Page 275 of Gilded Cage (Kovalyov Bratva 1)

“Cillian…”

“Listen, Artem,” Cillian cuts me off. “This is your decision. And I’ll support you no matter what. Even if what you decide is to give up your claim to the Bratva.”

Hearing it from his lips feels strange. Like we’re talking about someone else’s life.

“My father will be rolling in his grave right now,” I mutter.

“Stanislav is dead,” Cillian retorts, though his tone is respectful. “He doesn’t give a shit what happens in this world anymore. Don’t let a ghost determine what’s right for you.”

I smile. “Fuck, you’re a lot wiser than you look.”

“At last,” Cillian replies. “Some fucking recognition.”

“It’s good to see you again, brother.”.

“Missed me, huh?”

I roll my eyes. “Don’t fucking ruin it.”

Cillian laughs. “Go on. Get to bed. Your woman is waiting for you.”

“We have a lot to discuss.”

“Tomorrow,” Cillian replies. “There’ll be time enough for that tomorrow.”

I nod and head for the bedroom, but I pause just before opening the door. “Cillian?”

“You want a goodnight kiss?”

Laughter bubbles to my lips, but I manage to keep my expression straight.

“If I do decide to leave the Bratva… what will you do?” I ask.

The question has been weighing on my mind for over a week now. I don’t miss the crestfallen expression on Cillian’s face, before he covers it up with a blithe smile.

“Tomorrow,” he says. “We’ll talk tomorrow.”

“Artem?”

I blink and my eyes focus on Esme. She’s looking up at me with those gorgeous eyes. They look like molten gold under the moonlight.

“Where’d you go?” she asks gently.

“Sorry, I was just thinking about… everything.”

“You wanna talk about it?” she asks.

“Not tonight,” I say, mimicking Cillian’s sentiment.

She opens her mouth to say something but then she snaps it closed at the last moment and nods.

“Okay,” she whispers, but I can see her eyes are swimming with thoughts of her own, thoughts that she’s still keeping close to heart.

I press my lips against her forehead. She curls up in the bedsheets.

It takes several more minutes for her breathing to relax. When it does, I check to make sure she’s really sleeping before I disentangle myself from her and stand.

My mind is so wide awake, so alert, that I know I won’t be able to sleep for several hours.

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