Page 106 of Sinful Scars

Pyotr’s eyes widen when he takes in the sight of me struggling against Lev’s hold, but he says nothing. Instead, he simply opens the back door of the car and steps aside.

I can’t let him take me.

By the time Lucia or Mikhail realize I’m missing, it will likely be too late.

For all I know, Lev is taking me straight to his father.

“I need to get her in the car now.” Lev pushes me forward.

I have one shot at this, and I have to make it count.

The moment his hands are off me in order to help me into the car, I spin in place and make to run. But instead, I ricochet off Lev's hard chest and stumble backwards, smacking my head on the frame of the door.

“Shit,” Lev hisses under his breath as my vision blurs.

His voice is the last thing I hear before everything goes black.

26

LEV

I always knewthat Elle would find out the truth eventually. But I didn’t expect it to hurt so damn much when her beautiful green eyes turned cold as she looked at me.

I’m no stranger to physical pain, but watching her finally see me for the monster that I am is a pain like no other. I would happily endure the wrath of Igor for the rest of my life if it meant Elle would never look at me like that again.

I know I was never worthy of her kindness or affection, but for the past few weeks, I got lost in the fantasy of it all, ofherand the life we could have had if things were different.

When she didn’t run at the sight of my scars, or when she learned that I was likely responsible for the death of Andre Koslov and his wife, it made me believe that it was possible for someone to finally love me.

I felt that nothing I could say or do would frighten her.

It made me believe that perhaps when she finally found outthe truth behind the fire, she would be able to look past it and forgive me.

But Elle’s love for her family is fierce and unwavering, and to think she would betray that in favor of loving me…

I was a fool for ever considering it.

I should have given myself over to the Koslovs the moment Mikhail told her the truth. After all, I can’t deny what I did. I might have saved Elle from the fire that night, but I’m the reason her brother and parents are dead.

Igor told me of his plan to kill Marco Conti Senior as well as his wife and children, and I did nothing to stop him. It doesn’t matter that I was terrified of him.

My own cowardice cost Elle the lives of the people she loved most in the world, and now she’s being forced to carry my child as a constantreminder of my weakness. My lies and betrayal.

I deserve to suffer for what I’ve done. Though no amount of pain the Koslovs will ultimately inflict on me will ever be enough to make up for the pain I’ve put Elle through.

But until that time comes, I need to try and get her to understand that I’m not the only person she should fear.

Mikhail might think that I’m the one who’s coming to finish the job that Igor started all those years ago, but he couldn’t be more wrong.

Igor has been bidding his time ever since the kidnapping, and hewillmake a move against her.

I just have to pray that I can get her to see reason before it’s too late for her, and for my child.

Elle is still out cold, after managing to knock herself out against the side of the car, so when I pull up outside the cabin, I have no choice but to carry her in my arms like I did all those weeks ago. Thankfully, she hasn’t cut herself, but alarge bruise is already starting to form on her temple, and I have no doubt that she’ll have a killer headache when she wakes up.

I can only hope that I have some painkillers stashed somewhere in the cabin.

I look down at her peaceful face, and my chest cracks open. I wish things could have been different, that in another life we could have gotten our happily ever after.

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