Page 72 of Kings of Cruelty

Sierra lets out a pained laugh. “I understood that.”

Nikolai hushes her. “I’m calling an ambulance,” he announces, already fumbling with his phone.

“No,” Kotya says. “Take her to the hospital in your car.” He slaps the ex’s face. “Yura and I will deal with this man.”

My body thrums with excitement. “That’s her ex-boyfriend. The man who cheated on her.”

Kotya gives me a dark smile. “Oh, this is him? Then we really need to show him some Russian hospitality.”

The ex groans and shakes his head. “Leave… leave me alone… fuckers…”

Nikolai scoops Sierra up into his arms, staggering a little under her weight but not saying anything about it.

She makes a pained sound, though, and tells him, “I can walk. I’m fine.”

“But the baby…” Nikolai starts, but he sets her down.

Her expression is bleak. “We should get to the hospital,” she says.

Nikolai helps her out of the apartment, an arm wrapped around her waist. “I’ll call as soon as we know something,” he calls over his shoulder before they disappear down the hallway.

I press my shoulder against Kotya’s. “We shouldn’t make a mess here, probably.”

“Agreed,” Kotya murmurs. “I want to get very, very messy with him.”

The ex is still dazed. “Speak… speak English… This is America.”

I laugh. He wouldn’t want to understand us if he knew what we were saying.

“I’ll take him back to the mansion in my car,” Kotya says. “You get rid of the evidence here. The concierge…”

“I’ll make it very clear what will happen if he snitches,” I promise. I sneer at the ex. In English, I say, “Aren’t you lucky. You get to live.”

For now.

NINETEEN

Sierra

I stare downat my phone on the drive back from the hospital, seeing where Kyran has tried to call me back a grand total of twenty-seven times. He’s also sent a dozen increasingly frantic text messages, all in his shade of almost unintelligible text speak, and I bite my lip as I stare down at it.

“We’re almost home,” Nikolai says.

I glance at him, trying to ignore the way my hands suddenly get sweaty at the idea of having to see Konstantin in all of his rage again. I can’t forget what he’d said to me the night before. I can’t forget that he brought me on a double date with a human trafficker and his gentle, broken wife.

I also can’t forget that James tried to kill the baby I didn’t think I wanted until I almost lost it.

My heart hardens, and I send Kyran a text.

My bad. Nvm. All’s good.

u sure??”

At least I know Silvano isn’t typing the text for him.

Yeah. I’m fine. I’ll call you later.

There isn’t even a pause before he responds.

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