Page 135 of Sinful Lies

“Where are you going?” Zara looks panicked as I climb off the bed.

“There’s something I have to take care of.”

“Dimitri—”

“It’s all right,sladkaya. I’ll be back soon.” I bend down to kiss her lips.

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m going to get rid of your nightmares for good.”

I hate leaving Zara, but neither of us will be able to rest fully until Giovanni Saccone is no longer breathing. So, I make sure Danil is by her side to keep me updated in case her condition changes before Mikhail and I take a little trip over to Chinatown.

My brother is silent as we drive over to the warehouse where Giovanni is being held.

I have no doubt that he’s ruminating on the bargain he made with Massimo but knowing Mikhail, he won’t want to talk about it.

Least of all with me.

I’m not sure whether I’ll ever get over the guilt I currently feel toward Mikhail. I’m the reason he’s going to be signing his life over to a spoiled mafia princess, and no matter whether he willingly agreed to it or not, he never would have had to if I hadn’t broken the deal with Massimo in the first place.

Mikhail slams the car door. “Stop it.”

“Stop what?” I frown at my brother.

“Feeling guilty about this shit with Massimo,” He runs his tattooed hand through his dark hair.

“Mikhail—”

The deal is done, Dimitri.”

“It doesn’t have to be.”

Mikhail looks at me, his face like stone. “We all have arole to play in order to keep this family safe. Right now, you need to fulfill yours. Focus on what needs to be done.”

He’s right. I have my whole life to feel guilty about what will happen to him. For now, we have a job to do.

I nod. “Let’s get this over with.”

Mikhail foldshis arms over his chest as he looks down at Giovanni. “I kept him alive, just like you asked.”

I’ve never seen a more pathetic sight of a man, lying in a pool of his own blood and piss.

The stumps at the end of each of his arms are heavily bandaged, though blood is no longer soaking through. His skin is covered in dark purple bruising, and his breathing is shallow as I watch the slow rise and fall of his chest.

“You sure about that?”

Mikhail rolls his eyes before landing a swift kick to Giovanni’s ribs.

He whimpers.

“Pretty sure.” Mikhail shrugs. “Though I still don’t know why you wanted me to go to the trouble.”

“I thought it would be enough to leave him like this.” I look down at the piece of shit. “That, and I know Zara didn’t want his blood to be on my hands.”

“That’s not her decision to make.”

“When it comes to her life with me, it’s always her decision. I won’t ever let her feel like she doesn’t have a choice or a say.”

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