Page 99 of Twisted Cage

Nikoletta steps out of Faith’s room just then, with Lexi in her arms, totally unaware of the tension filling the silent room.

When our little girl lets out a wail, Nikoletta brushes her finger over her cheek and quietly reassures her. “Shh, shh, shh, it’s okay. Mama’s going to feed you, baby girl.”

Reassures her and completely detonates a bomb in the silence and sets off a whole new feeling of unease rippling through the room.

No one moves.

I’m not sure anyone even breathes.

The taste of the coffee turns rancid on my tongue as I fight to keep my face impassive when I’m anything but.

Nikoletta glances up, and the smile dies on her lips as she locks eyes with Nikolaj.

Eyes shot open impossibly wide, face leached of all color, Nikolaj stands there.

Dimitri’s focus goes back to the view outside, telling me he doesn’t understand what just went down. Or the admission is so out of left field, his brain dismisses it before he can really think about it. We’ll be having a talk about his lack of awareness. He needs to tighten that shit up.

Roddick now stands stoically against the wall, coffee on the side table next to him, his hands clasped in front of him. From all appearances, he didn’t hear a thing. Except the heightened color in his cheeks. It gives him away every single time.

When Nikolaj takes a few careful steps in Nikoletta’s direction, his back finally to us, Grigori slides me a suspicious dose of side-eye.

I knew that fucker didn’t miss a thing.

That’s exactly why he was and always will be my go-to. Unless he forces me to kill him. But when I think about it, he’s the closest thing to a friend I’ve got.

Maybe the closest I ever really had.

I head to the sink and dump my coffee. Leaning against the counter, I watch from a distance, reduced to an outsider in this new reality between them. She might as well plunge the knife into my heart and twist the fucker.

“Lettie,” Nikolaj breathes her name as he searches Nikoletta’s eyes and glances down at our daughter. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

He is seeing my little girl’s face more clearly than I ever have.

And for a moment, I hate him for it.

“I wasn’t sure I could keep her safe here. I—the more people who know…” She trails off, her gaze never wavering from her brother.

A muscle ticks in his jaw, the only sign that her doubt in his ability to protect her hits him where it hurts.

I’m still reeling from the blow. I kept her alive her entire life, but I’m not good enough to protect our daughter. That’s a job best suited for some pompous secret society prick with impeccable breeding, no doubt.

Over. My. Dead. Fucking. Body.

“Who’s the father?”

“It’s not important,” she says with a shake of her head as she smiles down at Lexi who’s abandoned her fussing and is now staring up at Nikolaj, quietly studying him.

It’s not important. I have to hand it to her, she’s good at what she does. Landing another blow and deflecting with three simple words.

Pulsing betrayal slices into me again, but instead of a clean, sharp sting, its course and dull, pulling and tugging, ripping the skin in a jagged gash.

We won’t be able to keep Nikolaj in the dark forever. Nor do I want to. But one thing at a time. I need to have my head straight to navigate the fallout. At the moment, I’m about as far from my head being straight as I can get.

My phone buzzes in my jacket pocket, a desperately needed distraction from the bitterness and jealousy choking me.

I swipe the screen and there’s Grigori, dragging me from the shit spiral.

GRIGORI

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