“If I give you Leander…” She wipes another strand of hair behind her ear. “If I give you what you want to bring down my brother, I want something in return.”
This is going to be interesting. “Yes?” I cross my arms. “And what is that?”
“I want you to let me go. I want my freedom. We can share custody of Noah.”
Those words make me see red, and I never see fucking red, not even when I flick a blade or pull a trigger. “Do you think you have any power to negotiate with me?”
Her delicate throat moves under the scarf as she swallows. At the same time, she lifts her chin and meets my gaze head-on. “Yes.”
“I beg to differ, darling.” I move in, trapping her against the dryer. “You’ll do as I say. Nothing less and nothing more.”
Sparks detonate in those jade green eyes. “Or?”
“Or nothing. I don’t need your consent or your cooperation. You will sign those contracts when my lawyer present them even if I have to take your pretty hand in mine and sign for you.”
“Why?” She takes a ragged breath. “Why are you so dead-set on keeping me?”
“Because you’re mine. I warned you before I took your virginity. I was clear about my intentions so there wouldn’t be any confusion later. You knew exactly what the consequences would be when you gave your body to me.”
“I didn’t know you were playing me,” she hisses.
“I did it for a very good reason, which I already explained.”
“For Lee,” she bites out.
“Yes, for Lee, but also for you.”
“Oh, please.” Anger contorts her expression. “Don’t tell me you betrayed me because you wanted to keep me.”
“That’s precisely why I did it.”
“Bullshit.” She all but spits the words at me. “I don’t believe you.”
“Believe me or not, there was no other way.”
“Like hell.” She glares at me, those tears still shimmering in her eyes, but she makes a brave effort of biting them back. “You didn’t have to go that far.”
“For you? I would’ve gone to the ends of the world, darling.”
“Don’t lie to me more than you already have. It’s never been about me.”
“We’re not going to continue this conversation. I told you you’re not ready to listen to me. We’ll talk again when you are.”
The tears she fights so hard to contain slip free. “I hate you so much. You have no idea.”
“Hush.” I frame her face in both hands and wipe the tears with my thumbs from her cheeks. “I didn’t come here to make you cry.”
“Why did you come?” Her voice breaks. “To torment me?”
“No, darling.” I pull her against my chest and wrap my arms around her, reveling in how perfectly her small body fits against mine. “I brought you something too, something that’ll make you feel better.”
She pushes away from me. “I don’t need something to make me feel better. What I need is my life back.”
I brush a hand over her silky hair. “You’ll have a better life. You’ll have protection, and you won’t want for anything. Noah will have a family.”
At that, a sob catches in her throat.
The sound is like a spike hammered into my heart. “Like I said, it doesn’t have to be bad for you, Tatiana. Come, now. Wipe away those tears.” I remove the small jewelry box from my pocket, take her hand, and place it on her palm. “This is for you.”
