Page 110 of Sinful Scars

I could take his keys and run.

If luck is on my side, I could get Mikhail and Alexei back here before he even wakes up…

Once again, my hand flies to my stomach where the child we made together is starting to grow. A child we made, I now realize, out of the love that we have for each other.

Had.

Because I loved him. Maybe I still do… I’m honestly so confused by everything that’s happened in the past twenty-four hours that I don’t know what to think or believe anymore.

What I can’t ignore is the fact that Lev was there the night my family died. That he could have stopped the fire that tore my family apart.

Instead, he stood by and let that monster murder my family.

To me, that makes him just as guilty as Igor.

To hear him tell me that he loves me would have once had me crying with joy, but now all I feel is pain. To love him back feels like I’m betraying my parents and Marco.

I look down at his face, and I can’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of grief.

Grief for my family, for my child, and for us.

“Goodbye, Lev.” I reach out to touch his cheek.

His stubble is coarse, and his skin is warm to the touch.

My eyes start to sting with tears as I climb to my feet, but I need to hurry if I want to get out of here.

I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone to call Mikhail. I should have told him the truth when I had the chance, and I have no doubt that he will be furious with me when he learns of it, but at the time, I thought it was the right call to keep the reality of my relationship with Lev a secret.

But I can no longer look past the fact that Lev is the reason that Mikhail and his brothers lost their parents.

The Koslovs have done too much for me and my family for me to keep betraying them like this. If someone I knew and cared for was harboring Igor behind my back, I would be just as angry.

So, I open up my contacts and dial Mikhail’s number.

“Shit.” I have no signal.

My only option is to take Lev’s car and drive back to the city and try to call Mikhail on the way. I’ll need to go straight to Lucia’s townhouse and hope that she and Mikhail will forgive me for being so stubborn.

If only I had listened to them, I wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

I rush over to the door, and I’m about to throw it open when I catch the sound of footsteps moving about outside.

“No one touches him,” a deep voice barks. “He’s mine to deal with.”

I stagger backwards from the door.

I know that voice.

Suddenly, I’m eight years old again, standing with my ear pressed against my bedroom door as I listen to that voice arguing with my father.

The voice of Igor Ivanov.

“Oh, my god.” My blood turns cold.

“Search the perimeter.”

My eyes fly to the windows, and I drop to the ground out of sight.

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