“Even then.” I squeeze his hands. “Because I’d rather die making my own decisions than live as your prisoner, no matter how gilded the cage.”
He pulls me up into his lap, his arms wrapping around me.
“You have to let me help save Tony. He’s my brother, Mikhail. I can’t just abandon him.”
Mikhail is quiet for a long moment, his hand rubbing slow circles on my back. “What if you’re wrong? What if there’s nothing left to save?”
“Then at least I’ll know I tried.” I pull back to look at him. “Please, Mikhail. I need to do this. I need to try to save him, the way you tried to save Nicole.”
His jaw clenches at the mention of his sister, but he nods slowly. “Okay. But we do this together.
We move to the bedroom, both of us exhausted from the emotional battle.
Mikhail strips down to his boxers, and I can’t help but trace the scars on his body with my eyes.
The long one across his abdomen from the knife fight when he was nineteen.
The circular one on his shoulder from the bullet three years ago.
Each mark tells a story of survival, of violence, of a life I’m still learning to understand.
He catches me looking and gives me a tired smile. “See something you like?”
“I see a man who’s been through hell and somehow still standing.” I slip into bed beside him, and he pulls me close, my back against his chest.
“That’s because I have something worth standing for now,” he murmurs against my neck.
Within minutes, his breathing evens out, and I know he’s asleep. But I lie awake, staring at the ceiling, my mind racing.
Mikhail will never truly let me put myself in danger.
He’ll always try to protect me, even if it means going against my wishes.
And Tony is out there somewhere, probably with Lorenzo, probably being fed more lies about how I betrayed him.
The phone Elena gave me weeks ago is still hidden in my bag.
I’ve kept it charged, kept it secret, just in case.
Now I pull it out, the screen glowing in the darkness.
I dial the number we’d found when searching Tony’s phone, surprised when he picks up on the second ring.
“We need to talk,” I say quietly, casting a glance a Mikhail. “You shouldn’t have left like that.”
There’s a sigh on the other end. “I know, but it was the best way I knew to keep you safe.”
“We could have kept you safe. We could have worked together.” My voice, still low, is urgent, almost pleading.
“We can’t stay on these phones. A few more seconds and they’ll be able to trace them. Meet me at the house.”
I hang up and look at Mikhail’s sleeping face, peaceful in a way it never is when he’s awake.
I should wake him. I know I should, but I can’t.
I don’t want to put his life in danger—well, more danger than usual—and I feel that if I just have a chance to talk to Tony, alone, that I will be able to get through to him.
I grab clothes from the dresser. Mikhail stirs but doesn’t wake, and I freeze, holding my breath.
