Page 100 of Caged

Jesus.

“Promise me you will, but if you want me to keep talking…” My nail flicks over his nipple making him jerk.

“Fine.” His heavy petting feels almost as good as when he’s rough.

“Anyway. Having a vulnerability is a weakness. One that Ivan discovered and is exploiting.” I’m not sure if I want to even tell Nikolai.

I still don’t know if I can trust him since I’ve hurt him.

If I were him, I wouldn’t.

There’s a part of me that wants to let him in. To spill every dirty secret I’ve ever learned. I want to pull him close and open my heart.

But, I can’t.

Keeping everything close to me locked in a cage is the only thing that has kept me alive.

Ivan finding out about Daniil was a mistake I wish I knew how to fix.

I’ve worked for years to keep him safe and away from the atrocities I’ve had to experience. Hiding him, and any affiliation to the darkest corners of society, has been the reason I keep doing what I have been.

To give him a better life. The chance for happiness and success.

Not living in fear and looking over his shoulder.

That time has passed. He’s scarred forever, just because he’s close to me.

“Ivan is good at taking advantage of any situation for his own gain,” Nikolai says quietly.

“Yeah. I’ve learned that.” I give him a long sigh, and weave my fingers across his chest. “He hired Tyler and I to retrieve the diamonds from you.”

His palm snakes out and presses my hand hard to his skin. “Who is that man, Tyler?”

I know he can’t see me roll my eyes, but I do anyway.

“He’s my cousin, but he saved us. Me. When I was young.”

Nikolai tilts his head to look at me. “Cousin? He’s family?”

“Yes.” Leaving it simple, I don’t want to admit how many times I’ve threatened to remove Tyler from this Earth because he pissed me off.

I catch a glimpse of the cracked glass of the clock on the wall. “Is it really that time?”

He fumbles for his phone on the nightstand. “Three in the morning.” He confirms and drops it.

Shit.

I sit up and head into the bathroom to retrieve my clothes.

“Where are you going?” He follows me, but stops at the door.

“I have to get back what was taken from me.” I’m afraid to mention Daniil.

Not because Nikolai would use him against me.

But, because I think right now, he’d try and help me.

Then we’d both die.

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