this everywhere we go? The whole outdated victim-blaming speech about ‘what you were wearing’ is laughable in this case. I was dressed as a damn man, but even that didn’t stop them.

During the entire process of cleaning and hating myself, I expect Kirill to either bang on the door or come inside to inspect what’s taking me so long, or both.