Page 93 of Cruel Honor

“And Arthur Toropov,” Ana adds.

The men who tried to rape me. Abram’s men. Of course, they would be the daughters of them.

Everything begins to enclose in on me. The ocean suddenly feels suffocating. Coming here was meant to help me move on.

But I can’t escape what I’ve done. I’ll never be able to escape it.

I bend over, sucking in breath after breath.

“What’s her problem?” Anna mutters.

Ana laughs—the sound is grating to my ears. “Who cares? She’s a dumb whore who stole Dimitri right out from under Tatiana.”

“You two need to shut the fuck up,” Dimitri hisses at them. They actually step back, shock in their eyes. I guess most people don’t speak to them this way.

“Evie?” Dimitri asks, bending down toward me. “Evie.”

“She’s mental,” Ana says, flicking her brown hair over her shoulder.

“What do you even see in her?” Anna asks.

All I can see are my toes and the sand covering them. It doesn’t do anything to wash out my memory of killing Tatiana.

“What’s going on here?” Katya demands, getting out of the water. “What are you bitches doing here?”

Anna gasps. “What did you call us?”

“You think you’re so invincible because Dimitri is your brother,” Ana says, “but you’re nothing, Katya. Tatiana always thought you were cheap, and we think that, too.”

“Enough!” Dimitri shouts, making them jerk back. “You two needto leave. I already killed your fathers. Nothing is stopping me from killing you, too.”

“You wouldn’t dare,” Anna says, tossing her blonde hair back.

“Don’t test me. I’ve never killed a woman before, but I just might make an exception for you two.”

“We haven’t done anything wrong,” Ana exclaims.

“You’re getting on my fucking nerves, so yes, I think you’re doing something wrong. So,leave.”

Both women huff like they’re the put-out ones before they walk away.

“Bitches,” Katya mutters.

“Evie?” Dimitri asks, bending down toward me. “Come on. Stand up.”

Sucking in a breath, I do as he says. “I’m sorry. I just …”

“I know.”

“They don’t know, Dimitri. They don’t know Tatiana is dead.”

“And they’re not going to know. My cleanup crew does a good job of getting rid of bodies. She’ll never be found.”

“How can you be so sure? Did you see them dispose of her body yourself?” It’s surreal to even be asking that.

“No,” he admits. “But they’ve been working for me for a long time. They know what they’re doing.” He squeezes my arm. “You don’t have to worry. And don’t let those mean girls get to you. Tatiana never meant anything to me.”

And yet you slept with her.

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