Page 76 of The Agreement

Marky sighed, drawing Roman back again.

“I need you to act fast,” he said. “I don’t really think I have a lot of time to ... put a puzzle together, so to speak.”

And he was missing a lot of pieces. That much was clear.

Then, Roman stood up and walked over to his desk to shuffle through some papers. An action that would tell Marky that the conversation ended there—he didn’t need opinions, only action. Not when he knew his friend couldn’t actually give him any insight. He needed facts first.

It was that kind of situation. Roman had to tread carefully. Behind him, Marky remained silent, telling him that his best friend understood.

Good enough for him.

SIXTEEN

Days melted into weeks, and for the first time, Karine felt acutely aware of it all. Every second, minute, and hour. Each one that made up a day. And then all seven in an entire week. She couldn’t pinpoint why the change, but she knew exactly when it began.

The second she kissed Roman in that alleyway. She didn’t like to think about that night—when her inevitable destiny was unashamedly announced to the rest of the world. She might as well have been officially branded as Dima’s property.

Signed and sealed.

Being shipped off to a man who terrified her loomed ahead as her wedding day inched closer and closer. The day to end all her freedom. Even the little that she had now—still living in her own quarters in the Yazov mansion—would be gone altogether.

What would she do then?

Once she was married to a man who would control every breath she took; every thought in her head. How was she going to make it through the rest of her life?

Karine blinked the tears threatening to blur her vision, still unsure of how her life had ended up the way it did. It wasn’t a good thing to count down time—it could make a person so aware of how fast it was running out that they became obsessive about what they wanted to do with it. She was no exception to the rule.

Tonight could be the only night she had to live. In any real sense, as it were.

Standing in the veranda that could be accessed from her bedroom, she had a long-shot view of the front of the mansion. The section that was a part of her father’s side where she was rarely allowed to visit, unless it served some purpose, especially not on a night like tonight.

Tribute, that was.

She knew the rules. That side of the mansion where she might be seen was off-limits unless otherwise said when she couldn’t be monitored and wasn’t needed. Meaning, wanted. Usually, Karine was very good at following the rules. She had spent her whole life living by them.

It made things easier.

That wasn’t enough to make her wonder ...

For her to consider .... it could be her only chance to see Roman again. Before the wedding, of course. After that, she doubted the light of day would grace her life for a while. She didn’t know if he would be here tonight, but given what she understood regarding tribute, it was likely he would.

A thrill ran down her spine at the idea—at the thought of seeing him again—because she hadn’t once got the man out of her mind. All it took was a kiss; the way he looked at her when he touched her was too much.

And not enough.

She could almost taste his hot mouth against her own, demanding she give him another lick, and the imprint of his fingers digging into her hips to keep her pinned to him had remained for days.

She’d done something stupid, then.

Karine wanted to do it again.

Tipping her head back, she stared at the night sky—when was the last time she had seen so many stars? She blinked repeatedly, wondering if they might disappear if she stared at them hard enough. Except they didn’t. The stars remained exactly where they were. The only constant in her life.

And sadly, she was only now starting to notice that fact. There was a reason for that, too.

Karine hadn’t taken a single pill—one she stumbled upon on her own, or medication from Masha—in longer than she could remember. Was it that morning—yesterday? At first, she thought she was being crazy, but she wasn’t imagining it.

Masha offered her less than she used to with no explanation. At first, Karine was confused and angry. That was the one way she made it through the day, something she almost depended on. It was a lot to constantly drown in her thoughts and emotions—no longer numbed to it all by a never-ending supply of this pill or that one to keep her perky and happy when needed.