Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 56608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 56608 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 283(@200wpm)___ 226(@250wpm)___ 189(@300wpm)
I’m not sure what she’s talking about when she puts so much emphasis on her outfit, but then it hits me. She’s wearing what other men might find appealing, a dress with a low cut, showing off… whatever it is other men might notice in her. But I’m incapable of noticing anything except with my woman, my Lia.
“Good,” I grunt, sitting down. “The food will be here soon.”
She nods, then sighs and says, “Are you angry that I’m helping Mikhail?”
“No,” I tell her. “I’m pissed that any of this is happening.”
“You don’t want this marriage, do you?” she murmurs.
I laugh gruffly. “It’s that obvious? No offense.”
“None taken,” she says. “Is there a way out?”
“I don’t know. Possibly. There are so many pieces at play. So many ways it could go wrong. For now, we need to keep pretending.”
“Maybe I could come to your bedroom again later?” she says.
I think of Lia, hate twisting through me. But I have to play the game. For now. “That’s an idea,” I say.
“You seem as scared as me,” she murmurs, and when I don’t go on, she says, “Last night, I was acting like a spoiled kid. I do that sometimes. I hate it about myself, but it’s a fact. But I think I see it more clearly now. You don’t want to marry me. I don’t want to marry you. But we might have to. For the good of this city. So my dad doesn’t turn this whole place into a bloodbath. I’m right, aren’t I?”
In the hallway, I can hear Yuri speaking to the waiting staff, getting ready for a big show. “Yeah,” I tell her.
“So it’s like I said—I want to help. And not just for me. Not even for me at all. My dad still has my brother. Drake.”
Yuri’s voice rises. “This is a special meal for Mr Sokolov. So let’s all smile, please.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” I tell Mila. “We still might have to do this.”
“I know,” she says, folding her arms across her middle. “And if my dad ever finds out we’re trying to go against his wishes… I’ll do it.” She looks at me with glistening eyes, like marrying me is the last thing she wants. “For my brother. If I have to—”
She almost leaps out of her seat when Yuri knocks on the door. But she doesn’t need to finish the thought. If Nikolai Petrov discovers we’re scheming against him, there’s a chance everybody ends up dead.
CHAPTER 10
DAHLIA
The library is the most spacious room on the second floor, with tall windows looking across the expansive property to the other house. I spend some time moving all the chairs and tables to the edge of the room, imagining the floor covered with newspaper to catch any paint droplets. It’s easier than thinking of blood, gunshots, the ringing in my ears, and my own breath attempting to choke me.
Going to the window, I see a woman walking toward the house, a bag slung over her shoulder. She’s thin, wearing black jeans and a tank top, highlighting her build. The doorbell to the house sounds old and grand when it goes off.
I go to the front door. The woman smooths her straight black hair from her face and smiles nervously at me. Maybe she’s not a woman but a teenage girl. It’s difficult to tell her age. She looks young and innocent but also world-weary, as though she’s seen too much in her life. Or maybe that’s just the overactive artist in me searching for something that isn’t there.
“Hello,” she says after a pause, making brief eye contact before looking at the ground. “I’ve brought you some clothes. It’s Lia, right? Dimitri said your name is Lia.”
“Yeah, Lia. And you are?”
“I’m his sister. Well, half-sister.” After a breath, which seems designed to give her more courage, she thrusts her hand out. “Ania.”
I shake her hand. “It’s nice to meet you. I’d invite you in, but I don’t think I need to.”
Stepping aside, she walks into the grand foyer. Everything in this house is like walking through some nineteenth-century lord’s mansion, with the paintings and the décor. Ania puts the bag down.
“My friend left some clothes here by accident in the winter. She lives on the East Coast, so she won’t be able to pick them up for a while. Do you want them?”
“Are you sure your friend won’t mind?”
Ania shakes her head. “It’s fine. We spoke earlier. Well, we chatted online. She’s an online friend through the ballerina group. Anyway…” She waves a hand.
“Should I make us some coffee?” I say.
“I don’t drink coffee,” Ania mutters.
“Hot cocoa or something?”
“Yeah, sure,” she smiles. When I turn and walk away, she giggles. “The kitchen’s the other way, Lia.”
I grin back at her. “My bad. Why don’t you lead the way?”
Together, we go to the large kitchen. In contrast to the rest of the house, this is modern, as though the Sokolovs wanted the best combination of contemporary and traditional. Ania sits at the kitchen bar as I search for everything I need.