Dominik blinks at me like I just smacked him in the face. “Hold on. You touched him? Willingly?”
Shock rings through me as we stare at each other, tense silence filling his cell. “He didn’t tell you that part, did he?”
Dominik grinds his teeth as he shakes his head. “No, he left that out.”
That conniving son of a bitch. He knew thatIwould say something, and it would hurt even more coming out of my mouth than his.
“I’m so sorry, Dom,” I tell him as the lump in my throat grows bigger, my eyes stinging as shame crashes down on me. I know that I hurt him, all because of the hold Gavriil has over me.
I wish that I could break it, but when he steps into the same room as me, my self control just…splinters. Anger turns into desire. It overtakes me before I can stop it, and then it spreads out of control like a wildfire.
“I can’t fucking believe that bastard,” Dominik grits out with a shake of his head. “You…when you say touched, you mean you got each other off?”
I nod then my heart lurches as I watch his expression cycle through a range of emotions. I could lose him over this. Over his brother of all people.
But I don’t want that to happen. I don’t want to lose the person who has looked out for me since the day that we met, even if that put him at risk.
“I regret hurting you so much,” I say fiercely as I go over and place my hands on his upper arms, hoping that he’ll listen to me, that he won’t pull away. Thankfully, he doesn’t. “And I know you might not believe me when I say that I care about you and that I love you, but I do. Both things can be true at the same time. I can’t imagine my life without you, Dom. I don’t want to. That hasn’t changed.”
Dominik’s face softens a hint as he gazes down at me. There’s still fury, disappointment, and hurt in his stormy eyes.
“But if you don’t want me anymore, if you can’t forgive me, if this broke something between us, I’ll accept that,” I tell him as tears prick my eyes, fear clawing at the depths of my stomach.
If I lose Dominik, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’m not even worried about my safety. I’m worried about the hole that’ll leave in my heart that no one else will ever be able to fill.
Dominik’s eyes fall from mine, the silence crushing in.
And somehow, that silence hurts more than if he’d shouted.
26
Dominik
Things are worsethan I imagined.
But despite it all, losing Alina is the one outcome I know I won’t survive.
When she agreed to a month with him, I knew this was a possibility. I just didn’t think she would cave so soon, though.
I still love her. I still care about her. Even with my brother standing between us, determined to tear us apart.
He’s so good at manipulating people, she probably doesn’t even realize he’s doing it to her. And I can’t be there to protect her like I promised her I would.
I take a step back from Alina, forcing myself to breathe as she stands there, wrecked, tears clinging to her lashes.
I don’t want to see her cry, but if I don’t steady myself first, I’m going to break right along with her.
I assumed Alina felt something for Gavriil when she let him touch her. But knowing that she got him off too means it wasn’t just fear or survival.
There’s something deeper between them than I thought. And that digs straight into my chest and twists.
“Dom…” Her voice cracks, and it nearly undoes me.
“I’m trying to figure out how to breathe through this, but of course I still want you.” Shaking my head, I tell her, “I just need you to be honest with me, Alina. I didn’t want this to happen… and I don’t know how to pretend it didn’t.”
Alina moves closer like I might spook if she comes too fast. I suppose I feel a little erratic right now. “This wasn’t what I planned either. I swear. He’s the reason Archer…I shouldn’t want him. I wish I didn’t!”
“No, you shouldn’t want him,” I agree with her as I meet her gaze. I can hear the genuine guilt in her voice, and I also know how Gavriil is. He wraps women around his finger so easily.
