Page 147 of Dirty Grovel

But instinctively, my fingers flicker towards my phone, desperate to call her, hear her voice.

Even if she does tell me to fuck off and leave her alone.

“She’s pregnant, emotional, and terrified for her sister,” Artem says gently. “She’s just taking her anger out on you.”

“As she should,” I spit. “It was a mistake giving her free rein. I should never have put her in harm’s way.”

“You didn’t.”

“Only because the scene played out the way it did. But if it had turned out differently… If Drew had been working on a trap of his own, if he had been backed by the Martineks?—”

“None of that happened.”

“But it very nearly could have!” I roar. “Don’t you get it, Artem? All these years and I haven’t learned a single fucking thing. I put Sutton in danger the same way I compromised Elise and Oriana’s safety. I could have lost Sutton the same way I lost the two of them—to ego and recklessness.”

Artem arches an eyebrow. “Your pride has also given you a lot,” he points out. “In fact, I think your pride is the very thing that might be able to save your ass and pull you from the cesspit you find yourself in.”

“I’ll believe it when I fucking see it.”

Artem sits up and leans forward, elbows propped on his knees. “What is the project you spend years developing? What is the ace you’ve got up your sleeve? The one thing that neither Boris nor the board were ever able to get their hands on?”

“My surveillance system.”

“Precisely.” Artem nods with satisfaction. “Your surveillance tech is solid. It’s state of the art, powerful, extremely precise. Not to mention, it’s worth fucking billions.” In the moonlight, his eyes gleam like a wolf ready to go on the hunt. “You need to drop that shit in the right laps. Chum the waters and the sharks will come. No businessman worth his salt is going to pass up a golden goose quacking in his face. Or honking, or whatever fucking sound geese make.”

My fingers curl possessively around my phone. “There has been a lot of interest in previewing my tech,” I admit. “I was just keeping it locked away so that we could launch it under the Pavlov Industries banner.”

“Except Pavlov Industries is being a little bitch,” Artem presses. “And you need to bring the board to heel. Therefore…”

Artem’s right: If I hawk my surveillance system outside of Pavlov Industries, the profits will be mine and mine alone.

Which means I’ll have all the bargaining chips in my pocket.

I’ll have the power to either raise Pavlov Industries or destroy it in favor of starting anew.

I rise to my feet, my body humming with bloodlust and fresh determination. “You’re right. No sense feeling sorry for myself. It’s time to fight dirty and watch them all come crawling back.”

47

SUTTON

“Go away, Oleg! I have nothing to say to you!”

“It’s not Oleg.” Artem’s voice rings through my sealed door, loud and clear.

Suppressing a sigh, I wrap the blanket around my bare shoulders to hide that I’m not wearing a bra and head towards the door.

Artem is standing somberly on the threshold, his dark eyes cool and reserved as he looks down at me. “Can I come in?”

I frown. “If you’re here to plead Oleg’s case or something, I’m not interested.”

He shakes his head. “Can I ask why you’re so mad at him? None of this is his fault, you know.”

I feel a tremor inside my chest that feels a lot like guilt. But I bury it down under the wealth of grievances I have against my fiancé.

“He wouldn’t let me see my sister. He won’t even help her!”

Artem’s eyes darken. It’s the first time he’s looked angry in the entire time I’ve known him. “He wouldn’t let you see your sister because, up until now, she was kept behind bars because she decided to go allfemme fataleon your ex. And in public, no less.”

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