Page 192 of Cashmere Cruelty

It was forhers.

“Explain yourselves,” I grit, barely keeping my rage at bay. “Now.”

But when Yuri turns to me again, that flame flickers. I’ve never seen an expression like this on my brother’s face before: smiling, yet sad at the same time. All at once, he looks ten years older.

“What’s there to explain?” he whispers. “I love her.”

Love.Before, I would have mocked the very idea. I would have spit in my brother’s face that “love” is a bedtime story. Something we tell our kids to balance out the terror of the monster under the bed. Something to give themhope.

But, just an hour ago, I spoke that very same word to someone else.

And now, as furious as I want to be?—

I can’t do it.

I can’t pull the trigger on this.

“So it’s yours?” I rasp. “She’s pregnant with your baby?”

Yuri nods.

“No.”

We both turn at the sound of Petra’s voice.

“Itcan’tbe,” she starts babbling again, nearly incoherent. “Yuri, you don’t understand. If my father finds out, he’ll kill us. He’ll kill both of us.”

“He wouldn’t.” Yuri shakes his head. “You’re his daughter. You’re?—”

“I’m nothing!” Petra spits. “I’m not his heir. I’m a prize mare to auction off to the highest bidder. I’m supposed toget himan heir!” Her voice drops to a whisper. “Instead, I’ve dishonored himandthe family. There’s only one fate for people who do that.”

“Then I’ll marry you,” Yuri says immediately. “We’ll tell him together. We’ll explain?—”

“Explain what?!” she shrieks. “It’sMatveyhe wants, Yura! He wants the power of thepakhan! And he knows you’ll never turn on him to take it!”

For a split second, I wonder if that’s still true. All this time, Yuri’s been deceiving me: sneaking around, meetingmyfiancée behind my back.

Even if we were engaged in name only, he should’ve known better than to go for her. Should’ve known better than to lie to me for her.

So who’s to say he won’t betray me for her, too?

But then I shake myself: this isYuriwe’re talking about. No matter what, he’s family.We’refamily. If I can’t trust that, then?—

“There has to be another way,” Yuri stammers, refusing to so much as entertain the thought. “Anything but that, Petra.”

Good brother.

“There is,” she confirms. “One way to save both our lives. The only way.”

And then she looks back at me.

“You did the right thing,” Yuri says, clutching my fist tight to his chest. Preventing me from slamming it back into the concrete, back where I can feel it hurt.“You saved us. You savedme.”

“Of course I did,” I growl back. “Of course I fuckingdid.”

Family comes first. I will always protect it; I will always make that choice. And it will always be the right one.That’smy creed.

So why does this feel like the opposite of right?

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