I lay motionless, then jumped when I felt Alik begin tracing the edges of my bikini top. “Alik, what are you doing?” I asked, trying to bat away his hand.

Alik’s hand caught my hand in a grip. “Get off, Myshka. I’m touching you.”

“But—”

“Shut up! You’ll do as I say,” Alik snarled. I did as told, too terrified to fight him off when he commenced tracing the triangle edges of my bra. “So pretty,” Alik murmured as tears built in my eyes.

My hands began to shake, yet I just closed my eyes and let Alik touch me, feeling his lips press onto my stomach. I wanted to cry for help, but I couldn’t. As stupid as it sounded, I often felt sorry for Alik. I didn’t want him to be beaten any more by his father. My complaining would do just that. Physically, I couldn’t fight off Alik and I certainly didn’t want to anger him further, so I let it happen. After all, it wouldn’t be the first time.

“Mmm…” Alik moaned as he lapped at my skin, his finger trailing down to the edge of my bikini bottoms. Alik’s finger ran along the edge of the material, stealing all my breath from my lungs.

“Alik, don’t, please—” I managed to say, but I was interrupted when a voice hissed, “What the hell are you doing, Alik!”

In sheer relief, I looked up and found Luka Tolstoi towering above us, a furious expression on his handsome face.

“Fuck off, Tolstoi!” Alik hissed as he gripped my wrists tighter. Luka’s eyes bulged at the action. When I whimpered out loud, Luka gripped Alik by the hair, dragging him to his feet. Luka hit Alik square on the face. Alik stumbled back, bringing up his fingers to his burst lip. He smiled coldly at Luka—a disturbing bloodied smile.

Luka leaned down and pulled me up beside him, protecting me from Alik’s view.

“Go,” he ordered. I turned to run away, casting a backward glance to see Alik watch me flee. He had an angry expression on his face.

I didn’t stick around to see them fight. This happened a lot. Alik would try to take advantage of me, and Luka would be my champion. They would fight, Alik would take a beating off his father, or worse, my father, then life would continue as normal for a few days—until Alik did it again.

I ran until I reached my favorite cove. No one ever came down here. I slumped down against the rock where I always sat, always sat with Luka.

Entranced by the waves crashing on the shore, I didn’t hear Luka approach. I jumped as I looked up to see him watching me as he leaned against a rock.

“Luka!” I said breathlessly. “You scared me!”

Luka sighed and ran his hand down his face, moving around the rock to sit beside me on the sand. We said nothing at first, Luka also too focused on the crashing of waves on the sand.

His fingers brushed against my fingers. Then they wrapped around my hand, which he lifted to his lips. My heart fluttered like a hummingbird’s wings.

Turning to me, Luka pushed a loose strand of my brown hair behind my ear, then pulled me in close to wrap his free arm around my neck. I relaxed against his warm body and wrapped my arm round his toned waist. He had grown so much lately. He was getting so big and so handsome that my heart could barely take it.

Luka sighed loudly, his warm breath blowing in my hair. “You have to keep away from Alik, Kisa. He’s obsessed with you and he’s dangerous.” I tensed in Luka’s arms and felt him pull me closer still. “I shouldn’t be telling you this, but Alik’s papa is training him to be a fighter, an enforcer. He’s hard on him, and I can see Alik becoming addicted to the violence. He loves it, Kisa. Stay away from him.”

Squeezing Luka tighter, I replied, “I was laying out in the sun. Talia went shopping with your mama. You and Rodion went for lunch with Papa. I didn’t think I was in any danger. Alik just has a crush on me. He wouldn’t hurt me.”

Sighing, Luka pressed a kiss to my head, and I slumped farther against his warm body.

“I don’t like him. I can’t stand the way he looks at you,” Luka said coldly.

Slowly leaning back, I looked into Luka’s brown eyes, the left with a smudge of blue in the iris, making them so beautifully unique.

“How does he look at me?” I asked tentatively.

“Like he owns you. Like you belong to him. When you’re around, he doesn’t focus on anyone else but you.”

“And why does that bother you?” I asked shyly, trying hard to swallow the nervous lump in my throat.

Luka’s beautiful gaze met mine and his lips parted with a brief exhale. “Because you belong to me, Kisa. You always have.” Luka’s face thawed and he pointed at my eye, then his left. “You’re a part of me, remember? God put a piece of you within me so when we were born, everyone would know we matched.”

My skin felt on fire, but I knew it had nothing to do with the burning temperature of the afternoon sun. It had to do with Luka. Luka and that tale his mama and my mama would always tell us.

I loved him. I’d always loved him. I would always love him. Luka, my Luka. I was only thirteen, he was only fourteen, but he was so much more than my best friend… He was my whole world.

“Luka…” I whispered, my soul melting at his words. And his lip hooked into a smirk.

“Kisa…” he imitated. Then his gaze fell to my lips and my heart raced to an almost impossible speed. “I want to kiss you now,” Luka said, all humor dropping from his beautiful face.

“But I’ve… I’ve never been kissed before…” I said, a blush forming on my sun-kissed cheeks.