Page 97 of Forbidden Forget-Me-Not

He blinked. “Wait. My sister actually did all of that?”

“Yeah…the irony of our conversation is not lost on me. Amazing what one determined woman can do. I was pissed when I woke up in the hotel room, wondering where the hell I was. I ordered her to take me to wherever she had taken me for the ceremony, but she refused and threatened to tell your father about, well, all the places we had sex.”

Nathaniel’s lip twitched, then he snorted, which turned into a chuckle. Before I knew it, he was laughing so hard he had to set his glass down to keep from spilling it.

“She…drugged…” He laughed harder, grabbing his stomach. “Oh my God. This is incredible.”

I smiled, unable to help myself.

“Not the reaction I expected.”

“Are you kidding me? This is fucking fantastic. My sister is as devious as I am. I love it. I didn’t know she had it in her. And the fact that she…” He broke out laughing again, and I crossed my arms. “Sorry. I wish I’d been there.”

“I’m glad that I’ve felt guilty about this.”

He pointed at me. “Don’t put this on me. You could’ve come to me.”

“True. Look, the problem is that your father wants Kaylani to marry one of the douchebags he’s picked out.”

Nathaniel rolled his eyes as he stood. He marched across the room and grabbed a bottle of whiskey and two cigars.

“My father has learned nothing from Titus and me leaving. If he really thinks Kaylani will bow at his feet, he’s delusional. It will blow over.”

I shook my head and took the cigar as he refreshed my drink.

“No. I don’t think it will. That’s why I’m here.”

His eyes hardened. “What has he done?”

“He sent men to Florida. They stole Atlas out of his stall last night, and he is threatening to sell him if Kaylani doesn’t agree to his terms.”

“Son of a bitch. It amazes me that he built Mikhailov Industries from the ground up and yet he can be so incredibly stupid when it comes to his family,” Nathaniel growled.

“There’s more. He called me into his office. I think he suspects that I’m the reason Kaylani won’t take any of the prospects seriously. He asked me to find the man she’s with and bring the guy to him…or bury his body.”

Nathaniel sighed as he lit his cigar and took a couple of puffs. The sweet smell of smoke filled the room.

“What should I do? I can’t be the reason she gives up on her dream. I won’t. I refuse. No matter how much I love her, there is no choice if it’s me or her future.”

Nathaniel locked eyes with me.

“That is exactly why you’re perfect for her. You will never try to make her become someone she’s not. Let me think about the best way to handle this. And for now…let me congratulate you on officially joining the family, brother.”

With Nathaniel on my side, the odds had shifted. But that didn’t make Dimitri any less lethal. What he might do next was what concerned me.

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

KAYLANI

I’d stayed in my room for three days in protest and refused to talk to my father as I came up with a plan of my own.

Father thought taking Atlas would make me fold. He forgot who had taught me how to fight.

Mother was right. He only knew how to negotiate when he felt like he could crush someone’s spirit. I wouldn’t let him snuff mine out. That was why I had come up with my own plan.

Goran was late. I’d texted him to meet me here at 3:30 a.m., and it was now 3:33 a.m. I locked my phone and slipped it into my pocket. If he didn’t get here soon, I would handle this myself.