Page 106 of The Agreement

She arched a brow. “Why should I go anywhere with you?”

“Because right now, Katina,” he said, crossing the space until he stood next to her side of the bed. “I am the only person in the world you can trust.”

He leaned over the side of the bed, bringing his face close enough, so she could breathe in his scent. She didn’t think he did it for that purpose, but didn’t miss the opportunity all the same, because he simply seemed to stare into her eyes. Like he wanted her to look back and see the truth.

Despite herself, she wanted to believe him.

Still, she asked, “Tell me why I should.”

“Maxim knows—your shit with Leonid, you.”

Katina stiffened, tipping her chin up to look down at him.

He continued, not letting her have time to respond before he said, “This is what Maxim wants, too. He isn’t going to come after us if we leave now—we know nothing, say nothing, but he wants you gone.”

At that statement, her nostrils flared. The only true show of her anger, but she couldn’t say this man knew her tells.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She was so close to getting what she wanted—for Maxim to get what he deserved, and she needed to be here to watch it happen.

Roman slowly straightened up again. “Would he kill you if you stayed? Do you know the answer to that?”

Katina chewed on her inner cheek to keep from screaming her frustration. No. This was not how it was supposed to go. She didn’t need rescuing—she needed revenge.

Seemingly unwilling to wait for her answer, Roman walked back to the bedroom door, stopping at the threshold to look at her again. He wasn’t about to give her a second chance. “Well, you coming?”

Yes, she was.

She had to.

• • •

Katina knew Masha would have to come with them. She liked her well enough, although Karine was way too attached to the woman, as far as she was concerned. Katee called her Maria—an English equivalent to her Russian-given name—and was similarly reliant on her. Katina couldn’t quite say the same, but as she hadn’t been with Masha for nearly as long as them, she wasn’t sure they would have made it alive without her.

Besides, if they left Masha behind, she didn’t know what Maxim might do to her.

Roman didn’t dispute her on it when she suggested Masha accompanying them. In fact, he’d been quick to agree the woman might be a help to them all. And he said it just like that, too.

Through the reflection in the rearview mirror, she watched Masha sleep in the backseat, her head leaning against the window. Oblivious to the miles of freeway passing them by, and warm under a jacket Roman had offered for her to use as a blanket. Only one thing made her pause about Masha.

Katina didn’t know what Masha did or where she slept when she wasn’t with her. It was obvious the woman didn’t get much rest. She was Maxim’s slave. Yazov property. She never gave her a reason to think she would hurt or act against them, but where did her loyalties lie?

Maxim probably wouldn’t miss Masha’s presence if he was now aware of the plot underfoot in his organization—he’d be even less concerned when he realized how deep the betrayal truly ran, too.

The sun peeked through the sky in the horizon, sending vivid streaks of orange and purple across the backdrop of thin, sparse white clouds. As far ahead as she could see, asphalt sprawled before her. Fields and grazing cattle surrounded both sides of the vehicle. She had never seen such a landscape before, but it was beautiful.

Natural.

Wild.

Free.

The only thing that had ever scared her was how badly she wanted exactly that—to be free.

She didn’t know their destination, where Roman was driving them to, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask, either. She just wanted to keep staring out of the window—like that, sitting there, empty of thought and devoid of feelings. For once, not needing to be on. Sitting beside him returned those feelings she remembered Karine having and obsessing over constantly.

Safe, warm, hopeful.

And then there was him.