Page 122 of Dmitri

“But you know him. Who’s more likely to play you, Daelyn? The man who’s terrorized you for half your life, or the guy he sent you to fuck over?”

I get what he’s saying. I do. But my brain locks in on the fact that Kaleb has never lied to me. It’s a wall I can’t climb or knock down. It’s the very foundation our relationship was built on. “He wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Then he’s mistaken me for someone else.”

“Yeah. Maybe.” A tiny seed of hope sprouts in my chest. “I bet that’s it. Yeah.” Relief filters into my exhaustion. “I can work with that. I’ll tell him he has the wrong guy. I’ll convince him of it.” Oh my god, this could work! “He’ll have to believe me because it’s true. And then my part of the mission is over. Me and Addie will be free, and so will you.” I look up at him with a smile that doesn’t feel right on my face. “This is going to be okay. We’re going to be okay.”

Dmitri’s expression cuts me to the quick. “Daelyn.”

“No.” I poke a shaky finger at him. “This is going to work.”

He’s not convinced.

And neither am I.

Chapter 34

Dmitri

Daelyn’s being irrational. She’s lost her mind if she thinks she can convince this guy I’m not the one he’s looking for. She’s pulling on every little strand she can find to validate her line of thinking, which is fucking delusional, too. Deep down, she knows that and her desire to cling to the notion that this man has never once lied to her baffles me.

This mystery enemy of mine has altered her brain chemistry with how he’s manipulated and used her over the years. It makes me want to skin him alive.

She’s standing as the barrier between me, Addie, and the man who’s terrorized her for a very long time. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Daelyn would set herself on fire to keep those she loves warm. It makes her being manipulated that much worse. Besides, I don’t need her protection and it’s frustrating that she won’t back down with this. Maybe she’s played the part of protector for so long, she’s incapable of stepping out of the role.

“It’s fine. Everything’s going to be fine.” Her limbs tremble as she falls apart at the seams. “Right? This is going to work, isn’t it?”

Unwilling to lie to her, I shake my head and watch her crumble.

I catch her before she hits the floor and hold her close. “Shhh.” I pet her hair and tuck her into my body for safekeeping. “I got you.”

It’s like a lifetime of misery pours out of my girl. Sobs wrack her. Snot and drool drip out of her face while she ugly cries against me. My heart cracks more and more with eachagonizing sound she makes.

Swiping the hair from her face, I pepper her forehead with kisses. “It’s going to be okay.”

I’ll finish this, one way or another, and make sure Daelyn and Addie come out unharmed.

“How can you be so good to me, when I’ve been bad?” She hiccups, hugging me tighter. “I deserve punishment, not…this.”

Closing my eyes, I let that sink in. Bet she’s punished every time she steps out of line with that guy. Christ, how did this piece of shit make Daelyn this fucking loyal to him when he treats her so horribly?

You were loyal to your mother, the angel on my shoulder chimes.

To a fault, the devil adds.

Fuck you both.

“I’m not like him,” I say into her hair. She smells like my soap. I miss her floral scent. “I’m not going to hurt you for doing things I don’t like, Firefly.”

She wails against me, like pointing that out makes this all so much worse. I’m in over my head here and can’t find leverage to help me stay afloat.

“You did what you had to in order to survive.” I cup her face. “Don’t be sorry for that.”

Her nose is red and running. Her eyes are a puffy mess. Her chin trembles so much, her teeth chatter. She hooks her arms around my neck and hugs me tight again. “I’m so sorry I did this. I should have fought back harder. Told him no.”

“And suffer his consequences?”

“I might have survived it.” Daelyn pulls back and looks me dead in the eyes. “But I won’t survive losing you or Addie.”

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