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Andmymen,mysoldiers… they’re all watching and listening to every deceitful word out of that traitor’s mouth.
“I would like us all to move forward together. It’s good to clear the air and—”
“What the fuck are you doing here, Sergey?” My voice echoes across the room. All eyes, including Sergey’s, turn to me.
He gives me a sad smile, playing for sympathy. “Am I no longer welcome in the home I gifted to my only son?”
“Which ‘only son’ could you be referring to? The one you adopted? Or the one you sired, abandoned, and murdered?”
Whispers percolate through the gathered men.
I should have told everyone what happened with Sergey the day it happened. The hour. The minute. I should have told them what I knew about Rodion’s connection to Sergey and about Emily.
But Benjamin was missing and I thought Piper was to blame. I was busy.
Busy being an idiot. She’d tried to tell me, more than once, that I was wasting time pursuing her as if she had anything to do with the kidnapping. But I chose to ignore her.
I thought there would be more time.
Clearly, I was wrong.
“That is exactly what I came here to talk about with the men,” Sergey says. “I wanted to clear up the rumors that have been floating around.”
“There are no rumors. Only the truth,” I spit.
“Oh. So is it true, then, that you killed Rodion out of jealousy?”
Sergey is fast. He’s been in this world a long time, and he knows how to shift things to his advantage. I have to stay on top of him.
“That’s the lie you created,” I growl. “That’s what you’re saying to cover your own tracks.”
Sergey smirks. “So now, you’re saying therearesome rumors? I can’t keep up with your story, son.”
Sleep.That’s what I need. I need some fucking sleep.
It has been over twenty-four hours since I’ve closed my eyes. I’m regretting not curling up behind Piper on the sofa in my office and taking a nap with her. That might have been a more productive use of my time than this.
But I can’t walk away now. I can’t back down. Not when my men are expecting me to fight.
“I have no story to keep up with. I had no reason at all to kill Rodion.”
“Except that you believed he murdered your little friend,” Sergey suggests, not even bothering to say Emily’s name. “You were open about your hatred of Rodion for months before he died.”
“Rodion didn’t die. You killed him,” I correct.
Sergey continues on as though he didn’t hear me. “There are also rumors that you loved her, but she didn’t return the feelings. It must have burned you up when she started dating Rodion.”
“I loved Emily as a sister. Everyone knows that.”
“Because that is all you could get her to agree to?”
“Because that is all we ever were!” I should kill him here and now for the implication alone. But I don’t. I need to be the calm head, the sane one between us. If he riles me up, he wins. “If I was upset about her dating Rodion, it’s because he wasn’t good enough for her.”
“Would you have been good enough?” he asks.
“I wanted Emily to be my sister,” I remind everyone. “I asked Sergey to adopt her, but he refused. Then he fucking killed her.”
The room goes quiet. Sergey meets my eyes over the long table.
