Page 94 of Cruel Promise

“What? What’s funny?”

“Seeing you freak out like you’re doing right now. I was literally kidnapped and forced into a marriage, and you didn’t help me, and yet, you thinkI’mthe bad guy. It’s just ironic.”

“It’s not funny,” he growls.

Slowly, my laughs fade. “You’re right. It’s not. But, see, the thing is, Jason, you can press charges all you want. But my husband will protect me from that. He’s going to kill you.” That thought sobers me right up. “If you come after me, you’re dead. And even though I think you’re a mean person, I don’t think you deserve to die. So, if I were you, I wouldn’t press charges.”

He scoffs. “You can’t tell me what to do.”

I take a step closer to him, and he takes a step back. “You met my husband. Do you want to risk his wrath?”

I can see the visible gulp in his neck as he swallows. “Your husband doesn’t scare me.” He doesn’t sound convincing.

“He should. And I think you’re lying. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get back to New York. Back to my husband.”

Jason’s jaw goes slack. I guess he really didn’t expect me to stand up for myself. There’s no way I’ll tell Nikolai about this. I meant what I said—Jason doesn’t deserve to die. He deserves to be put in his place, but I can’t be the one to do it. It’s not my job.

My life has changed exponentially since I lost my mom, my father betrayed me, and I had to marry a stranger.

There’s no more time for me to feel afraid. I need to make the most out of life going forward. And to start, I’ll need Nikolai to forge a police report for me.

“You need a document stating you were kidnapped?” he asks dubiously after I get back home.

Home. It’s strange. I’m slowly starting to think of this Gothic mansion as my home.

“Yes. It’s the only way I’ll have the proof of why I missed classes. It’s the only way they’ll let me make my time back up.”

Nikolai nods once. “All right. I’ll get that for you.” He turns away then hesitates and looks back at me. “Is there anything else you need?”

I stare at him in shock. The great Nikolai Petrov actually asking me if I need something? I can tell he’s trying. It makes my heart flutter.

“Uh … no,” I say, feeling suddenly awkward. This is new territory for us. We’ve fought, we’ve shared electric, sensual moments, and we’ve even been close to opening up to one another.

But we’ve never been this: nice to each other.

Nikolai looks strangely disappointed that I don’t ask for more but doesn’t say anything as he heads back into his office.

I start to head back into my room then pause. This is what I’ve been doing for a while. Staying in my room because it felt safe. But I want more than that.

For the first time, I pivot, go into the library, pick up a book, and sit down and read. It feels like my life before Nikolai.

It feels nice.

NIKOLAI

Ava came back.

She went to Yale, and she came back. She didn’t try to run. I know it was part of our deal, but still—she chose to come back.

And that makes me feel things I haven’t felt in a long time. Mainly, hope.

I stand outside her bedroom. It’s night, and she must be asleep by now. I push the door open and step inside. She’s tucked under the covers, sleeping. I’ve never seen her face look so relaxed until now.

There’s a part of me that wants to climb into the bed with her. Not to have sex but just to hold her. I’ve had an iciness around my heart for years, but Ava is starting to melt it.

The rational side of my brain says I need to end this here. I need to lock her back up and make her hate me so I can hate her, too. So I’ll never let myself fall in love with her.

But I just can’t do that. I don’t want to lock Ava up. I never have.

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