Page 94 of Savage Reign

The idea of going out with Niko, even for one night, fills me with excitement. “You’re seriously not going to tell me anything else?”

“That’s the fun of a surprise. Now, be good today,” he teases, leaning in for a kiss. His mouth moves against mine, soft yet demanding, his hands on my hips, pulling me against him. It’s so damn easy to lose myself in his scent, his touch, his drugging kisses.

The sound of footsteps brings me back to the present. I pull away, expecting to see Yelena, but it’s not her. Emil stands frozen in the doorway, his eyes flicking between us.

Unfazed, Niko gives my ass a firm squeeze before stepping away. “Be ready by eight.”

As he walks past Emil, he claps him on the back with a low murmur of something I can’t hear, but the sharp look he throws him is unmistakable.

Emil crosses to the espresso machine in the far counter. He pours a mug, his back to me, the tension practically radiating off him.

I exhale slowly and grip the counter, working up the courage to say what I need to. “Emil, I need to apologize to you.”

“For what?” he snaps, still not looking at me.

“For… the woods. For putting you in that position with Niko.” The silence feels heavy as I search for the right words. “I never meant for you to get in trouble. I didn’t choose to be here, and I was desperate for a sliver of freedom. You have to understand that.”

He finally turns, his jaw tight, his expression hard. “Doesn’t look like you’re desperate to get away anymore. Seems to me you’ve settled in just fine. You and Niko are a happy little family, huh?”

I flinch at the bitterness in his voice. “I really am sorry. If I’d known it would get you in trouble…” My words trail off. The truth is, even if I had known, I’d probably still have done it. “The point is, I didn’t mean for you to take any of the blame, and I’m sorry you did.”

His eyes narrow as he takes a slow sip of coffee, leaning back against the counter, studying me. “You don’t have to make excuses. You tricked me. Next time, I won’t be so naive as to trust you.”

“There won’t be a next time,” I say carefully. “Things are different now.”

He lets out a humorless laugh. “Yeah, I noticed. We all have. He’s distracted. Spending his days wrapped up in you instead of running his empire. He’s taking his eyes off the ball, and it’s going to get us all killed.”

His words feel like a punch to the gut. Since Niko has been giving me so much of his time and attention, does that mean he’s neglected his duties?

“That’s not true,” I say, my tone defensive. “He’s handling his business.”

“Is he?” His eyes bore into mine. “Because from where I’m sitting, that’s not the case. First, the Azerbaijanis. Next, it’ll be the Syndicate coming for him, for all of us. And when that happens, you’ll only have yourself to blame.”

I grip the counter to steady myself, an ache spreading through my chest.

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he says flatly before turning and walking away, leaving the room steeped in the weight of his warning.

After Emil leaves, my head is a mess. I can’t think, focus, or even look at the cabbage rolls I’m supposed to be helping with. When Yelena returns, I mumble some sorry excuse about having a headache and needing to lie down, then slip away to the bedroom I occupied before moving into Niko’s.

Now, I’m in the bathroom, sitting with my back against the door, Valeria’s cell phone clutched in my hands as I decide what to do.

Niko asked me to give him time to figure things out, but what if we don’t have time? After he rejected Roman’s deal, I can only imagine how tense things are back home.

What if they are planning something? The Syndicate has endless resources at their fingertips, and while I know Niko does too, maybe he’s been too distracted to see them coming.

Emil might be bitter, but that doesn’t mean he’s wrong. I can’t be the reason that Niko, or anyone for that matter, is killed.

Hands shaking, I make the call I’ve put off making for a long time. Liza picks up right away.

“Sofiya… Is that you?” Her voice is tight, on the edge of breaking.

“It’s me,” I assure her.

A deep exhale. “Are you okay? Tell me you’re okay. Are you hurt? What did he do to you?” Her questions hit like rapid fire, leaving no space for answers. “Roman’s in the other room, I’ll get him?—”

“No,” I interrupt, the word coming out harsher than intended. “Liza, I need to talk to you alone. Please.”

“Okay,” she replies but I can hear the reluctance in her voice. “What’s going on? Are you safe? Are you still…” She trails off as if she can’t bring herself to say the words.

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