Page 65 of Ruthless Vows

“Oh, alright,” Aurora mutters, slowly lowering herself down into the couch. “I hate that you lost your job, though. You loved that job and you were so good at it.”

“Yeah,” I say sadly. “I hate it, too.”

“Are you okay, though? He really didn’t get far?” Sabrina asks gently, worry in her green eyes.

I shake my head. “He didn’t, I promise. And I’m fine. Not traumatized or anything. Just really fucking angry. And indisbelief that everyone I worked with was so quick to turn their backs on me. I mean, you think you know people and then when you need them, poof, they’re gone.”

Even Simone, who I’d thought was fairly close to me. I gave her tickets to a Taylor Swift concert once. And she hasn’t bothered to call me once since I left. Goes to show that there was never any loyalty.

“The only people you can only trust is family,sorella,” Aurora says softly, leaning forward to place her hand over mine comfortingly.

“Sometimes even family can disappoint you, though. Just trust yourself, Lucy Luce,” Sabrina chimes in.

My sister and I both look at her and she shrugs.

“That’s incredibly cynical, Sab,” I say on a laugh.

“Cynicism is what keeps the world turning.”

“I somehow doubt that,” I drawl.

“Was that all you wanted to say?” Aurora questions, her eyes meeting mine.

If only.

I shake my head, my lips pressing together. There is absolutely no part of me that wants to tell her this. But she needs to know. I look down at my hands, the words leaving my mouth in a rush.

“I slept with Ivan.”

There’s a stunned silence for two seconds. And then Aurora’s getting to her feet again.

“I knew it! That fucking bastard. He made you sleep with him, didn’t he? I am going to murder him,” she vows.

“What? No!” I shout. “He didn’t make me do anything. Seriously, Rory. That came out the wrong way. I shouldn’t have started like that. Sit down. And would you please stop saying you’ll murder people?”

She huffs out a breath but when Sabrina tugs on her hand, she lowers her body again.

“If you stand up again, I’ll tie you to this couch,” Sabrina threatens, making me smile.

“Whatever. You.” She points at me. “Speak.”

“Ivan and I met like a month ago.” I don’t miss the way Aurora’s eyes widen but I power on quickly so she doesn’t interrupt again until I’m done. “I had a dinner meeting at a restaurant, with Hans Murray, but the bastard stood me up. Ivan ended up having dinner with me that night and we got on. One thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together. It was meant to be a one-time thing. Which is why I was pretty surprised when he showed up here two weeks ago asking me to marry him. I hadn’t seen him again after that night. And I had no clue who he was or that he was even in the Bratva.”

The silence that follows my confession is borderline painful. Aurora seems like she’s having a hard time taking it all in. Sabrina looks a little confused. I don’t blame them. It’s a lot.

“Let’s start over,” Aurora says. “You already knew who Ivan Volkov was when he walked into our house two weeks ago?”

I can see that she’s about to get angry.

“Yes and no,” I reply. “I had met him but I had no idea who he was, Rory.”

“You slept with a guy you didn’t know,” she says dryly.

“He gave me his name. I just didn’t realize he was in the mafia. Don’t judge me, Aurora. I’m a grown woman. I’m also single, which means I’m allowed to sleep with whoever I want to.”

“He’s twenty years older than you,” she retorts. “Did you know that when you were sleeping with him?”

“Yes,” I say, crossing my arms. “It doesn’t matter to me.”

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