Page 56 of Ruthless Vows

That gives him pause. “He doesn’t really believe that. He knows very well I would never actually kill him.”

“Do you think so? Because he might say all that to your face, but inwardly, he’s terrified of what you might do.”

I can’t believe I’m defending Alexei right now. The man obviously needs a lot of help. But I also can’t ignore that Ivan and his warped idea of right and wrong might have contributed to why his brother is the way he is.

“Is that what’s going on? Are you also secretly terrified of me, Lucia?”

I falter, unsure how to answer that question honestly. Because in the back of my mind, I keep thinking about whyI’m here. Adrian wouldn’t baselessly accuse him of killing his mother. Which means there’s a possibility that he did it. And that possibility is what’s holding me back, keeping me from trusting him.

“Should I be?” I finally settle on as an answer.

I can see that it hurts him. He looks away from me for a second.

“Alright, then. You can go,” he announces.

I blink, a little surprised at the casual dismissal.

“Okay…” I trail off, getting to my feet. “I guess I’ll see you later?”

“No, Lucia. I meant that you can go home. I’m freeing you. You don’t have to be my wife. If you truly think I kidnapped you, then you can leave.”

I blink again, not quite believing the words coming out of his mouth. “Are you serious?”

“Yes. If you don’t want to be here, then I’m not going to keep you here against your will. I’m not going to force you to marry me.”

“You were prepared to do that two weeks ago. You threatened my family into letting me go.”

“I figured by the time you grew more comfortable with me, you wouldn’t be as opposed to the idea. But it’s clear you can’t trust me. So you might as well just leave.”

Ouch. Why does that hurt so much?

I should take this out. I should leave. Because truly, I’ve never wanted this. This is my chance at freedom. And yet I’m looking it in the eye and considering the offer.

Fuck.

Ivan arches an eyebrow when I don’t immediately run for the door and the hills.

“What are you doing, Lucia?”

I swallow softly. “I don’t want to go,” I admit in a hushed whisper.

Ivan’s eyes widen. “What?”

“You heard me. I don’t want to go.”

Maybe it makes me crazy, but a part of me is drawn to Ivan in a way I’ll never understand. And I can’t leave him without knowing who he really is.

“Careful what you say,milaya. Some things can’t be taken back.”

Oh, God. Please don’t let me be making a mistake.

“I want you, Ivan. Despite all the reasons I shouldn’t.”

It’s like a switch is flipped inside of him. He goes from cold to hot in a mere second, the look in his eyes smoldering. My heart starts to thunder in my chest. He starts to walk towards me predatorily, and I step backward until my back hits the wall.

He crowds me, placing his arms against the side of my head. He’s much taller than me so he has to lean down to maintain eye contact. I’m completely and utterly trapped and yet…

Damn it, why is this so hot?

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