Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 92284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 92284 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 461(@200wpm)___ 369(@250wpm)___ 308(@300wpm)
Fuck.
I thought I was so careful. I knew I was playing with fire.
If they brought me in here to get rid of her, if they fucking hurt one hair on her head—
“What are you planning to do to her?”
I’m on my feet, but Semyon steps in front of me, his voice low and cold.
“Sit the fuck down, Rodion.”
He pulls up a tablet and shows me footage of Ember drinking tea with my sisters. “She’s fine.”
I sit back down, but I don’t relax.
“If you guys hurt her—”
“We’re not going to fucking hurt her,” Rafail says. “Not if you do what we say. What have I told you every goddamn night you were in California? What did I tell you I needed you to get?”
I stare.
“A wife.”
A wife?
“Yeah, I said you need a wife,” Rafail repeats. “After the shit Semyon put up with.” He shakes his head. Arranged marriage to men like us is more complicated than it seems. Our reputations precede us.
Rafail goes on. “So these are your choices. You have two. Get rid of her, or wife her up.”
I stare. “She’s not one of us, Rafail. You can’t just—”
“Not yet, she isn’t.”
Women in her world don’t just leap into marriage to save their lives.
Do they?
“You know I wouldn’t hurt her.” I shake my head.
My god. She’s gonna lose her shit.
“I do know. But you know what our family requires.” Rafail’s voice drops lower. “I would hate to order a hit on a woman you’re attached to. Or maybe even love.”
The coldness in his gaze makes me look away.
Jesus.
He hasn’t given me two options. He’s given me one.
Marry her? She’s not ready for something like that, no fucking way. Of course she isn’t.
“How long do I have to figure this out?”
Rafail stands. “I’ll give you an hour. Should be long enough for you to figure out what you need to do.”
“This is temporary, Rafail.”
“We don’t do temporary, Rodion. You know that.”
He jerks his head at Semyon and Matvei, who get to their feet and follow him, and calls out, “Yana! Zoya! We’re leaving.”
The girls come quickly, Ember trailing behind them.
What the fuck am I going to do?
Rafail turns to me before he leaves. “I believe you. I’m going to forgive you overstepping tonight, with one condition: make it better.”
Yana reaches out and squeezes Ember’s hand before she gives her a little wink. On the way out she gives me a hug too. “Danila will be here tomorrow. He’s missed you guys,” she says with a smile. Her husband’s been away, and she came here without him, but it seems the Romanov gala will be a reunion of sorts.
I hug her back in a sort of stupor and watch as Zoya waves goodbye to Ember. “I’ll bring that book tomorrow! And you have my number if you need anything.”
Well. Ember’s already won over my sisters. I guess that’s something.
Ember stands alone, wide-eyed and pale, as the door clicks shut behind them. She turns to me, and it breaks my heart when her face crumples.
No, no, no. I’ll do anything to stop that. I reach for her, but she steps away, shaking her head.
“I’m sorry, Rodion. I didn’t mean to—”
“I know.” I collapse into a nearby chair and lean forward, resting elbows to knees.
How the fuck am I going to tell her this? She barely trusts me, and maintaining her agency is of the utmost importance to her. I can’t just… strip that away.
I have to.
She’ll never forgive me.
Khristos.
“What did… they say? Your sisters wouldn’t tell me anything. They were sweet, but they said you’d talk to me.”
I nod, unwilling to put this off for another minute. “Come here, Ember.”
She swallows, her eyes on me warily, but she does as she’s told. When she reaches me, she slides onto my lap and sits with her back upright as if afraid to get too close.
Fuck that.
I reach for the back of her neck and drag her mouth to mine. Our lips brush, and our tongues touch before she moans and sighs into me. I kiss her until I feel strong again, ready to do what’s next.
“They didn’t say much to me, Rodion,” she repeats, obviously nervous as fuck.
I nod. “I know. That’s because they said it all to me.”
The tension hangs between us like an impending thunderstorm, heavy and damp.
She traces a finger along my jaw. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
“Yeah.”
I need to get this out of the way. Lay it all out.
Be ready to chase her if she tries to run.
“They gave me an ultimatum, and I know which one I’m going to pick.”
Licking her lips, her gaze meets mine. In the distance, a dog barks and a clock ticks on the mantle.
“And… what’s that?” she asks in a whisper. “Rodion…”
“Your post drew out our enemies. They were able to identify my location and yours. It’s not good.”