Page 214 of Inevitable Endings
Karpov grumbles as he pours himself a drink. ‘‘Make that twenty years, you complete unhinged psychopath.’’
Aslanov and I both laugh because we both know he is right.
Aslanov crosses the room to Dimitri and claps a hand on his shoulder.
‘‘You stayed loyal. Thank you. I hope you can give that to Dominik now.’’
Dimitri nods, firm.
‘‘I will.’’
Sawyer stands beside me now, one arm crossed.
‘‘You better take good care of her,’’ he warns.
Aslanov doesn’t flinch.
‘‘I wouldn’t dare not to.’’
Ada walks to me last. She doesn’t say anything at first. Just pulls me into a hug.
Tight.
As the tension finally thins and the laughter around the table turns lighter, Ada lets go of me and leans an elbow on the back of her chair and glances sideways at Dominik. He doesn’t look at her, but there’s a small twitch at the corner of his mouth. A secret, quiet acknowledgment.
“I guess this is the part where I say something embarrassing,” she says, dry as ever.
Dominik raises a brow. Just once.
I know what’s about to come.
Ada rolls her eyes. “Fine. We’ve been seeing each other. Quietly. And… I want to keep seeing where it goes.”
There’s a pause.
Then I burst out laughing.
“Ada,” I grin, “you do know he’s a criminal, right?”
She smirks. “And you’re dating an ex-Bratva heir who burned down half the continent. So.”
Fair.
Across the room, Aslanov chuckles low under his breath. But when his eyes find mine, the humor softens into something else.
Somethingreal.
Everyone chatters with one another, Karpov congratulating Ada and Dominik like their lost uncle. Aslanov strides over to me, caging me in between his arms and the wall. His face is serious, focused.
“I’m done picking up a gun, unless it’s to protect you. I won’t live in lies. I won’t disappear into shadows. Not from you.”
He swallows, the words weighted and bare.
“I want to be honest. For you. As much as I know how to be. You can have all of me, Isabella. The man. The monster. Thewreckage. If you’ll take it.”
I stare at him.
For a long time.
