Page 87 of Ruthless Reign

When he's finally satisfied, he comes around the passenger side and opens the door for me.

“Bathroom‘s over there.” He points to one side of the gas station. “I’ll fill up the tank and wait for you right here.”

I start to push past him, but he stops me with a hand on my arm.

“What’s on your mind, milaya? Not having second thoughts, are you?”

I struggle to put my thoughts into words. I’ve kept so many secrets locked up for so long that it almost feels like I’ve lost the ability to be truthful. “Just nervous, that's all.”

Nervous I’ll lose my heart to you.

He gives me a little smile and runs his palm over my cheek. “Do you trust me to keep you safe?”

“Yes,” I answer truthfully.

He leans forward to catch my lower lip between his, delivering a tender kiss. “Go. I’ll be waiting right here. I won't take my eyes off that door,” he promises.

As I lock the bathroom door behind me, a twinge of guilt surfaces because I've deliberately not told Roman that I'm calling my sister from here. I was concerned that he wouldn’t want me to contact Sofiya since he's worried about our location being discovered, but I have no intention of revealing our whereabouts. Truth be told, I'm not entirely sure where we are.

“Lizka!” Sofiya answers the phone in a rush. “Is everything okay? Mama told me something happened and you've gone into hiding with Kira.”

“I’m fine,” I assure her. “And yes. As a precaution, I am laying low for a few days.”

“That's crazy,” Sofiya blurts out. “Where are you?”

I bite my lip. I don’t want to lie, but I can’t tell her the truth either. “I’m out of the city, just until all of this blows over. Please, don’t worry about me. Anyhow, I’d rather hear about you.”

“Me? There’s nothing interesting happening in my life except tomorrow I’m heading to my final dress fitting for your wedding.” She pauses, as if the timing just occurred to her. “Wait, how are you going to prepare for the wedding? Liza, this is a disaster.”

A lump forms in my throat as the lies slip through my lips, smooth as silk. “My dress fits like a glove, and I’ve approved the flowers, music, and color scheme,” I point out, trying to sound upbeat. “Mama and Mrs. Petrovich are doing everything, anyhow. I’ll make sure to be back for the rehearsal dinner the night before. It’ll all be fine, you’ll see.”

I have it all worked out. Before the rehearsal dinner, I’ll meet with Anatoly and lay it out for him. I won’t be marrying him, but I will pay him back precisely what my family owes him—hopefully, even the wedding fees if he demands it. I’ll offer to wire it to his account on the spot.

He might not like it, but if I repay what we owe him, our ties are severed. It’s not like he can force me to marry him. Can he?

The discussion between Anatoly and my father before the opera lingers in my thoughts. What kind of contract were they referring to? Is it related to the debt we owe them, or is it something else?

“Maybe a little time away will be good for you.” Sofiya sounds older than her years. “Last time we spoke, you sounded so stressed out. I know the circumstances aren’t great, but hopefully you can take time to relax.”

I smile to myself. “Good advice. That’s exactly what I’m going to do.”

“Really?” She sounds pleased. “Promise me you’ll call again soon. I’ll need updates.”

“I will. Just don’t tell anyone I called, okay? I don’t have the bandwidth to deal with our parents, but I wanted you to know that I was fine.”

She’s quiet for a moment. “Sure.”

“And Sofiya?

“Yes.”

“Anatoly hasn’t come back to your school, has he? Or asked you to attend another business meeting?”

“No,” she says slowly. “Why are you worried about that?”

From the window, I see Roman putting the pump back and taking his credit card out to pay.

“I just want you to be able to focus on school and your friends without grown-up distractions. Anyhow, good luck with the play. Call me the moment after your first performance. I want to hear everything.”

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