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A muscle in Anya’s jaw clenched.
“Come on, tell us,” Sophia coaxed.
Anya let out a shuddering sigh. “My uncle has planted a spy in your inner circle. While he’s my uncle’s creature, he has a video of me that he’ll disclose to my father if I don’t implant a virus onto your computer that gives him access to everything your syndicate does.”
Sophia leaned forward eagerly. “We knew there was a mole,” she breathed.
“How could you?” Anya sneered. “He’s been flying under the radar—”
“He has greedy fingers, and he’s been creating a lot of problems locally. Give me a name, and I’ll ensure he is dealt with.”
“In exchange for me backing out of the marriage?” Anya guessed.
Sophia’s smile was lupine. “Exactly.”
Anya flexed her fingers. The gaudy stone scrapped against the tabletop. I zeroed in on it. Sophia told me the socialite had picked it out herself. The bling represented everything Anya hoped for—a husband and a future where she didn’t have to live in fear.
I wondered if there was another way to help her, because damn me to hell, the darkness that existed inside me drew me to Viktor like a moth to a flame, and I sure as hell wasn’t letting him go, even for her. In that moment, I realized I wouldn’t give him up even to save this soul. And that right there made me the villain. The least I could do was help those who got caught in the crossfire.
Anya sighed, then confessed, “He uses the name Dmitri, but his real name is Grigory Golubev.”
Victory surged in my veins. But that was sapped in the next moment when Viktor stalked into the bar. A cloud of raging death swirled in his wake. He marched straight over, Anya’s goons too slow to intercept him. Those fists, still battered from the last fight, raised in warning to clear the path.
Anya called out, “He’s my fiancé. Let him through.”
There was a tense moment, and I was vaguely aware of Nikoli having moved from the bar. But then the guards stepped aside, and Viktor stalked forward. The adrenaline coursing through me warned how badly that could have gone.
“What is this, Bri? Soph?” Viktor demanded, pressing his knuckles into the table.
I wanted to reach out and soothe the tension wracking his frame, but I instinctively knew that would only make matters worse.
“We confronted Anya and video-recorded the whole interaction in case she tried to back out,” Sophia started to say.
Anya gasped, face paling in anger.
“We have the name of the mole,” I whispered.
Viktor’s heavy gaze slid to meet mine. I froze, prey cornered by the predator; aware my news wouldn’t make up for this betrayal.
But as if watching the crash happen from above, I saw myself open my mouth and add, “Anya will back out of the contract in exchange for us removing a problem she’s having.”
Viktor blinked.
Anya leaned heavily on the table. “You videotaped me?”
Sophia tapped the broach she wore.
Neither Viktor nor I engaged in their side conversation. This was a battle for the trust we’d forged...and I’d damaged.
“You’re free, Tor,” I whispered.
Viktor pushed away from the table and addressed his cousin. “Nikolai, take them home.”
“Where are you going?” I shot to my feet.
“I’ll be back,” Viktor said coldly.
“No!” I stepped up to him. “I know that look. Where are you going, Tor? I fixed this! Don’t run back into the fight.”
