Page 144 of Anton

#119

My fingers snap around the photo. What does that mean?

“What are you doing?”

His voice creeps up my neck, so close that I gasp and stumble back a few steps before whirling around to find Anton standing there. I struggle to gather my thoughts long enough to ask the question burning through me.

“Why do you have my picture in your pocket?”

His face doesn’t change, blank and almost expressionless even in the dark. “Because I’m supposed to kill you.”

I let out a laugh…but it evaporates when I don’t see his demeanor change.

My stomach drops so violently that I have to take another step away from him. “Oh my God.”

“Thora—”

“Oh my God, you’re not…” A gasp catches in my throat, the photo trembling between my fingers. “You’re not kidding.”

“Relax. Please. You’re still alive, which means I didn’t do it.”

“Relax?!” My tone rises so sharply that Volchok’s head lifts from the floor near the bed. “You just admitted you were planning to kill me, and I’m supposed to relax? What reality do you live in?”

“These days?” He stares past me, looking almost as wrecked as I feel. “I have no idea.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“It means I have never refused an order from my brother until you.”

The room spins, or maybe I do. I reach out to the chaise, grabbing the edge to stabilize myself, while he clicks the bedside lamp on.

I press a hand to my stomach. “Your brother ordered you to kill me? Why? What the hell did I do?”

“It wasn’t you.” He approaches me cautiously.

“Oh, good. That makes me feel so much better.”

“It was your family’s fault.” Another step, and I don’t even have the strength left to get away, dizziness plaguing my head. “They moved in on business that wasn’t theirs and refused to back down, no matter how many times we warned them. You were the way they were going to pay for it.”

My body drowns in a bitter chill, unable to comprehend anything he’s saying.

“Holy shit.” I stumble back, staring at him as the truth crashes over me. “You’re all fucking crazy. Everyone in my life has betrayed me, and I thought you were different. I thought you actually gave a shit about me, but what was this? You wanted to know what it felt like to fuck a woman, so you used me for practice before killing me? That way, when the woman you really want comes along, you’ll know what you’re doing?”

His jaw sets. “Don’t.”

“No. You don’t get to look at me like that.” Tears burn behind my eyes as I shake my head, disgust turning my stomach. “Everyone I’ve ever loved has lied to me. Everyone. And now you’re one of them.”

Anton’s chest rises, holding my stare with more emotion than he can hide.

“I never asked you to love me, Thora.” The words come out harsh as he stalks toward me, forcing me backward until I hit the wall. “I told you I didn’t want friends. I liked being alone. Then you came along and ruined everything.”

“I ruined everything for you?” I scoff. “How dare you fucking say that to me?”

He grips my throat, fury blazing across his face, burning away every trace of the man who once made me feel safe. “Did you think I could change? That love would fix whatever is wrong with me, detka? Because you can’t fix this.”

His teeth snap as tears spill over my cheeks.

“Clearly.” Anger radiates through me. “Get the hell away from me.”