Page 39 of Crimson Sin
“Both.”
I move to kneel in front of her, bringing us to eye level. This close, I can see the flecks of gold in her warm brown eyes, and count the freckles scattered across her nose like stars. She's beautiful in a way that makes my chest ache and makes me want to be better than I am.
“You have no idea how deep this goes, Naomi. What he wants isn't just power. It's destruction. He doesn't care who he uses to get it. If he thinks hurting you will weaken me, he will do it without hesitation.”
“Then tell me what this really is. What your world actually looks like. Because I'm standing in a glass fortress with cameras in every corner and bullet holes in your estate. You can't keep pretending I'm just some intern who got caught in the crossfire.”
She deserves the truth. All of it. The blood, the money, and the bodies buried in concrete foundations across three states. She deserves to understand what she got herself into when we made our agreement.
I stand slowly and pace to the window, looking out at the lake that gives this place its name. The water stretches to the horizon, dark and endless, hiding its depths the way I've hidden mine.
“Obsidian Vault isn't just a security firm. It's a cover. We move more than artifacts. Arms, information, and money. The Zorin Bratva built it. My mother sharpened it into a weapon and now I wield it.”
I turn back to face her, expecting to see revulsion, fear, or the desperate desire to run. Instead, I see a hint of relief in her eyes.
“And you? You said you're thepakhan. The one they all answer to?”
“Yes.”
The admission feels like stepping off a cliff. I've kept that truth locked away from anyone who didn't need to know it. Now I've given it to a woman I've known for weeks. A woman who could destroy me with a single phone call to the FBI.
A long silence settles between us, filled with the quiet hum of the house's electronic heartbeat. Security systems cycling, cameras adjusting, and the digital pulse of a life lived in constant vigilance.
“Why me, Daniil? Why pull me into this?”
It’s the question I've been asking myself since the moment I saw her. Why her? Why not one of the dozens of other women who would have jumped at the chance to pretend to be my wife, no questions asked?
“Because I thought I could control it. I thought I could keep this simple.”
“But it's not,” she breathes, dragging her fingers through her hair.
“No. It stopped being simple the second you looked at me like I was more than what I am.”
She swallows hard but holds my gaze. There's steel in her spine that I'm only beginning to appreciate, and strength that goes deeper than her delicate appearance suggests.
“And what are you?”
I step closer, my hand reaching out and brushing a strand of hair from her cheek. Her skin is soft as silk, warm with life andvitality that makes my world of cold discipline seem suddenly barren.
“I'm the man who will gut Viktor alive if he ever touches you. The man who will level this entire city before letting you get hurt. And the man who can't stop thinking about what it felt like to be inside you last night.”
Naomi's breath shudders, her composure cracking just enough to let me see the want underneath. Her hands clutch the edge of the couch like she's trying not to fall into me or surrender to whatever this is between us.
“I don't know if I can live in this world.”
The honesty in her voice punches a hole straight through my armor. She's not making demands or issuing ultimatums. She's simply acknowledging the truth we both feel, that falling for me comes with a price that might be too high for her to pay.
“Then don't. Just live in mine.”
Her eyes search mine, looking for lies, manipulation, or hidden agendas. She won't find any. Whatever else I am, whatever sins stain my hands, with her, I am nothing but honest.
A sharp knock breaks the moment. Lex steps inside, his eyes scanning the room before settling on me.
“Perimeter is secure. Timur and Maksim are on rotation. Nothing gets in or out without our knowledge.”
“Da.”
Lex lingers a beat, his gaze shifting to Naomi with the slightest hint of respect. “She's tougher than you think.”
