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I can hear the impatience in his voice and can imagine him placing his hand on his hip in exasperation. “You’re going to need my help, cousin.”
“Like hell I do!” I snap back. “Emma and I could be halfway across the world by now if you hadn’t stolenourinheritance from us.”
“Yourinheritance? Do I need to remind you just how dirty that money is? Paige, you’ve been in bed with a criminal for so long that you’re forgetting what matters! I need your help to bring Andrei Barinov to justice. Can’t you see that?”
I sit down on the toilet lid to keep my body from shaking. “So, you don’t deny stealing my inheritance. You’d be more convincing if you acted differently. But you were born a punk and will always be one. You won’t fool me again.”
“Paige, where do you want to meet?” he asks. “Bring your guards, and they can watch me, but wehaveto talk.”
I sigh, wondering if I should let him have his way. “There is nowhere to talk.”
“Meet me at the lawyer’s office,” Kenney decides. “Two days, Paige. This isn’t a fucking game.”
“Fuck you, Kenney!”
It takes all my strength not to hurl the phone at the tile wall. I shut it off and hide it in a cabinet beneath a pile of folded towels.Deep breaths. I splash my face with cold water and step out of the ensuite.
“Who were you talking to?” Andrei is sitting on the corner of our bed, watching me.
Shit.
His face is unreadable as he waits for my answer. When did he walk into the bedroom? And could he hear me through that thick door? Did I say Kenney’s name?
I swallow hard. “I was on the phone with the lawyer. I want my money, Andrei.”
He nods, looking at me thoughtfully. “You don’t need to call the lawyer yourself. I can help with that. How much money do you want?”
“I wantmymoney,” I reply loudly. “Not yours. It’s not fair that I don’t have it.”
“It’s not as straightforward as that, Paige,” he replies evenly. “You know that.”
“Of course,” I smile pleasantly. “But isn’t there a lot for you to do already?”
“Where’s your phone?” He stands up, and I feel as if my legs are about to buckle.
I don’t dare answer because I don’t want to tell another lie.
“Paige.” He steps closer. “It would help if we didn’t keep secrets from one another.”
I back away quickly. “Are you going to hurt Sonya?” I can’t saykill. I don’t want to hear him sayyes.
He looks into my eyes and says, “I don’t want to.”
“But you might have to?” I reply in a trembling voice.
He doesn’t answer. Instead, Andrei reaches for me and pulls me into his arms.
It’s comforting to be held, and I feel myself gradually relax. He pulls me closer so that his cheek rests on my hair, and we hold onto each other in the quiet room. Andrei holds me with a tenderness that surprises me, although I don’t know why it does. He holds me tight for a moment before letting me go.
His tenderness always makes me want to confess. That’s the reason why I’m afraid. I want to tell him about the phone call. My plans to sell my jewelry. How Emma found the flash drives. But I don’t. I start to breathe heavily as if the world is closing in around me, and I have nowhere to run.
“Lie down,” he says, guiding me over to the bed. “And get some rest, Paige.”
I smile weakly as I lay my head down on the pillow. Andrei doesn’t mean for it to sound like a threat, but I can’t stop staring at him as he steps into the ensuite and shuts the door.
My head whirls in a panic, and I wonder if I should run now, but where? There’s nowhere for me to run that he won’t be able to find me.
I feel Andrei’s hand on my head, and he brushes a piece of hair off my cheek. I keep my eyes closed until I hear the door shut, and I wait, giving him enough time to go downstairs.
