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"Vladi, you could force me to stay with you, but I can still freeze you out. I could turn you out of our bed, and you'd go back to that couch because you—"
"Don't say it." I squeeze my eyes closed, trying to block her out. "Don't. You're my wife, my downfall, my obsession. People can see my weakness." I press my thumbs into my temples. "You gave me hope I could be better than my father. Why did youdothat, Morgana? All you had to do was play your part, but you made me love you."
Oh, sweet Jesus.I didn't know I felt it until now, but it's the truest thing I've ever said.
"You love me?"
She comes to me, and I pull her into my arms. "Yes," I murmur. "I told you,lisichka—I didn't have far to go. You enthralled me from the start. I stole you and forced you into a situation you didn't want, and you handled it with grace and fortitude. You saw past my bullshit to the man inside and coaxed out the best in me. And no onemadeyou do that. It's your nature."
"Why not letyournature shine through, Vladi?" Morgana winds her hands through my hair. "You're desperate for Sergey's shitty teachings to mean something because, deep down, you're still that kid who wants to make his father proud."
"I'm not afraid of going to war." I kiss her tenderly. "But loving you scares the shit out of me. I lost the purest love I ever had, and it hurt so much. I don't know what would happen to me if I lostyoutoo. Sure, I'd burn the world to ashes in a maelstrom of vengeance, but it wouldn't ease the pain. I know that all too well."
37
Cassius
Fuckingfuckit.I'm dead.
I cannot believe my slut ex is Vladimir Kislev's wife. I fully intended to call on her one day and make her pay for what she did to me, but she's fucked me overagain, just by existing.
Her husband will no longer give a shit about making amends with Trusov. It's personal now. I hurt his wife, and he'll lay waste to everything in his path to get to me. Calling her a whore in front of all his friends wasn't the smartest thing I've ever done, and now that I'm calming down, I can see I've only worsened my problem. Anger issues aside, I'm not dumb. I know how this will end.
Trusov was happy to let Hektor do his networking, and when that didn't work out, I made a show of strength on his behalf. Whatever happened to leading from the front?
I was so keen to infiltrate a bratva that I didn't do my homework. The old man's cowardice will probably get me killed. Trusov will bend over and let Vladimir Kislev fuck him if it means avoiding a fight.
Unless I play my ace and win. It's the only chance I have to save my hide. Maybe I'll hit the jackpot.
David Kislev flings open the passenger door and gets in, glancing around as he does so.
"No one's looking, for fuck's sake." I pull away from the curb and join the late evening traffic. "I appreciate you taking my call."
"I don't know how the fuck you got my number," he says, "but I guess you have similar resources to us. What do you want to discuss?"
"Like I said—the future of your bratva. It's in trouble, right? Your new pakhan is killing people whenever he feels like it, not trying to keep the peace. He threatened me, and I'm just a messenger."
"You're here to save us all, is that it?" David puts a gun on his knee. "I'm not stupid. Say what you came to say, and I'll decide whether to kill you."
It was a hell of a risk to contact David and meet him, but the fact he came alone says he's intrigued by what I said on the phone. He's caught a whiff of an opportunity. I only have to sell it.
"It's like I told you. I used to fuck Vladimir's wife, and I knocked her about too. He clearly knew about it but didn't know I was looking for him. And seriously—do you really think I'd have waltzed in and made demands if I'd known I would see my ex wearing his fucking wedding ring?"
"He loves her." David sounds weary. "He's made nothing but stupid decisions because of that woman. My brother Sergey did all he could to teach Vlad how to be strong, but he failed."
It's time to roll the dice.
"If Vladimir were… removed, you would take charge. Correct?"
David pauses before answering. "Yes. I'm not prepared to kill him, if that's what you're asking."
"Of course not. I dispose of Vlad and his wife, and you take control of the bratva. In return, you let me go back tomybratva and live my life. Fifty million dollars will encourage me to keep my mouth shut."
David sighs. "That's the deal, is it?
A second roll is needed. I have to take the gamble.
"My boss will capitulate as soon as Vladimir challenges him. He won't go to war over me—I don't have enough value. You need your nephew and his wife dead to get what you're due, with no suspicion leveled at you. Who could you trust?"
