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He smiles, almost encouraging me to continue. I grow tired of his repetitive actions. I reach for my gun and reload it. Pavel would have done this. I place the eye of the pistol in the center of his mouth,dyingto press the trigger—how ironic is that?
Out of the corner of my eye, I see him lift something in his other hand. Before I have a moment to react, Sloane runs in front of me, grabbing onto my hand.
Why the fuck is she here? How did she even get out?
Her eyes search mine, but I look away. I can’t even look her in the eyes anymore.
“Giovanni, are you fucking kidding me?” Max says, kicking the gun out of his hands. He lifts Giovanni up, holding his weight over his shoulder. He walks him out of the courtyard, and I watch him limp away.
“Mikhail, look at me,” Sloane demands. My teeth grind and my jaw tightens.“Est tolko ti i ya.” There is only you and me.
I turn my head away from her again, but her hands find my cheek, and she brushes her smooth skin against mine.“Eto moya ochered bit sylnim dlya tebya.” It’s my turn to be strong for you.
“Vi nichego ne znayete,”I mutter.You know nothing.
This is what I get for trusting someone again. Maybe I just got too comfortable or I missed having that special person. What I felt seemed so unique, something that could forever be mine. I wasn’t forced to deal with the feeling of being alone anymore.
Before Sloane, I was fine. I was comfortable with staying by myself no matter how much the thought of being like this forever terrified me deep down.
All I wanted was that one person. The one I could go to no matter what, knowing they’d support me for once.
I would’ve been a lot further ahead in life if I’d put myself first. If I hadn’t worried about what others needed of me. I should have left Sloane alone.
Her thumb presses against my lips, and she brings her face in close to mine. I couldn’t pull away from her even if I wanted to. It feels as if my heart is tied to hers.
“Ya znayu tebya. Prosti menya,”she whispers.I know you. Forgive me.
All my life I’ve been taught the same lesson over and over again: never trust or rely on anyone. But this is different somehow ... “It’s my turn to be strong,”she told me. Those are the words I saved for Kirill. I made sure to protect him even when I didn’t feel like he deserved me. I gave everything I was to my brother, and I got nothing in return.
“You hurt me,” I tell her. “You used my trust like it meant nothing to you.”
Her mouth drops. “It meant everything to me. It might not seem like it, but I have been by your side for years, Mikhail. Pavel came to me because he thought you’d need someone like me. If you opened that fucking letter, maybe you’d know.”
My eyes fall. The letter. I was saving that. “How do you know about the letter?” I ask.
“Because it’s about me. Pavel told me he’d write down my information. I was supposed to work for you—then you kidnapped me and ruined everything.”
“Iruined everything? You just had to tell me, Sloane!” I yell at her.
“I couldn’t! He didn’t want me to!”
I rub my forehead in frustration as I try to understand everything. Now I’m pissed at her for two things: betraying me and then not fucking communicating correctly.
“He said I was the glue. That the both of you needed me because the Clarkes are going to come.”
I nod slowly. “Because of the property.”
Her eyes roam over my body, taking in every look she can get. “You stayed because of Pavel?” I ask.
“No. I stayed because I wanted to be by your side. I wasn’t really thinking much about Pavel when I was with you.”
“Now ... excuse the fuck out of my French, but why the fuck should I trust you?”
Her head falls back with annoyance. “Mikhail, everything was real. I just had to do what Pavel asked of me. You would’ve done the same thing!” she shouts.
I’ve never had someone want to be by my side, and yet Sloane wants to. For years I have denied my heart from feeling anything other than hate, only to find something stronger in Sloane.
Commitment.
