Page 76 of Sinful Scars

“Oh, yes, everything is fine.” She closes the door.

I’m not buying it.

I don’t miss the way Lucia is refusing to meet my eyes.

“Is everything all right with Vivi?”

“She’s actually not here.” Lucia runs her hands over her cream blouse. “She’s having a sleepover at Zara’s.”

“Oh?” I don’t have the energy to hide my disappointment at not seeing the little one.

I barely have a chance to take off my coat before I’m being ushered down the hall toward the kitchen.

“Let’s go and have a drink.”

“Why are you being so weir?—”

I walk into the kitchen to find not just Mikhail, but Alexei, Dimitri, Danil, and Anton, all sitting around the table.

I feel as if I’ve just walked into a wake, with each one of them dressed in all black and wearing identical somber expressions.

“What the hell is this?” I round on Lucia, who has gone uncharacteristically pale. “Please tell me you didn’t invite me over here just to host some kind of ridiculous intervention.”

Her mouth opens, but she shuts it again, not bothering to deny it.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen my cousin at a loss for words, which only confirms my fear.

“Oh my god, you did.” A hysterical laugh escapes my lips as it dawns on me that the entire Koslov family knows about my secret bedroom meetings with a man whose name I don’t even know.

They must all think I’m completely insane.

“I can’t believe this.”

Alexei gets to his feet. “Elle…”

“I’m not talking to you.” I hold up a hand to silence him. “Lucia.”

“You need to hear what they have to say.” She glances nervously at Mikhail, who also gets to his feet.

“Come and sit down, Elle.” He offers me his empty seat.

“I’m fine right where I am.” I fold my arms across my chest. “This is unbelievable.”

Mikhail steps around the table to come and stand beside his wife. “Trust me when I say that Lucia didn’t want to do this. But we didn’t have a choice.”

I grind my teeth as he places a tattooed hand around her waist and pulls her against him.

Her eyes well with tears and in that moment, surrounded by my extended family, I don’t think I’ve ever felt more alone.

“I beg to differ.” I don’t bother dulling my anger. “I’m sick of talking about this. That's all I’ve been doing lately.”

Alexei shifts on his seat. “You’re in danger, Elle.”

“It wouldn’t be the first time.”

The room is deathly quiet as I look at each of them in turn. Even Danil, who always seems to find humor in a situation no matter how grave, has astone-like expression.

Lucia lifts her hand slightly my way and lets it fall again as if having changed her mind. “Hear what they have to say, Elle.”

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