Page 101 of Relentless Sinner

The conversation and her answer feel like an extension of the one we shared on our wedding night when I spoke about letting her go.

She’s here now.Stillhere. But I know there’s a lot between us that needs to be worked out. At the core are our feelings. I know we’re trapped in one of those wild sexual bubbles that snares newlyweds when they can’t get enough of each other.

Once the haze clears we’ll be left with reality, and she’ll have to accept that she doesn’t hate me.

Until then I don’t want to get off this ride.

Instead of letting her go I kiss her and savor all the ways she feels like mine.

We reach my father’s house in record time, getting there with enough time to socialize before we have to head into the hall.

The only person who likely gives a damn that we’re late is my father, but he doesn’t say anything. If this were the past he would have chewed my ass out and given me a few choice words that would ruin the day.

That said, years ago, I did everything to please him. Now I don’t.

At this moment I give myself credit for being able to switch back into business mode and be a Pakhan.

Image is everything. Especially here. One of the most meaningful things I learned from my father is to never give anyone anything to talk about and never show weakness. Ever.

I learned the latter mostly from him.

Here in the viper’s den where the men search for some sort of frailty, they’re like sharks sniffing for blood.

I’m also aware of the growing threat inside my family that has been quiet for far too long. It’s been several weeks since I discovered Damian was working with the cartel. Nothing has happened since.

I have eyes on him, Levka, and Magnus, but nobody’s seen or heard anything. Usually when things go quiet it’s because the enemy is planning when to strike and how hard to hit.

Quite possibly, they could try something here. Even though they’d be foolish to with so many officials around and the place swarming with guards. Still, I never make the mistake of underestimating anyone.

We enter the hall where the ceremony will take place. There are about two hundred people here filling the seats that have been positioned in rows.

My family are all at the front.

I will sit next to Gabriella until my father calls me forward.

He is sitting at the head of the room next to Levka and Eric, representing the current leadership. When I join them I will take my father’s seat.

Father clears his throat and a blanket of silence spreads over the room.

He starts speaking, swapping between English and Russian. He almost sounds like his usual self, until he doesn’t, then his illness becomes quite noticeable when he pauses for far too long.

I know he’s forgotten what he was saying. The look on his face is pitiful. So are the expressions on many of the men around me.

My father hates pity of any kind, so I know he wouldn’t want them to look at him that way.

He seems to remember what he was saying and picks up like nothing happened.

Soon he calls me forward and I leave Gabriella’s side, walking with pride toward my future.

I stop by the table with the plaque displaying our family crest; a golden eagle carrying a dagger in its claws.

Father stares at me for a moment and for the first time in all my life, he’s not looking at me like I’m beneath him. Or the thing that killed his wife.

He’s supposed to wheel his chair toward me but to my surprise he rests his hands on the arms and lifts himself up to stand.

I glance at Eric, who instantly looks worried. No one has seen my father walk in months. The last time I saw him he was only able to take a few steps before he collapsed on the ground and needed help to get back into the chair. Help he refused from me. It was only Eric who was allowed to help him.

I never thought my father would take such a risk today of all days and in front of all these people. But I shouldn’t really be surprised.

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