I lunge into action, diving backwards and closing my hand around my follower’s ankle before they can move out of the way.
The feminine gasp is instantly recognizable.
“Nina?” I hiss. Why is she following me? “You shouldn’t be here.”
“Let me go. I wanted to see where you were going.”
I fight the urge to laugh. Of course, the only interactions I have with my wife these days are likely to push her away even further.
“You really, really don’t.”
“Well, I’m not going back to my room.” I can’t see Nina in the darkened corridor, but I’m sure that if I could, her arms would be folded across her chest, her chin raised in defiance.
The urge to pull her close and kiss her grips me, like it does every time she’s close. Even if she obstinately refuses to touch me, except in her sleep.
“You’re not going to like this.”
“I don’t care. I’m not letting you keep another secret from me, Art.”
The truth is, I don’t know whether Nina will run screaming if she finds out what I’m about to do to Denis. She knows the Bratva. She’s been here for a month now.But does she know that I have blood on my hands? That this family is not just a twisted mess, but a deadly trap?
This is more of my life than I’ve ever let her see.
I make my decision. She can follow me. This is urgent. The guards will only stay asleep for so long.
Silently, I stalk down the halls leading to Denis and Polina’s bedroom.
I need to be quick, and silent enough that they don’t wake up.
I leave Nina at the doorway to their bedroom and she gives a quick nod of agreement. She doesn’t know what she’s in for. I don’t want her to see me do this.
But when I’ve slipped into the room, I realize my mistake. Denis is alone in bed. Meaning Polina is somewhere out there in the dark.
With Nina.
The thought makes me hesitate, but I have to do this. It’s the only way to guarantee our safety — not just mine, but Nina and Ava’s too.
This is not revenge, not torture. I don’t have any last words I want him to hear, there’s no message I want to send.
This is pure business. An insurance policy. To make sure that Council seat is mine.
I close my hand over his mouth, tightening it to stifle his breathing only at the exact moment that I draw the blade across his throat.
The hot blood hits my hand in a burst, gushing silently from his neck.
I make it quick, and it’s messier than I wanted.
When his struggling dies down I hear the scuffling outside. The door swings open.
“Art–“ Something cuts Nina off. Footsteps, then a yelp.
I release my hand from Denis’s neck and he gives a gurgling sound. A quick finger on his pulse tells me that he’s dead.
Job done.
By the time I rush over to the doorway, Nina has Polina pinned to the ground, her hair wild around her face.
I feel a rush of pride.
