Free Unbroken (Fighting for Gisele #3) by Emily Jane Trent

down, especially since he had walked into the dangerous situation to protect her.
    The lure of freedom was powerful. Soon Gisele would have control of her future…if she got that far. A tingle of fear went up her spine. Was she truly afraid of her brother? Alek was a tough guy, but he hadn’t physically harmed her. She’d grown up with him, knew more about him than almost anyone.
    Gisele pictured him in her mind, with his muscular build, shaggy hair, and piercing blue eyes. Alek’s appearance was menacing, but she knew he wasn’t bad on the inside. Or so she’d thought. The pressure of circumstances could change a person, and bring out the best or worst in them. Still, it was difficult to conceive that her life was at risk from Alek. He was her big brother, who’d watched out for her until now.
    Yuri was another matter. When Gisele had moved in with the Danilovs, he’d taken on the role of father. But he was closer to family patriarch than father. Having experienced the kind of relationship she had with her real father, Gisele had been acutely aware of the differences.
    The usual things had been seen to. If it had been Gisele’s birthday, she received a nice gift. Or if she needed clothes for school, she got them. Any material need was taken care of, but it was the emotional side that had been lacking.
    Yuri wasn’t demonstrative, and Gisele struggled to recall whether he’d hugged her, or told her that he loved her. Maybe when she was very young, he’d picked her up or kissed her cheek. But as she grew up, her Russian father was more distant.
    He was all about power and control, so Gisele learned early to obey. Since she was the girl in the family, she was given more leeway. Her brother had received harsher treatment. There was an uncomfortable emptiness when Gisele thought of Yuri.
    She wanted to love him, and in a way she did. But Yuri made that difficult, as he had kept her at arm’s length. Now, faced with the fact that he had ulterior motives for accepting her into his family, Gisele was sad.
    The Danilovs were the only family she had at present. But it seemed to be a one-sided relationship. It didn’t matter that Gisele cared, and would probably be best if she abandoned any sentimentality. Those that she’d held close had betrayed her.
    Yuri was an intimidating man. The only reason Gisele hadn’t been the target of his wrath before was because she had something he wanted. Did she think that Yuri would harm, even kill her to get it? She prayed he wouldn’t go that far, but knew in her heart that he would stop at nothing to get the diamond she possessed.
    No longer at peace, Gisele slipped out of bed and put on some tights with a cotton shirt. Then she went to her mat by the windows for some stretching. Pilates was for more than fitness; the moves relaxed her, in body and soul.
    After Gisele limbered up, she turned on some music, then showered. Since she didn’t have to work until later, she could dress casually. Breakfast with Alek didn’t require formality. When she stepped into her room-sized closet, she gazed at its contents.
    Gisele shook her head. There was no way that all her stuff would fit in the new apartment. She would have one bedroom and a much smaller closet, so she’d have to pare down her wardrobe. But since she was attached to the array of dresses, shoes, and accessories, she had no intention of disposing of them.
    Once Gisele was moved in, she could return for more of her clothes. It wasn’t as though Alek was going to rent out her room, or that she wouldn’t see him again. Yet at this point, she couldn’t be sure. A feeling of loss gripped her.
    With all that was bound to happen, Gisele hoped she wouldn’t lose the only brother she’d known. She had no other siblings, and she’d shared so much with her brother over the years. It seemed so unfair that she might lose him, but the situation was untenable. There might be no way to avoid it.
    Overly emotional, Gisele was tempted to