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Anger filled my chest, like a drip of gasoline combusting with frightening speed.
He sauntered across the room to me. “Don’t you have a hug for you soon-to-be brother-in-law?”
“Yeah, I have something for you,” I said as he drew closer.
There was a knife just beside my hand on the table. I curled it into my palm. As soon as he was within reach, I drew back my hand back, and slashed at his chest. He pivoted quickly, ending up behind me, his hand gripping my knife-wielding hand tightly.
“Now, now, that’s not very sisterly, Mallory,” he said in my ear, squeezing my wrist until I dropped the blade.
Olga watched us with an annoyed expression. “Play somewhere else.”
“Let me go,” I wriggled against Nikolai.
He chuckled in my ear.“Only if you promise not to take another chunk out of me.”
“No deal.”
“Fine. At least promise to do it so ineptly that it’s easy to dodge,” he goaded and pushed me away so I stumbled toward the table.
Steadying myself, I spun around and glared at him. “You’re a bastard.”
“Tell me something I don’t know. I wouldn’t think you’d be so judgmental about kids born out of wedlock considering your . . .situation,” he said lazily, his eyes trailing down my body. “Why are you mad at me, Molly? I gave you a chance to start over. Did you forget already?”
“No, I didn’t forget. You also killed my father.”
“At Viktor’s command,” he said flatly as if that exonerated him. Meeting my eyes, he shrugged. “You don’t blame the knife for carrying out its movement, or the gun for delivering the bullet. You blame the one with their finger on the trigger.”
“So, what are you saying? Viktor killed my father, and you hold no blame.”
“I’m just the blade, Mallory. A racing bullet someone else fired. Anyone could be the bullet if the situation was right, even you.”
“You’re the fucking worst,” I muttered, turning away from him.
“That’s a given, Princess.”
“Don’t call me that,” I ground out, annoyed by the familiarity of the words.
Nikolai tilted his head to the side, studying me before chuckling. “Oh, is that how it is? My dear brother is all forgiven? Interesting.”
“I don’t want to talk to you about my relationship.”
“Does that mean I shouldn’t be holding my breath for a wedding invite?”
“Feel free. Hold away and do the world a favor.”
Nikolai laughed and straightened up. “Molly, you kill me. Now, are you going to show me where the wounded warrior is, or do I have to poke around here on my own?”
“Niko,” Ivan called from the doorway. Kirill’s loyal bodyguard looked imposing as hell with his huge arms crossed over his barrel chest. He looked at home in the old-fashioned style of the house, like he was a knight who had returned from pillaging and dueling.
“Oh, great. It’s Ivan the unfriendly giant,” Nikolai said, unintimidated by the older man. He wandered past him into the dining room.
“You don’t have to spend any time with him, Mallory,” Ivan said.
I shook my head. “It’s fine. He needs watching.” I followed the group resolutely up the dark paneled stairs toward Kirill’s room.
Inside smelled of medicines, and the scent of Kirill that always comforted me. It was muted by the antiseptic tang of the various dressings and sterile baths dotted around the place. It was a smell I was used to. My mother had smelled like chemicals for half my life, but it was jarring to find the same cloying scent of near death around Kirill.
Nikolai whistled loudly when he came in. “Damn. I knew it was serious, but it looks like he let a De Sanctis do some target shooting on his chest. It’s unlike him to put himself in that kind of situation.” Nikolai turned his eyes to mine. “I wonder what caused this fuck-up. Love is such a terrible weakness.”
