“I want to believe you,” I whisper. “But right now…”
“I understand.” And true to his word, Nik pulls me into his arms, resting his forehead against mine, to keep me safe. To take my pain away.
And to pull me into the darkness with him even more.
Chapter Eighteen
Irina
Days pass by in a blur. Nikolai makes sure I’m fed and taken care of but I barely process any of it. My father’s death – at my hands – has left a mark on me that I’m not sure will ever fade.
“I’m getting worried,” Nikolai says to someone on the phone one day while I’m in the living room. He’s in the kitchen but I can easily hear him. “I’m not sure how to get her out of this.”
I can’t hear the response of the other person but whatever the advice is, I don’t care. I only curl into a ball on the couch and remain there.
After a few minutes, Nikolai comes to see me. There’s a gentleness in his eyes as he kneels down beside me. “Hey. How are you feeling?”
I only look at him.
“Right,” he sighs. “So I was talking to Maksim. He suggested I get you out of the house. Take you to the club. Having people around you could help.”
“You want me to go to the club where I first met your ex who you killed to save me?”
He blinks. “When you put it like that…” A heavy sigh leaves him. “Irina, you’re not doing well after your dad’s death. You need to get out. Distract yourself. I’ll be right by your side the entire time. I promise. It will do you good. And I’m not giving you a say. Come on.”
I go through the motions of getting dressed into something cute and going with Nik to his club. Once we’re there, the beat of the music and the swell of people dancing doesn’t change anything for me. I did the worst thing a person could: kill my own father. And now I have to suffer the consequences of that.
Nik takes me to his private booth. Maksim is there and they greet each other.
“Hi, Irina,” Maksim says but I only give him a nod. He and Nik exchange concerned looks with each other but fortunately, Maksim doesn’t push it. He’s a loyal friend to Nik and won’t do anything to hurt me. “Come sit down. Have a drink.”
“She doesn’t need a drink,” Nik says. “I don’t need her getting wasted.”
I sit between Nik and Maksim while they talk about business and life. I zone most of it out. Women walk by and try flirting with Nik but he shuts them down so they turn their attention onto Maksim who gladly flirts back.
This whole thing feels pointless and boring… until a man approaches the private booth. One I remember very well.
Alexei.
“Hi, Nik,” he says, smiling wolfishly. I remember the way he kidnapped me. How he tried to rape me. Try to kill me. How I barely escaped.
Nik and Maksim get to their feet, acting as a protective shield around me. “What the fuck are you doing here?” Nik snarls.
“Just came by to see how you and your wife are doing. We didn’t part on the best of terms last time.”
“Meaning you kidnapped my wife. Get out of my club.”
“I don’t think so.” In one quick motion, he pulls a gun out of his jacket and points it at Nik’s head.
“How did you get a gun in here?”
“I took care of your guard out back. It wasn’t hard to get inside after that. Now, if you don’t want me shooting up this club, then you and your wife are going to come with me. Now.”
Nik looks at Maksim before he sighs. “Just me. Not Irina.”
“No. Both of you. Now.” He aims his gun at Maksim when Maksim reaches for his pocket. “Don’t even think about it.”
“You’re starting a war, Alexei,” Nik tells him. “You keep coming after me and I’m going to have to kill you one day. You’re plunging us into dark territory. You can leave now and I won’t kill you. You can go back to having less power than me. But if you think you’re going to kill me and gain what I have, then think again. You never will.”