Page 63 of Poisoned Roses

CHAPTER 34

TATIANA

My reaction is violently retching as Nadia’s brains explode in an arc all over Titus and as her body slumps back in the chair, the contents of my stomach join the dirt on the floor. Sobs wrack my body as so many emotions fight within me. Nadia was evil, she deserved to die. But Titus. What is he, monster or hero? I can’t work out which.

He pulls me to my feet and wraps his strong arms around me, coating our bodies with his fresh kill. I fight against him, my fists beating on his chest as I sob. “How could you?”

“She deserved to die,Tia.”

His soft voice caresses my rage and I cry, “Not her, you fucking bastard. I’m talking about you! What made you do that to me? You were in danger of being killed.”

He stills as I slump in his arms, crying uncontrollably as I face the real fact I might have lost him. His hand clasps my head to his chest as I sob, my shoulders heaving as the shock hits me. This was too much. He lifted the curtain on a reality that shattered my illusions, revealing that life can be cruel and that a person I considered a friend might have hurt me.

Now I understand now why he brought me here. He wants me to see the whole of him, so there are no surprises. I’m not sure how I know, but it’s as if I hold a direct line of communication to his brain.

If anything, it reveals how much I need his protection and the lengths he will go to take care of his own.

My opinion hasn’t changed of the man I am to marry. If anything, I love him deeper because he did this for me.

I draw back and stare at his grim face that is painted with the blood of betrayal.

“Why take that risk?”

“There was no risk.” Simeon chuckles behind him as he shrugs.

“My gun has been modified. I line up the chamber with the groove on the trigger and when I set the chamber in place, I make certain it’s in the correct position.”

“You cheated!”

My eyes widen and he laughs softly. “I stacked the odds in our favor, Tia. It’s the basis of every business deal we make. We plan the outcome before we’ve conducted the first meeting andonly when all the pieces are in place do we make our move, guaranteed of our success.”

He shakes his head. “Come. We must return to the mansion knowing that one threat has been eliminated.”

“But the man is still out there.” I whisper, fear gripping my heart at what might happen tomorrow and Simeon adds, “We identified the contact in the Kremlin by monitoring his communications. They linked to a burner phone, and we isolated the signal. He is already in custody and gave us every detail and when the jet lands tomorrow, it will be grounded and the police will discover several millions of dollars of drugs onboard. The owner will be investigated and his business exposed and his homes searched.”

I stare at the men in the room and I have no words. This is the dark side of their business, but proves how honorable they really are. Their methods may be brutal, but they get results and despite the horror I just witnessed, I couldn’t love Titus Romanov more if I tried.

I smile at him with acceptance and whisper softly, “We should go and clean up. We have a wedding to attend tomorrow and nothing must get in the way of that.”

He nods, but the fire doesn’t dissipate in his eyes. If anything, it burns more fiercely and I wonder what else this man has planned because whatever his reasons are for marrying me, relate to what will happen tomorrow.

I wakethe next morning on my wedding day. The events that happened yesterday haunted my mind, but never interfered with my dreams. When we returned, Titus went to the guest wing, and I returned to our suite of rooms. It struck me as I walkedinside, drenched in blood and who knows what else that I returned with every right to be here. Titus revealed his soul to me last night, and I returned more of a Romanov than I thought possible. My fear was for him, not for what he did. His intentions were to protect the ones he loves. To protect me.

I wake with a power I would never hold if I hadn’t been present at Nadia’s execution. There is no doubt in my mind that is what it was. He was never going to let her survive, not after what she had done, and I applaud him for it. Rough dark justice for a woman who was as psychotic as the man who paid her. She didn’t care about the women she sold. Only how much they would make her.

Leo was also expendable, driven by greed and lust. Avarice and desperation. Qualities that are not to be admired and deserved the ruthless punishment.

He was a victim of that and another one of Nadia’s. She used him for personal gain and paid the ultimate price.

A gentle knock at the door drags my attention away from the horrors of yesterday, and I smile with delight when Ana and the rest of the girls crowd into my room.

“Surprise!”

They are carrying a tray each and Ana says with a smile, “Breakfast is served. Come into the other room and we can sit together and attempt to talk you out of this madness.”

Her grin is infectious and I grab my robe and follow them into the living area where a table has been set with fresh flowers and sparkling cutlery, along with crystal champagne flutes.

Serena pops the cork with expert precision and Polly hands out the glasses. Then they all raise them to mine and call out, “Congratulations. To the bride.”

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