Page 34 of Fatal Bonds

Silence settles heavily between us as Lindsey appears to be wrapping her mind around the death that surrounds me. I can see the gears turning behind her eyes as she calculates the risk that comes from being close to me. Good. She needs to know—to understand why she and I will never be more than what we are right now.

“What happened to my sister and mother convinced me not to marry,” I state solemnly. “Women in my world only ever end up hurt or dead—what Emiliano did to Kira only reinforced that fact.”

Tears shimmer in Lindsey’s eyes, and she nods, swiping her fingers beneath her glasses to catch the moisture before it falls. “But you choose to stay in this world—even knowing how dangerous it is?”

“Someone has to rule the underworld,” I state darkly. “At least this way, I get to decide which monsters live and which ones die.”

The air feels heavy as she considers my words. After taking a sip of her wine, she sets the glass down and looks out the window once more.

“Earlier this evening, when I was talking to Kira out here, did you come looking for me for a reason?” I ask, switching topics before the discussion can get any darker.

“Oh. Yes.” She bites her lip, drawing my eyes to their pink fullness. “I got an email from my boss today. He’s not happy about how long I’ve been out of the office and how limited my availability is. I was hoping we could talk about me going back to work.” Lindsey squirms uncomfortably when I don’t answer right away. “I could lose my job, Maks. Being sick won’t work as an excuse indefinitely. You’ve kept me long enough that my boss is getting suspicious.”

Guilt gnaws at my stomach, and I toss back the rest of my wine before setting the glass on the table. “I can’t let you go,” I state, clenching my teeth hard enough that they ache.

“Maks, please. Haven’t I proven my loyalty yet? I got the information you needed. I’ve stayed here without complaint for weeks, working within whatever parameters you’ll allow me. I haven’t tried to run again. Iwon’t, and I swear I won’t say anything?—”

“The answer’s no, Lindsey. I can’t risk it. Too much is at stake.”

“This is so unfair!” she bursts, shoving off the couch as her hands ball into fists. “Why am I the one paying the price for your revenge? I never wanted to be a part of this in the first place!”

“This isn’t just about you telling people what you know anymore,” I counter. It is part of my consideration, but I’m less concerned about Lindsey talking after Emiliano gave her a taste of the twisted shit he’s capable of. Honestly, I’m more concerned about what he or Lucian might do to her now that they’ve seen her face. “People know who you are now, Lindsey. Emiliano, for one—the Italians I’m working with for another. I can’t just let you walk out that door and assume you’ll be safe. I would think you’d take that more seriously after you’re the one who came running back to me for protection.”

Lindsey looks struck. Whatever she wanted to say dies on her lips as they part but no sound comes out.

14

LINDSEY

My stomach knots as my argument gets trapped in my throat. I’ve felt so confined, locked in a gilded cage, and I’ve focused all that growing frustration on Maks, holding him responsible for everything that’s happened, for all my confinement, until I lost sight of the bigger picture. It’snotsafe for me out there, but Maks is at the root of my problem. I hate that this is all because I stupidly stumbled down the wrong hallway at his club. I’ve done everything he’s asked, proven my loyalty, built a connection with him—I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve slept with him, for god’s sake—and still, I can’t go back to my real life.

At the same time, hearing that he’s not just worried I might say something—that he’s actually concerned for my safety, is oddly touching. I haven’t had someone look out for me for a long time, and it means a lot that Maks cares enough to consider what could happen to me. Still, I can’t be his prisoner indefinitely.

“Will I be safe to return to my normal life when Emiliano is dead?”

Maks’s eyes darken, and he rises from the couch to cup my chin with one large palm. “Yes.”

Relief fills my chest, and warmth floods my veins at his touch, but the hardness in his eyes clashes with the tenderness of his hand.

“Once Emiliano is dead, you’ll never have to see me again,” he promises darkly, his voice low and foreboding.

A cold shiver ripples down my spine. The thought that I might never see him again hits me unexpectedly, and my throat tightens with the threat of tears. Where I had reservations about Maks at first because he was older and dangerous and clearly a criminal, I find it hard to imagine my life without him now. In the few months I’ve known him, it feels like I’ve gotten closer to him, opened up to him more than anyone else in my life. He makes me feel safe and heard. I know I’m not imagining the connection between us—even if it’s developed because of my imprisonment.

“Until then, you’re staying put.”

I fight the sudden sting of tears at the back of my eyes as his sharp blue gaze peers into mine with an intensity that steals the air from my lungs. But as I search his face, a warning bell goes off in the back of my mind.Why do I get the feeling that he’s not being entirely honest with me—or at least, it’s not the whole truth?

“What aren’t you telling me?” I breathe.

His brows buckle, and Maks takes a step back, his spine straightening as his hand falls to his side. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Are you just telling me what I want to hear? How do I know that when it comes down to it, you won’t just keep me here?” Anger surges through my chest, and I grasp at it, preferring a fight to facing the realization that I might need Maks in my life.

“I’m sorry, we’re questioningmyhonesty now?” he demands, bristling visibly.

“Don’t do that,” I say coldly.

“Do what? Point out that you’re the one who’s lied and betrayed my trust when you want to challenge my word?”

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