Page 44 of Betrayal and Vows

I sit down on the bed next to him. I can feel the heat from his body.

“If he hates you, why does he trust you to guard me?”

He huffs something that might be a laugh. “He doesn’t. Vadim does.”

I move closer. “Why are youhere, Anton? You could leave. You’re not a slave.”

“I’ve got unfinished business.”

“With Vadim?”

He doesn’t answer.

“Tell me.”

“I am.”

“No, you’redodging.”

He looks at me. Really looks at me. “You want honesty?”

“Yes.”

“Vadim Orlov is a liar. A murderer.”

I don’t want to point out the obvious, but I have to.

His lips twitch when he realizes the irony. “Yes, I kill. I lie when necessary. I’m not climbing to the top. I’m not killing to run an empire.”

“You’re not one of them,” I say.

I know enough about the Orlov family. I know most of the men in the organization are related in one way or another.

“I’ll never be one of them.”

“Did you want to join the family?” I ask. “I suppose I’m curious. Why choose this world? If I could leave, I would.”

He shrugs. “Survival.”

“Where did you grow up?” I ask softly.

It’s silly, but I need to know the man who has stolen my heart. When I’m broken and alone, I want to think about Anton. I need to know everything to fuel the fantasies that will carry me through what I expect to be a miserable life.

“Nowhere good.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means by the time I was ten, I knew how to pick locks, steal wallets, and stay invisible.”

“Did they find you?”

“Theymademe.”

The air chills.

“You were recruited?”

“Stop asking questions, Lena.”