AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I motion to Augustin and Stanislav. “Deliver the body to Ivanov headquarters. Don’t bother wrapping it up. I want Petyr to see what he’s done.”
74
PAIGE
Misha is sleeping soundly when I wake up the next morning. I desperately want to know what happened last night, but I don’t have the heart to wake him. So instead, I watch him for a little while. I wait.
Then, when I start to feel like a shameless creep and he shows no signs of stirring, I kiss his brow and go to the bathroom for a soak.
I’m just sliding into the water when the door opens. Misha glides in, bleary-eyed and stooped. He sees me and, without breaking stride, sheds his clothes on his way over before joining me in the tub. I settle between his legs as steam rises from the water.
It’s nice in here. Quiet and calm and warm. The only problem is that I can’t block out the question burning inside of me.
“Misha, what happened last night?”
He sighs. “You were right.”
I wince. It’s exactly what I was hoping he wouldn’t say. My heart cracks in two, oozing with pain on Cyrille’s behalf. She deserves so much better than this. “I so wanted to be wrong. Does Cyrille know?”
“Not yet. I’m going to go tell her today.”
I twist around to face him. “I want to come with you.”
“I’m not sure if—”
“It wasn’t a question,” I snap. “I’m coming with you. Final answer.”
He sighs, but the gentle weight of his hand on my thigh as he eases back lets me know I’ve won.
I lean into him and loll my head against his chest. “Why did he have to set his sights on her?”
“Because he saw that she was lonely and vulnerable. And he took advantage of that. That’s what evil men do.”
* * *
Ilya has already gone off to school by the time Misha and I arrive at Cyrille’s. Her butler leads us to the breakfast nook where my sister-in-law is sitting at the table in a floaty periwinkle blue robe, sipping a cup of coffee.
She grins when she sees us both. “Well, this is a surprise!”
“We’re sorry to barge in unannounced,” I say.
“Nonsense. Family doesn’t need an invitation.” She looks between the two of us. The smile slowly fades from her face. “Oh, boy… This isn’t a fun visit, is it?” Her gaze flickers from Misha to me. “Did you tell him?”
“Cyrille, I’m sorry but—”
She shoves her chair back violently as she gets to her feet. “I trusted you to keep this a secret. I would have told everyone when I was ready.”
“She had good reason to tell me, Cyrille,” Misha interrupts.
“Which is what?” Cyrille snaps.
I hate that she’s looking at me like that. Like she doesn’t really know me at all. I take a step forward, desperate to make her understand. “Petyr came to Orion yesterday. He cornered me in my office.”
She is horror-struck. “Hewhat?”
Even in the midst of her anger, she’s worried about me.
“It’s okay,” I amend quickly. “I hit the panic button and he disappeared just before Misha arrived.”
