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She looks at me as if I have rudely crushed her expectations of me.
I hesitate, not wanting to admit the truth, but I do. “I’m afraid of what I might say to her,” I whisper. “She’s better off staying here with you.”
“So.” Larissa nods deliberately, her expression softening slightly. “There’s still a shred of the Kolya that I remember left in you.”
My gaze sharpens on her. “Tell Eden I will protect her.”
I leave the house, leaving behind the two people who matter most to me. As the door closes, I know I’m lost. I steel myself for the war ahead, knowing I must fight it alone. And knowing I will probably die and rest beside my brother. Revenge calls to me relentlessly, and its cold determination pulls me deeper into a world from which I will never escape.
But as the SUV drives on, I can’t help thinking about what Larissa said.
Father is dead. Mother is dead. Matvei is dead. Don’t make me bury the last one.
52
EDEN
I only came downstairsfor a glass of water, having been in my room all morning and most of the afternoon. I didn’t intend to spy, but I heard a man’s voice, and curiosity made me brave.
Drawing nearer, I recognize Nikolai’s low, smooth tone speaking to Larissa. Their voices echo around the walls and then it turns ugly. My feet refuse to move, and my ears can’t shut out their hateful words.
There’s a small alcove near the family room where I can’t be seen from the rest of the hallway. Hidden, I brace myself against the wall as my legs go weak.
“Is it really worth sacrificing everything?” Larissa almost shouts. “Is it worth losing everyone who loves you?”
“I love you, Lara.” His voice is gentle. “But this isn’t about love.”
My stomach churns, and I breathe in large, gulping breaths.This isn’t about love. Their argument hurts more than if he had said it to my face. But when Nikolai talks about me to Larissa in private … it must be the truth. Heavy footsteps move into the hallway,and I sink down the side of the alcove. Lighter footsteps quickly follow, and both people move away from my hiding spot.
“Wait.” Larissa sounds desperate. “Don’t you want to see her?”
“No,” Nikolai cuts her off. He sighs loudly and impatiently. “I’m afraid of what I might say to her,” he replies. “She’s better off staying here with you.”
Larissa says something else, something that I can’t quite hear. But Nikolai’s response comes quickly and clearly enough.
“Tell Eden I will protect her.”
Then the door slams shut. His words hit me hard … harder than a blow. There’s no doubt in my mind what he thinks of me. Nikolai is hurrying off to kill my father because he doesn’t give a shit about me. It’s always been that way. Nikolai lied to me, used me, and now he will murder my father.
Defeated, I slide down to the hard marble floor. I bury my face in my hands, but I don’t cry. I don’t have the strength to cry anymore. The pain is overwhelming. It’s too much. I don’t know what to do. What can I do?
How can Nikolai be this way? I saw his work and the sensitivity behind every stroke on the page. What am I thinking? Some of the greatest artists in the world were complete bastards. I can’t let this happen. I can’t let him kill my father. I have to do something.Wait… I still have the phone.
But before I can move, a firm hand grips my shoulder, and Rurik lifts me off the floor with one hand. He glares at me, and his gaze dares me to try something stupid. He guides me away from the alcove. My hip bumps the table, almost taking out an enormous vase of flowers.
“I was getting a glass of water.” I try to free my arm, but he pulls me along behind him. I stumble as we enter the family room where Larissa reclines on the sofa. She’s been crying, and my bitterness slips down a notch. Nikolai hurt her too.
Rurik gives me a tiny shove forward, and I stumble onto the chair beside her. “I warned you, Lara. She likes to listen.”
Larissa doesn’t look at me. Her face is pale, and she looks scared. But Rurik would never hurt her, would he?
“I’m sorry,” I mumble. “I really didn’t mean to …”
She waves my apology away. “Nikolai is in a dark state of mind,” she explains. “He’s not himself.” She looks at Rurik. “Dear, please bring us some water.”
Rurik eyes me, but I won’t turn my head, so he leaves. A staff member hurries in with a pitcher filled with ice water and hurries away as soon as the glasses are poured.
I try to be kind toward Larissa, but how can I pretend I’m sympathetic? She knows her brother is a cold-blooded killer.
