Page 140 of Beautiful Cruelty

"Sorry?Sorrydoesn't begin to cover this."

My throat constricts as I try to form words under Vadim's burning gaze. My heart pounds against my ribs as I search for words, any words, to explain myself. But Vadim's rage presses against me like a physical force, stealing the air from my lungs.

And his eyes... God, his eyes are different now. Where there was once warmth, even tenderness, now there's only cold fury in their stormy gray.

And for the first time, I see him for what he is: a cold, ruthless pakhan.

Powerful.

Dangerous.

"Caroline was lying to the police about me." My voice quivers as I force the words out. "I had to clear my name, I had to?—"

"Clear your name?" Vadim snarls. "Irinadiedto get us that bible. She gave her life so that we could destroy Kirsan's operation.And you risk throwing it all away because you wanted toclear your name?"

"I..." The words stick in my throat.

Everything's spiraling out of control and it's all because of me. If I hadn't screamed at Nathan when I caught him with Caroline, she wouldn't have lied about me.

If I hadn't gone back there, I never would've gotten involved with Vadim's plan.

If I hadn't agreed to the heist... Irina would still be alive. And now Megan…

Megan is gone, and it must be because I went to see her instead of calling her to come here where it's safe.

It's all my fault. Every person who's suffered. Every person who's about to suffer.

All of it was because of me.

Lightning flashes again, casting harsh shadows across Vadim's face as thunder starts rumbling outside. My back is pressed so hard against the wall I can feel each ridge of the stone surface digging into my spine.

"What did you tell them?" His voice drops lower, more dangerous.

"I... I..." The words tangle in my throat. All I can think about is how different he looks right now—like a stranger wearing my husband's face.

"Answer me! Eto moi prikaz!" The Russian words crack like a whip through the air.

I don't understand the meaning, but I can hear the command in his voice. The tender man who held me after Irina's death, who promised to protect me, is gone. In his place stands the pakhan of the Stravinsky Bratva, and I am nothing more than a liability to be dealt with.

My fingers curl against the wall behind me.

"Nothing they didn't already know." My voice comes out small, barely a whisper.

"You're lying." His palm slams against the wall beside my head, making me jump. "Tell me the truth!"

"I... I..." My heart hammers so hard I can barely breathe. "I said the wordbratva."

The silence stretches between us, broken only by the rumble of distant thunder.

My legs tremble as the reality of my situation crashes over me. There's no Aleksey to interrupt this time. No one waiting outside to rescue me. It's just me and Vadim, alone in this massive house with its painful secrets and dark shadows.

I turn my face away from him, unable to keep looking into his eyes.

"Look at me." His fingers grip my jaw, and forces my face back towards his.

Even in the darkness, I can see the intensity of his gaze. My skin burns where he touches me, but the heat doesn’t chase away the cold from the rain clinging to my clothes.

Captain Rutledge's words echo in my mind:The teeth, fingers, and toes removed... punctures in the stomach... typical of the Russian Mafia...

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