Page 68 of Forced & Owned By the Bratva Boss

After a moment, she nods and whispers, “Okay.” Then she bends down with shaking hands, picks up the car keys that fell at some point during our argument, and walks toward the door.

She pauses with her hand on the handle and says over her shoulder, “I hope one day,” she whispers, her voice breaking, “you’ll realize why I couldn’t tell you.”

Only when I hear the door click shut behind her do I finally glance in the direction of where she was standing just a couple seconds ago.

My fists clench until my nails bite into my palms, but the pain doesn’t come close to the hollow ache spreading through my chest. Letting her go hurts more than I would have ever imagined it would, like I’m cutting away a part of myself.

Yet beneath all of the pain and anger, something else cuts even deeper—the fear that I just made the biggest mistake of my life.

Chapter Eighteen

Audrey

I don’t know how long I’ve been sitting behind the wheel since leaving the mansion.

I don’t even remember turning off the engine and headlights or pulling over to the side of the road. But I do know that my life is ruined.

While I sit here, falling apart, the rest of the world keeps moving like it always has.

Cars glide past beneath the orange glow of streetlights while strangers laugh, argue, kiss, and live their ordinary lives. Mine feels like it ended the moment Igor looked me in the eyes and told me to leave.

I should be driving.

Instead, I hold on tightly to my steering wheel, crying hard while his words ring loud and clear in my mind.

It’s over between us.

Get out of my house.

A bitter laugh slips through my lips despite my best efforts to stop it. It’s hollow. Bitter. The kind of laugh that only comes when crying hurts too much to continue.

I really did it.

I’ve lost the only man I’ve ever loved, and I have no one to blame but myself. I had countless opportunities to come clean. I could’ve told him the truth tonight.

Instead, I lied to him.

I lied because I was too afraid. I lied because I’m a coward and I thought I could figure out a way to protect both Igor and Matthew at the same time…and now I’ve failed both of them.

If I’d told Igor the truth earlier, he would have been furious.

But at least he would’ve been angry with the truth I told him instead of the lie I forced him to believe. Now he’ll spend the rest of his life convinced I betrayed him.

The realization settles over me like wet cement, heavy enough to make breathing difficult. I rest my forehead against the steering wheel and close my eyes, letting the silence swallow me whole.

“It’s better this way,” I whisper.

If I’d stayed with Igor, Serrano would’ve forced me to choose between Matthew’s life and Igor’s. One way or another, someone I loved would’ve paid for my mistakes. At least now all I have to do is find a way to rescue Matthew.

I need to come up with something. Something that can fool Serrano into letting Matthew go.

After several long minutes, I straighten in my seat, wipe the tears from my face with the heel of my hand, and start the engine, steering the car to the place that used to be my home.

I barely had time to grab anything before leaving the mansion. I’ll probably send someone to bring my things over tomorrow, and then I’ll figure out a way to iron things out with Serrano. I’ve spent the last few hours crying on an empty stomach, so I don’t have the energy to do anything else but sleep tonight.

When I pull over in front of my old apartment and get out of the car, I scan the area for any signs of Serrano. He mentioned something about coming over tonight to get the flash drive of information on Igor, but there’s nothing out of place here.

My stomach churns and I say a silent prayer, hoping he doesn’t show up until tomorrow. At least then I’ll have time to come up with something.