Our forgotten past (#3)

11.

Chapter eleven | Amara
"I'm a step away from throwing some water in your face, what do you think?" I ask the asshole who looks like he's dreaming about winning the world championship.

"Ezekiel." I groan and retrieve the cup of water, "I'm awake, Jesus Christ, keep that away." He points a finger at the cup in my hand, "First day of work." I state, raising a challenging brow, he groans and sits up.

Glaring up at me, he's the one who said that he wanted to work with me, "What time is it?" He asks, blinking in my face as he brushes the hair draped over his eyes away, "Nine." I reply, I could've woken him up earlier than that, but honestly, he needs to sleep well so he'll be ready for the hell I'm going to make him face.

"Fuck, fine." He curses and continues glaring at me as he stands up, walking towards the bathroom with a furious expression on his face, satisfaction runs through my veins.

"I'm ready." He states moments later as he steps out of the bathroom, his hair slightly wet, I scan him from head to toe "You can't go in this." I'll do everything in hand to make him give up on accompanying me to my goddamn work.

He narrows his eyes "Since when do you have a dress code, Miss Petrov?" He leans against the door frame, eyes right on me, glistening with a rare spark, shaved sharp jaw, high cheekbones, ridged muscles, Ezekiel is handsome in a way that makes women's mouths go dry when they see him, not in the ragged sharp way as most of the men around here, he is more of a model looking, and it is extremely frustrating.

"Don't call me that." I protest and he raises a brow, "You like it, Don't you? That's what you say whenever you actually like something I say." He states so confidently and I ignore the way that he's right as I speak, "Do you think that makes sense?" I ask, raising a brow.

He contemplates it for a second, "Do you think anything you say actually makes sense?" He asks and I roll my eyes, "You can't answer a question with another." I protest as I stroll towards him with hurried steps, "You're going to make us late, let's go." I mutter and he nods.

A message pops up on my lock screen and I flash it in front of his face "See? Even Ekaterina is reminding me." I add and raise a brow, he reads the text, and his eyes flit to mine, "You're both being dramatic." He says and I glare at him.

"Fine, you're not being dramatic, your reactions are extremely valid." The sarcasm in his tone makes me want to punch him in the face yet it still spreads a smile over my face, his expression lightens and a small smile tugs at his lips, the sharp edges of his face dimming away.

༺❁༻

"Oh, uh, um, hi." Ekaterina slurs, awkwardly extending her hand in Ezekiel's direction, he eyes her hand and shakes it seconds later, "Smile and stop glaring." I tell him and he fake smiles, before glaring back at me.

Ekaterina seems both uneasy and confused by his reactions, just like me, "Is Alexander around here?" He asks and her eyes brighten at the mention of her husband, "Actually, yes, he's in the office, waiting for both of you." She says, smiling.

I give her a smile back and eye her for a beat, something is different, almost as if she wants to leave this place, and I have a feeling that it doesn't have anything to do with Ezekiel.

Speaking of him, "I'll see what the asshole wants, no offense, Ekaterina." He raises a finger in her direction and her eyes narrow, shoulders drooping forward in defense,

"Ignore him." I add just at the same time he speaks, "He shares the same feeling, I'm not betraying him I can assure you." He adds, running a hand through his messy hair.

"He's right." A familiar masculine raspy voice joins and my eyes snap up to see Alexander approaching us with measured steps, his eyes on his wife as he does so, he wraps a hand around her waist protectively, pulling her closer to him.

They've been married for over three years now, and truth be told, all years I grew up with Alexander, I never saw him this happy, but since they got married, he's been slowly evolving.

"I'm glad." Ezekiel's voice startles my thoughts as he gives him a bitter smile, their relationship is more than complicated, the word doesn't do it any justice, one day they hate each other, and the next they'd take a bullet to save the other.

"Why are you here?" I ask bluntly and Alexander glares in my direction, it's scary and intimidating but I know him, "I didn't mean it like that, you know what I mean." I clarify and fight the urge to roll my eyes.

He looks unimpressed as he scans our surroundings, "Inside would be better." He says and clutches his wife's hand as they start walking toward the office's direction, I look up at Ezekiel, his eyes are already on me, slowly, he wraps a hand around my waist carefully, my muscles immediately tense beneath his touch, but I slowly relax in his hold moments later as we follow them.

"What is it?" Ezekiel asks as we step inside, Alexander takes a seat and leans back, scrolling through his phone at a fast pace, seconds later, he flashes the screen in our faces, I slowly inspect what's written over it and I grit my teeth, my heartbeats fastening as I exchange a look with Ezekiel.

Unknown: tell your friends to watch out.
Unknown: Amara and Ezekiel Petrov.
Unknown: Warn them before it's too late.
Unknown: Also, you better keep that blonde doll close, she's too pretty to be alone in the bitch's company.

"I'm a step away from killing him just for your knowledge." Ezekiel states to me, the messages easily give away whose behind them, apparently, Dante won't give up until he gets what he wants, the asshole actually called me a bitch, I'm going to be choking him when this ends hopefully "Yeah and start a war between Russia and Italy for the sake of it." Alexander deadpans and I breathe out harshly.

My anger spikes and murderous thoughts cloud my mind as well, I just don't speak them out loud like Ezekiel, "We'll do what he wants." I tell him, and that earns me a glare, I think we both know that I'm not doing it for Dante's sake, but honestly, I don't want to die just yet.

"We'll trick him into thinking that," I add and Ezekiel's eyes snap to mine, maybe I agree to his plan a little bit, no idea why though, but it'll be helpful, his muscles slowly relax and he nods curtly, Ekaterina's eyes bounce between us but she doesn't utter a single word.

Clearly uncomfortable by where this is going, me too, girl, me too, "Whatever it is you'll do, it better be fucking fast, because if he utters another word about my wife I can assure you that I'll be as reckless as you and happily start a war between Russia and Italy." Alexander states to the whole room, Ekaterina's eyes widen, Ezekiel looks like he loves this idea, and then there's me, who shares the same rage that's roaming through Alexander's mind, but then at the same time, I know there's a solution, we just have to stop being stubborn.

"We'll help him and so be it, he has to stop threatening us for a while." I say and they all nod, "I hope no one dies at the end of this." Ekaterina says hopefully, Alexander pulls her close, "I wouldn't be so sure, sweetheart." His tone and expression have softened, she caresses his shoulder as her smile widens further.

I hope no one dies as well.

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Alexander and Ekaterina are from my other two books (our hidden wounds & our broken souls) on my account 🫶