Page 67 of Cruel Honor

“Don’t sugarcoat it.”

She sits down on the couch and places Evie’s head in her lap. “She’s my best friend, Dimitri. I need to know that she’s ok. You can’t protect her, not when Abram keeps coming after her.” She looks at me harder. “What else happened tonight? I can tell you’re not telling me everything.”

“It’s better you don’t know.”

“Then I need to know.”

“Fuck, Katya.” I pace back and forth, my mind whirring. How did everything come to this? I just saw a pretty girl and thought she was the solution to my problem. But instead, I became the problem for her. “Tatiana brought Evie to Abram. He tried to kill her again, but I stopped it.” I don’t tell her how I saw Boris and Arthur touching her. Arthur’s hand on her breast. Boris’s hand on her leg, inching closer to her pussy.

Katya doesn’t need to know.

“This has to stop, Dimitri, and you know it.”

I know she’s right. I knew it before she even said it.

I have to let Evie go. I never even got the chance to kiss her properly, and now, I have to remove her from my life. It’s the only way to keep her safe.

EVIE

My head is pounding when I wake up.

For a long moment, I don’t know where I am, and then it registers—Dimitri’s living room. The comfy couch underneath me. I could sink into this couch forever.

But then I remember—Tatiana in the club restroom. Forcing me to drink that water. Then everything went hazy.

I sit up, my heart pounding like a madwoman, and frantically look around.

“I’m here.” Dimitri’s voice washes over me. He sits down next to me but not too close. Actually, there’s a large distance between us on the couch.

“What happened?” I sound like I’ve swallowed rocks. Swallowing doesn’t help at all.

“Evie, I have to tell you something. It’ll be good news for you.”

“What?” Even though he says it’s good news, it doesn’t feel like it. Dread forms in my stomach.

“I’m letting you go.”

I blink. His words don’t make any sense. “What?”

“Tatiana drugged you and brought you to Abram. He tried to kill you again, but I stopped him. He got away, though. Do you remember any of that?”

“No,” I whisper. I have no memory, and that’s terrifying.

“At first, I thought I could control Abram, but it’s gone too far. He’s not going to stop coming for you. I married you to protect you from Dima, but I just threw you to the wolves when it came to Abram. It has to stop. I may be an asshole, but I can’t see you die. Not on my watch. So, I’ll give you what you want. A divorce. You’ll be free of me.”

“I …” He’s talking like it’s good news, but for some reason, all I feel is emptiness. “What about Dima?”

“I’ll make sure you always have a guard watching you. But that guard won’t stop you from living your life. He’ll just be there in case Dima tries anything.”

“You’re really doing this? You’re really letting me go?”

“I am.” His face is like marble. Beautiful yet hard and cold.

It’s everything I’ve wanted since meeting Dimitri. To have my own agency again. To have my own life again.

So, why do I feel disappointed?

“I’ll take you back to your stepmom’s house,” he continues. Can’t he see the shock on my face? But I shouldn’t feel shocked. I should only feel happiness.

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