Page 74 of Brazen King

“Is it that obvious?” I joke, giving her a half-hearted smile as I plop down beside her.

Tatiana shrugs one shoulder and flips her book closed, giving me her undivided attention. “You still having issues with the…King situation?” she asks, picking her words carefully.

“Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that,” I say before my nerve fails me completely.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“I…well, you know Papa wants me todealwith Killian, right?” I start, easing my way into the situation.

“Right,” Tatiana says, her expression guarded.

I take a deep, fortifying breath and rush onward, spilling my confession in a quick burst. “Ididmake it inside Killian’s house that first night, even though I told Papa I didn’t. I tried to assassinate him,” I clarify.

Surprise registers on Tatiana’s face, followed by confusion.

Heat creeps into my cheeks as I recall my first encounter with Killian. The stranglehold he had on my throat, the way he slammed me against the wall so effortlessly. He could have killed me that night—would have killed me, I suspect, if he hadn’t decided to offer me his deal instead. And since then, he’s continued to overpower me without so much as harming a hair on my head.

It’s embarrassing to think of how easily he can stop me.

Then again, he’s an impressive specimen. A combination of strength and speed.

“He beat me,” I say finally, a knot forming in my chest.

And Tatiana’s frown returns. “I’m sorry, what does that mean?”

“I couldn’t do it, Ti,” I murmur. “He’sreallygood at fighting. And he’s stronger than me. He had me pinned down in a matter of minutes, all by himself—even after I took him by surprise.”

Tatiana’s eyes widen, and she releases a low whistle. “Okay you actually mean hebeatyou. Like he stopped you from killing him.”

“More than that. He could have killed me that first night. Hell, he nearly strangled me at one point. But then…well, he pulled off my hood and?—”

“What!” Horror flashes across her face, and we both glance quickly around the room to make sure no one else is listening in after her outburst.

“I know, I know,” I hiss. “But he made me a deal that night.”

“What kind of deal?” she asks suspiciously, her eyes narrowing.

“He would let me live—and he wouldn’t tell anyone about who I really am…if I would sleep with him.”

Stunned speechless, my sister openly gapes at me.

“He said the deal would stand indefinitely. That I could keep coming back, give it my best to kill him, as long as I agreed to…you know…if I failed.”

“That sick bastard!” Tatiana growls, fire igniting in her eyes. “The audacity—I just—I can’t believe he would have the nerve to offer such a deal,” she huffs with fury.

And that now-familiar blend of guilt and anxiety twists my gut.

“I took the deal, Ti,” I murmur, heat flooding my cheeks as the worst part of my confession comes to light. “I’ve been…sleeping with him for weeks now.”

“How am I only just hearing about this now?” my sister demands, exasperated. “I mean, obviously, I understand why you would take the deal—that’s better than dying or having him reveal your secret. But we should have gone to war the second you made it home safely from that first night. What were you thinking, staying quiet about it? Let alone trying to take Killian on again!”

“What was I supposed to say? I was embarrassed, humiliated not just for what I did to stay alive but because I failed Papa so completely. Could you imagine telling him about the deal I took?That would have been mortifying. It’s taken me this long to be able to tellyou.”

“Why did it take so long?” she asks, sudden hurt and confusion flashing across her face. “You know you can tell me anything, right? I’m your sister, Natasha. I’ll always be on your side.”

“I know that,” I murmur, guilt and shame flaring wildly in my chest. “I think…well, at first, I just wanted to pretend it didn’t happen. I was confident I could kill him the second time around, and then nobody would have to know just how miserably I failed. But then…I don’t know. He’s a lot harder to kill than I ever anticipated. Which meant I ended up spending the night with him more than once. And as I got to know him better, things just…changed.”

Tatiana’s frown deepens. “Meaning?”

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