I don’t believe that for a second. If they figured it out, why didn’t Aurelio, Zeno, or Urso find it? They found all the other girls and they were never found for decades. If they were going to pull me apart, they’d have done it. So either he’s lying, or this is some kind of weird test.
I’m not happy to be playing this game. I hate this shit. It’s exactly the kind of thing that I’ve spent a long time trying to get away from.
“Then if you can get this information, you already know that I haven’t been around Timur or my father in a very long time. I haven’t done this, in even longer. And you think that I’m just going to be able to take out these two men without muchtrouble? I’m not sure if that makes you stupid or just plain crazy.”
“Oh, definitely crazy.” Zakhar laughs gleefully. “I’ve been telling him for years, so it’s nice to see someone else corroborates it.”
“Shut the hell up,” Ilya snarls, temper flashing across his face. There, the mask is starting to slip. I wonder what will happen when it comes all the way off? “I would rather have someone who can get the job done quietly, but that isn’t an option. The one I want to do it isn’t available.”
I wonder if he’s talking about the Chameleon or another one of the assassins who are also around, few though they are. At least, known.
“So you’re going with me? The one who doesn’t want to be here and doesn’t want anything to do with this bullshit in the first place?”
“You’d rather mess around with those idiot Italians?” Zakhar demands, some of the humor leaking away, letting his own mask slip. “Russians don’t mix with Italians.”
“They do when their best friend is marrying one of them.” I should probably not mention Sienna, but at this point, they know everything, so what’s the point in hiding it?
“And you were fucking one of them.” Zakhar sneers. “Your friend is of no consequence to us considering she was never brought into your life other than the superficial. You, on the other hand, should know better.”
“I didn’t know that the Russians were policing who gets to stick their cock into my pussy. If that’s the case, I’ll have to add a few more to that list you probably don’t know about.” I give Zakhar a bland stare, and I see another flash of amusement before it turns back into a scowl to match his brother’s.
“Who you fuck is of no consequence to me unless it’s going to fuck up the job I’m about to put you on.”
“Job? You make it sound like I have a choice to refuse.”
He pins me with a dark glare. “Are you always this much of a smart ass?”
I give him my first smile, though it isn’t warm and fuzzy. “What do you think?”
He huffs out a long-suffering sigh. “Fine, you don’t have a fucking choice. This is going to happen, and if you don’t, I’ll kill you and be done with it.”
“It sounds to me like I’m going to die anyway, so why the fuck would I want to agree to this? I can have a swift death at your hands, or I can risk a slow, agonizing death at the hands of my father and Timur, and probably Simeon too since he’s not a fan of mine.”
He doesn’t deny that, but instead, he says, “Because we both know that you don’t want to take the cowards way out. That isn’t who you are. The information I have on you is that you fight hard when there’s something that you want.”
“And what could you possibly tempt me with?” My dog is gone, and any hope for a happily ever after was done the moment I stepped foot in New York. It was only further shattered when I believed and slept with Alonzo, but that’s not something he needs to know. Right now, it sounds like they know I slept with him, not that he’s coming after me.
Odd that Tatiana wouldn’t tell him that though. Unless she doesn’t plan on it being a big issue. Either way, I’m going to have some choice words for her when I see her next. And maybe a knife to the fucking throat.
Which is exactly why I’ve gotten out of this life as much as I can. I don’t want to be this constantly violent person, always wondering how much blood will be on my hands next.
“Your freedom,” Ilya says, his tone making it sound far more dramatic.
I cock my head slightly. “You think that’s something? I’ll never be free, Romanov. I’m the daughter of one of the most feared men in the Bratva, and even if I kill him, there are going to be people that will be after me to avenge whoever he killed just being his direct blood relation.”
“Perhaps, you do this and I’ll ensure that you’re erased. Rayea Antonova will die for good, and Aurora O’Brien, or whatever other name you want to take, will be reborn. No ties to the Bratva, and if you want to fuck that Italian asshole, then fine. All you need to do is kill Timur Belov and the Bratva Butcher. Do that and walk away. No getting dragged back in by me or anyone else.”
It’s so tempting to take him at his word. That’s all I want. I want this part of my life to be done. I won’t get it with Alonzo, but I can with someone else. Preferably someone without criminal ties. Except, nothing is ever that simple. Not in this life; not in the life of the Russian Bratva. There is no freedom, no getting out. You’re in until your death.
Which is going to be sooner rather than later with this asinine plan.
“You expect me to believe that you’ll keep your word on that?” It’s my turn to scoff. “I know who you are, Romanov. I also know the Bratva. There is no freedom. You want to use me for my connections; you want me to be the one to get my hands dirty so that you can take over the territory and avenge whoever it is that the Butcher killed. Or you just want to prove to everyone that no one is invincible and that you can reach anyone you want. Either way, there is no winning. You want to incentivize me to play this game, offer me this fake guarantee of walking away like a hero in some kind of movie. We both know it’s not going to happen. I’ll die, or someone along the way is going to figure out it was me, and I’ll be next on the list to die anyway. If you just want me dead, be fucking straight with me.”
We glare at each other. His blue eyes flash with the anger he’s trying to keep locked down. He’s not used to anyone talking to him like this. A man like him, he’s used to someone shivering and cowering, not giving him sass and pushback. His mistake is thinking I’m like any of them.
Everyone always assumed that I’m dangerous because of Hades, but I am just as deadly. I just don’t let it out, but right now, it looks like I’m going to have to push aside the role I’ve played since I was eighteen and be the dangerous bitch they’ve forgotten I am.
“Ugh, would you two stop the glaring contest so we can get on with it? I have a ski date before we head back and this is cutting into my time,” Zakhar grumbles. “Ilya, just tell her the fucking plan or I will, and we both know if I do that it’s going to be a terrible version of it.”
