Page 53 of Sinful Promise

I caress the side of her face, and our eyes meet. A tear rolls down her cheek.

“That was intense,” she says with a smile. I grab the closest article of clothing and clean us, then toss it on the deck.

I pull her to me. We lie together under the stars. Neither of us speaks.

I’m buzzed with euphoria and look at the night sky with its millions of stars. “Have you ever looked for constellations in the sky?”

“Not really. But I know that’s the Big Dipper,” She points to three stars in a row. “And if it’s there, the Little Dipper has to be close.”

“Yes, it is. There.” I point to the other constellation.

“Have you studied all of them?”

“There isn’t enough time to do that. It’s never-ending. I often wonder what it would be like to live on another planet. I read a lot of sci-fi when I was a kid.”

“No way,” she gasps. “You like to read?”

“Most of the books in the library were read by me or my mother.”

“Your mom must be amazing.”

“She is.”

“So, what will happen to me, Roman?” She circles my nipple with a finger and asks the one question I’ve been avoiding.

21

DASHA

We’re looking up at the stars, pointing out constellations, when Roman declares out of the blue, “I’ll come up with a plan. There’s no way I’m turning you over to our enemy.”

“How? I don’t see why Andrian would agree to a deal. Surely he values the guns more than he does me.”

Roman doesn’t answer. I stare at the night sky and hope for a shooting star to wish upon. If I saw one, I’d wish all our problems would go away.

Finally, he says, “It’s not just about money. Andrian has a vendetta against my family. He’s been hiding in Belarus for years, plotting for the day he can take us down. None of us are safe. My father took over a job that he felt belonged to him, and since then, he has held a grudge. Dad probably knew he was in Belarus but didn’t know he was barred from returning to Russia. I guess that’s where your family comes into the picture. Andrian needs them to carry out missions inside Russia.”

“Like pull off a hit on your dad and steal from you?”

“Yes. He took from me, so I took you from him. I didn’t know it at the time, but he won’t see it as a mistake or a coincidence. Andrain will stop at nothing to get even. We’re basically two gladiators in an arena, and only one can win.”

A shiver runs down my spine. “You can beat him, can’t you?”

Here, I finally get to enjoy life, and these few days with Roman could end up being the highlight of my miserable existence if the Volkovs don’t beat him.

“I plan to. If I don’t, none of us will ever be safe again. And I shudder at what he will do to you to get back at me should I walk away.”

“And Irina? Who is she?”

“She’s a contact for us. She’s skilled in languages, hacking, and weapons. She’s very good with knives and guns.”

“Like the ones you brought with you?”

“Yes, and handguns. Alex and I are long-range shooters—snipers. I like the challenge of the environment. Wind, rain, temperature—everything has to be taken into consideration.”

“So, you’re into science?”

“Yes, I need to know a bit of science to achieve my desired results. And Alex is very skilled as well.”

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