"Is there nothing good left in you?" The question comes out broken. "Nothing of the man you used to be? Because that man would never—"
"That man died in Georgia!" His shout echoes across the water. "They killed him piece by piece! What came back is what survived! And what survived doesn't give a fuck about being good!"
We stare at each other.
"I'm marrying Roman to save her," I say finally. "That was the deal. I give up everything, and Anya gets to go to France. You're taking that away."
"Roman's taking it away. Not me."
"You're helping him!" I advance on him. "You're destroying my network, so I have no leverage. No resources. No way to protect her if things go wrong. You're making sure I'm completely powerless."
He shrugs like he doesn’t have a care in the world.
That’s what he wants me to believe he feels.
“Somewhere under all that rage, you know it, I can see the guilt,” I whisper. “The part of you that knows Anya is innocent and doesn't deserve this."
The guilt flickers again. Stronger this time.
I press my advantage. "If you stopped destroying my network, I'd have a chance. A way to protect her. To get her out if things go wrong. I swear, I won’t go anywhere. I’ll marry Roman. Just help me get her out of here.”
For a moment, I think I've reached him. Think the man I loved is still there under the armor.
And then anger flashes through his eyes, wiping out the guilt. “You want to save your sister? Convince Roman to honor the original deal. But stop trying to manipulate me with guilt."
"I'm not manipulating you!" I stand my ground even though he's trying to intimidate me. "I'm trying to reach whatever humanity you have left! Trying to make you see that Anya is innocent!"
"Everyone's innocent until they're not." His voice is dead. Cold. "Your father seemed innocent too.”
I roll my eyes. He’s fishing for information. Confirmation. I have my suspicions, but nothing solid.
And I’m certainly not telling him anything. He’ll just twist it back around to indict me.
"My father is weak and stupid." I refuse to defend him. "But I'm not my father. And Anya definitely isn't."
"Doesn't matter." He starts walking away. “I warned you. The rest is up to you.”
"Maksim, please!"
He doesn’t stop walking.
I watch him go. I want to scream until my throat bleeds.
Ten minutes ago, we were tangled together, and I thought—hoped—that maybe we could find our way back to each other. That sex would crack his armor enough to reach the man underneath.
But I was wrong.
Chapter Sixteen
Maksim
Walking away from Kira feels like dying all over again.
Every step away from the creek, I can still taste her on my lips. I'm destroying an innocent girl to satisfy revenge that's aimed at the wrong target.
I make it to my car before I have to stop and brace myself against the door.
What the fuck did I just do?
