Page 147 of Sinful Bride

You’re a Chekhov.

And that means something.

“I have a counter-offer.”

Brennan moves away from me, genuinely surprised. “Oh?”

I have to admit, I’m pretty surprised, too. I sound much stronger than I feel. More confident. Assertive. Powerful.

I even have the guts to smirk at him, like the Chekhov that I am. “I do. You keep your gun. Shoot them both for all I care, but make sure it’s not too messy. I plan on inheriting this place once they’re gone and the deep cleaning fees are enormous.”

Ophelia gasps in horror. Stewart looks like he wants to lunge at me again, but he won’t with Brennan still wielding that stupid gun.

“Go on,” he says. He actually sounds… interested.

I brace my hands on my hips and tilt my head to one side. I never knew his wife, but I saw her on the news a few times. Something tells me he’s got a kink for powerful women… and the growing bulge in his pants confirms it. “I’ll give you a head start. You and I both know Pasha won’t rest until you’re dead, and like you said: it’s no fun when it’s quick. So I’ll distract him long enough for you to at least escape the city.”

Brennan seems to seriously think about it. This might actually work. We might actually?—

“Or…” He smiles at me. It’s cold and cruel and deeply disturbing. “I kill your parents. Fuck that sweet body of yours. Then kill you right when he gets here so I can kill him while he’s too distracted mourning your dead, defiled corpse. Yeah. I like that plan better.”

Shit.

I can’t think of a different tactic. I’m drawing blanks. It’s one thing to be up against someone wickedly intelligent—but deranged?

That’s a whole other wall of impossible.

“Scott—”

There’s a sudden knock at the door. It’s so out of place, and so out of nowhere, I almost laugh.

Brennan freezes. “What the fuck?”

Another knock. This time, it’s a bit louder. Firmer.

The senator turns on his heels, the hand holding his gun limp at his side. He’s just as confused as we are, but since he’s holding all the cards, it makes sense for him to be the one to answer the door.

He opens it.

I see a blessedly familiar figure darken the doorway.

And that’s when I realize: Brennan’s back is to me. He’s thoroughly distracted. And I am thoroughly pissed.

Pissed enough to do something very, very stupid.

53

PASHA

I already know I’m going to murder someone.

Then I find Lev in the grass, bleeding out from a gunshot wound, and I’m more sure than ever.

The car doesn’t even come to a full stop before I’m barreling out of it, closing the distance between me and one of my best men. He’s been updating me on Daphne’s location and activity, so when he suddenly went silent, I assumed he went in to save her.

This?

This is far worse.

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