Page 49 of Emperor of Wrath

I do. But I’ve also spent my life with certain personal mantras. And one of the big ones, especially after he-who-will-not-be-named, is that I pay my own way.

And my own debts.

I’m sure that Taylor could get me out of this marriage by asking Drazen. He sits at the Iron Table—a sort of collective of super powerful Bratva families—along with Kir.

But this is what I have to do. I don’t like it, but Kir’s been there for me for half my adult life. He gave me a home, and a life beyond just stealing from one gig to the next. If doing this stops a war and keeps he and his people from getting embroiled in a bloodbath, then so be it.

That’s a price I’m willing to pay.

At one point, I stand to go to the ladies’ room, and Freya comes with me. I can already tell from the look in her eye and from the way she’s been uncharacteristically quiet all night that she’s got something on her mind.

“Okay, out with it,” I sigh as the door closes behind us.

She shoots me a look before she quickly glances under the stall doors to make sure we’re alone. Then she turns to me.

“Look, I didn’t want to talk about it at Kir’s place, because I’m sure it’s bugged to hell.”

My brow knits. “Okay?”

Freya swallows nervously. “The shooting…”

“Frey, it could be?—”

“Are we gonna talk about he-who-shall-not-be-named being at that party at some point or not?”

I go still.

“Sorry,” she says quietly, touching my arm. “I just… It’s been two weeks, and you still haven’t mentioned him being at that party to me. But I saw him.”

“It’s fine,” I mutter.

She swallows, her eyes searching mine. “It’s not,” she blurts. “Like…not at all.”

“Look, I don’t know why he was there, okay?” I say testily. “But obviously he knows Sota, or else how could he have even gotten in?”

“What’d he want?”

“Nothing,” I snap. “Okay? Can we drop this?”

Her mouth twists.

Guess that’s a no.

“Does he know about?—”

“The car?” I mutter. “Yeah.”

“Shit,” she blurts, twisting her hands together anxiously. “Fuck, Annika, that’s…” She looks away. “Do you think it was him behind it? The shooter, I mean.”

I shudder. “I don’t… I don’t know.”

“C’mon, Anni,” she says quietly. “It has to be.”

“We don’t know that.”

She exhales, leaning against the vanity. “Think it might be time to tell Kir about all this?”

My head shakes violently. “Fuck no. No.”

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