“Why are you here?” Pavel's eyes narrow because he knows I wouldn't be there unless something dire happened.
“Clara's gone. Andrey sent a bomb to kill us. I took her to the SoHo property, but they stillfoundher. They set it up to look like she escaped and betrayed me.”
All of it makes sense now that I know they bugged her. Clara didn’t betray me, but some of the guards did, all of whom will suffer greatly before I kill them.
“But that still leaves a question of who set the bugs—Andrey or Dean? They made it sound like Clara willingly went with Dean, most likely to make me assume she told him everything.”
“It was both,Dima.” Pavel's voice is husky, and he looks like he hasn’t slept for days. “They are working together. Andrey is not getting his information from some unknown source. Dean is workingwithAndrey.”
The knowledge is like a lightning strike, and suddenly, everything becomes clear.
Clara is in a tremendous amount of danger.
“Dean has Clara. That's why I'm here, trying to figure out where he took her.”
Pavel’s eyes narrow into an angry scowl.
I turn on my heel and stride toward the door. “I'll tell you everything in the car. Let’s go.”
“Where are we going?”
“The only place we can. To Natasha.”
36
CLARA
All my choices from the moment I stepped into Dmitri's hotel room by mistake that night have come down to this.I'm tiedto a radiator, freezing in a broken-down building. Andrey and Dean are experts at manipulation, be it people or evidence. And right now, I'm pretty sure Dmitri believes I really have betrayed him, which means no one is coming to rescue me.
“Can I at least get a blanket or something?”
Dean looks up from his phone, which he's been constantly checking. What he’s waiting for, I don't know.
“Please?” I ask, my teeth chattering. It's really cold in here, and I only have on a light coat.
Surprisingly, Dean takes off his coat anddrapesit over my shoulders, adjusting it gently. I'm so surprised by the gesture that I manage a small thanks, despite the fact that it smells of cheap cologne, body spray, and sweat. It makes me want to vomit because of everything I associate that smell with. It's nothing like Dmitri's expensive, subtle, smoky scent that Irealize has gotten so under my skin that I calm down just from thinking about it.
“So, look.” Dean sits back in his chair, a vantage point to look down on me. “I know we've been in a really rough spot the past six months.” It takes everything I have to hold in a snort of derision, to keep my face as neutral as possible as the delusional words come out of Dean's mouth.
“But we had something really good. We had something really special. And I want to forgive and forget because I love you. Losing you has shown me just how much. I know I got angry that you chose the mob boss over me, but I also know that’s just who you are. You like powerful and dangerous men; you can’t help yourself. I’m willing to overlook your lack of judgment and betrayal if you come back.”
The only thing I can manage in response is a faint, “Oh?”
“I mean it. I know I wasn't the best boyfriend. I know I have some anger issues, but I'm really working on them. I promise I'll be better if you promise me better, too.”
“Better?” I don't know if the question sounds as innocent as I'm trying to make it. I know I'm walking a dangerous path right now. My best line of defense would be to play along with Dean; to let him think I really do want to get back with him, that I've been in love with him all along and have just been waiting for him to change.
But his words have me burning with anger at the fact that he thinks it's okay to kidnap me, to work with Andrey, and then tell me he accepts thatImade a bad decision because that’s just who I am, as though I'm some woman whose only desire is toprocreate with the strongest man, as though Dean’s abuse had absolutely nothing to do with me leaving.
But I have to play along, as angry as it makes me, as much as it repulses me, so that I can get out of here. So I can keep my baby safe.
“So, does that mean you’ll get me out of here? So we can start over?” I practically choke as I say the words.
If Dean gets me out, I can make my escape. I’ll tell Emily to call in the cavalry to take me away from all of this, even though it makes me unbearably sad to think of not having Dmitri in my life or the baby's, especially since I was just coming to terms with the imperfect man I fell in love with.
What's even worse is the idea that I will disappear before I can tell Dmitri I didn’t betray him. That grief brings tears to my eyes, which I use to my advantage when I realize Dean is watching me. He probably thinks the tears are for him, a sign of gratitude for his magnanimous forgiveness.
“Yeah, of course. You know Andrey answers to me. He thinks he's playing me, but I'm playing him. You know I only did this because Dmitri thinks he can take you from me. I had to show you that I'm the stronger man. I'll get you out of here as soon as all this is over. I really want you to know that this is all for your own good. I'm getting you out of a terrible situation. I'm saving you. Andrey just needs a little bit of leverage, and once Smirnov is out of the way, we can be together again. We'll be happy. I'll even claim the baby as my own. This really is what's best for you. I'm doing this because I love you.”
