Chapter 43

•Nikolai•

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I'm weak.

Too fucking weak.

I let her get too close to me.

Until recently, I only ever really loved one woman in my life. My mother, I respected her, loved her.

Anastasia Costello.

I thought she was the only one who really knew me, the only one that can tear down my walls. I thought my ability to love ended with her, and I was fine with that.

I've watched her writhing in pain, struggling to breathe, tears leaking out of her eyes but she couldn't move. My mother fought long and hard with the disease before she lost that battle. I thought that was it. My only weakness, the only woman I ever loved is dead and now I'm fucking invincible.

But then she happened.

The morning Charles Bolton died, I didn't fucking know what I was getting myself into when I brought his daughter into my home. I hadn't given it a second thought, I didn't even know what I was going to do with her.

The men in my circle had many ideas about what I should do with her, but I didn't fucking agree wi