Page 86 of Twisted Cage

The way he reached in, like he was so familiar with the surrounding space.

How I can’t get away from his scent. It’s constantly lingering in the air.

It’s his room.

I’m sleeping in his fucking room.

Of course I am.

My eyes immediately go to the closet doors and the nightstands. Curiosity has me wanting to rifle through and see what I can find. See how much of himself he keeps here. I round the bed and head for the drawer where my new phone is charging.

Just as I grip the handle, my phone buzzes with a text from Faith.

I’m not a child. What the hell am I doing?

Picking up the phone, I click on the message.

Faith

He has not stopped staring at the hallway since you left.

Me

Yeah, he’s a good bulldog.

Faith

Stop that. You don’t have to do that with me and you know it.

Me

I know. I’m just… I don’t know what I am right now.

Faith

Is it possible not everything is the way you thought it was? Maybe your father was lying.

Me

You didn’t see Konstantin’s face. What my father said was true.

Faith

But it doesn’t mean it’s still true. It doesn’t mean it was even true then. Just that it was true at some point.

I type, then stop. That’s the problem. Can I handle the truth? What if it gets into my head and ruins everything moving forward? What if I can’t believe any compliment, any endearment, any touch… until my own doubts poison us and anything we could have? And that’s only after we reveal this to Nikolaj. Which is a massive risk when I can’t even be sure I can get past this.

Right now, Nikolaj has a valuable advisor in Konstantin, and he has a plan that’s working. He’s sacrificed everything he’s ever wanted for his own life to take on our father and brother. And he’s done it so he can keep me safe. He’s the second son. The illegitimate second son. He should have been able to do anything, be anyone.

But he knew leaving meant condemning me to this life. A bargaining chip for our father and brother, nothing more. He’s spent a lifetime doing everything he could to protect me from the worst of Vlad’s advances. As far as he knows, he protected me from all of them. He couldn’t live with himself if he walked away.

He’s gaining power. There’s a real chance he can take on my father and brother and win. He’ssacrificed so much already. There’s blood on his hands that never would have been there if it weren’t for this path he’s chosen.

Now I’m supposed to just toss that all to chance, drop the truth in his lap, and hope it doesn’t destroy everything.

Me

There is too much at stake.

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