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“Yeah, to keep me compliant,” Aurora bites out bitterly.
The betrayal I feel cannot be described in words. I won’t lie and say I was close to Catherina growing up. She was a mother in title only; there wasn’t a caring bone in her body. She was always too hard, too cold and why I raised my brothers myself. Someone had to be there for Dimitri, Pyotr, and Luka becauseshenever was. When we escaped to America,Iwas the one who picked up the broken pieces of my family while she locked herself away. I was the one who kept us going, made something of myself, tried to take care of her even though she never returned the favor.
And this is how she repays me? By making a mess of my life, by involving Aurora like some common pawn.
“I won’t forgive you for this,” I growl. I can barely form sentences over the white-hot rage ripping through my veins. “You’ve gone too far.”
“Hate me all you want, Misha,” my mother whispers coldly. “Once this business is concluded, you can toss me aside for all I care.”
I also lower my voice to a whisper. “Business? You mean killing Konstantin?”
“Not just kill.Destroy. I want everything he has. His money, his territory, his power, hislife. I will not stop until I have torn him apart.”
“You’ve lost your damn mind.”
“Yes, I think I have. All the more reason for you to work with me and stay on my good side. Wouldn’t you agree, Aurora?”
I glance down at her. She’s been silent throughout our conversation. I can’t exactly blame her. I can feel her trembling beside me, but despite her obvious fear, Aurora holds up her head and puts on a brave face. I admire her strength in adversity. She’s not down for the count yet, the fire in her eyes not yet extinguished. We know we’re trapped in an impossible situation, but we’re not hopeless.
“We’re working on a plan,” Aurora says softly. “It’s crazy, but it just might work.”
“Fill me in later,” I reply. “This isn’t the place.”
She nods in agreement. It would be foolish to discuss our game plan with Konstantin just down the hall. Who knows who might be lurking around the corner? Hell, I wouldn’t be surprised if there are hidden mics and cameras all over the place, watching our every move. Konstantin came to power during the Cold War, after all. It’s very possible he picked up a few tricks from his pals in the KGB. I’m grateful we whispered the conversation.
Catherina checks her appearance in the mirror before speaking. “Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to rejoin the party. Don’t hide in here too long. Wouldn’t want that bastard thinking you’re conspiring against him.”
I’m so exhausted I have nothing to respond with. I want her to leave me the fuck alone. I want Aurora to have a moment of peace. I can’t imagine what the last few weeks have been like for her, Konstantin’s grip on her practically a chokehold. The door finally shuts. Aurora and I are finally alone.
I kneel before her, my hands placed gently on her knees. I tilt my chin up to look at her, Aurora’s hair curtaining either side of her face. Her baby blues peek out, the edges red from tears and exhaustion. She’s been holding it in this whole time; her relief, her anguish, her terror.
“What took you so long?” she asks, a whimper. A tear streaks down her cheek. “I was so scared. I was so—” She hiccups, wipes her nose. Her voice comes out thin and small and broken. “I missed you so much, Mikhail. I was so fucking worried. I thought I was never going to see you again!”
I wrap her in my arms, my heart twisting painfully in my chest. She cries against the crook of my neck, clinging to me desperately, her fingers practically clawing straight through my shirt and into my skin. Not because she wants to hurt me, but she’s scared to let go. I know exactly how she feels. Her fear is my fear. All I can do is press kisses to her hair, her temple, her cheeks.
“I’m here, sweetheart,” I mutter against her skin. The familiar scent of peaches fills my nose. Fuck, it feels so good to hold her again. It feels right,complete, like I’ve finally found a missing part of my soul. “I’m sorry, Aurora. For all of this.”
She shakes her head, wiping her eyes with the heels of her palm. “Please tell me everything’s going to be alright. Please. I just need to hear you say it.”
“Everything’s going to be alright,” I assure her, gently caressing her cheeks. “I’m going to protect you and the baby no matter what. Ivowit.”
“Did you really kill that man?” she whispers.
I shake my head slightly, the movement almost imperceivable. “Camera tricks, that’s all.”
Aurora takes a deep breath, sniffling softly as she takes my hand and guides it to her belly. She presses my fingers to her bump. A wonderfully warm haze fills me when I think about the life she’s carrying. Amidst this world of violence and plots and backstabbing, this is somethinggood.
“I wish I could have told you under better circumstances,” she says with a weak laugh.
I lean forward and kiss her tenderly on the lips. “Either way, I’m over the moon.”
“Really?”
I nod. “I’m sorry I wasn’t there to help you through the first bit, but I’m here now. Whatever you need, you just tell me, alright?”
“Kill Konstantin,” she whispers, so quietly I almost don’t catch it. It’s a conspiracy just for the two of us.
I stare at her. I’ve never seen so much resolve. I know she’s afraid, but we both understand there’s no way around it. If we want any chance of getting out of this alive, Konstantin needs to die—and I must kill him with my own hands.
