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“I’m here to ask you a few questions,” I respond calmly. “I would like you to answer them honestly.”
Edvard, ever proud, turns his nose up at my request. “Why would I do such a thing? It’s not like things can get any worse for me.”
“Would you like to test your theory?”
“You have me caged up like an animal, Natalya. Even you wouldn’t deprive me of what little I already have.”
“You’re right, I wouldn’t… But Dimitri would.”
I glance over my shoulder at Dimitri, who’s remained silent and kept his distance. He leans casually against the opposite wall sharing the door, his arms crossed over his chest. He said he wanted to be here to supervise. It’s not that he doesn’t trust me to handle myself, it’s that Dimitri doesn’t trust Edvard not to try and mess with me.
“You can’t have something for nothing, my dear,” Edvard grumbles. “You want answers? I want fuckingout.”
“So you can bide your time and wreak havoc again? You’ll have to forgive me for saying that’s a terrible idea.”
Edvard throws his hands up and stomps over to his bed, lying down and rolling away so his back faces me. He’s being nothing more than a petulant child. It’s almost startling to see him throw a tantrum like this. I guess it makes sense. His ego is bigger than all of Russia, but we’ve bruised it beyond recognition. If I were in his shoes, I’d probably die of shame.
“Answer my questions,” I say firmly, “and I’ll see what I can do about making your stay here more comfortable.”
“Oh, how charitable,” he says dryly. “Yes, please, do make my final years as comfortable as possible.”
He reminds me of a scolded dog whose behavior has gone unchecked for ages. Now that he’s been collared and confined, he’s all bark and no bite.
“Don’t try and guilt trip me, Edvard. It’s not going to work.” I take a step forward, doing my best not to let my clawing eagerness show. “Why did you kill my father?”
He scoffs. “Don’t you know by now?”
“You could have picked anyone to use and manipulate. Why did you choose him? You went to a lot of effort to dupe me into killing on your behalf. Was it random, or did you have some bigger scheme at play?”
Edvard is silent for a moment. “I want a radio in here. To listen to music.”
I quickly look back at Dimitri. He nods his approval.
“Okay,” I say. “One will be provided to you.”
“And extra blankets. It’s fucking freezing down here.”
Another nod from Dimitri.
“Fine,” I tell him.
Edvard sits up, throwing his feet over the edge of his bed. His lips are pressed into a thin line, his nostrils flaring as he stares me down. If he means to frighten me, it doesn’t work.
“It was totally random,” he says with a hint of childish glee. The way he smiles is cruel, like he knows the answer will only hurt me more. “Wrong place, wrong time. Viktor presented an opportunity, and I took it.”
I set my jaw, desperately trying to force back the tears welling in my eyes. “Random?” I croak.
“Our paths just so happened to cross when he came looking for a loan. I checked into him, of course. I’m always careful to do my homework. When I discovered your father had previous dealings with the Antonovs, it felt like fate. I started to wonder how I could use this information to my advantage.”
The back of my throat burns, my windpipe squeezing tight. None of this is fair.
“You didn’t have to kill him,” I hiss.
“You’re right, I didn’t, but it suited me just fine.” Edvard shrugs unapologetically. “I was going to figure out a way to blackmail him into killing Dimitri himself, but then I learned about you.”
My stomach clenches. My lip curls into a sneer. “What about me?”
“Revenge is one of the most effective tools for manipulation,” he explains casually. “You’re proof of that. Viktor was too old and frail to carry out the task, so why not get a pretty, lively thing like you to do my bidding?”
