Page 15 of Shattered Cradle (Makarova Bratva Duet)

With her, I’ve always paid attention.

Which makes the fact that she chose to leave me even more intriguing. I didn’t think she had it in her. And I rarely underestimate anyone.

“What’s wrong, Olivia?” I ask. “Scared that you’ll have to choose sides?”

She shakes her head. “There are no sides. There’s just me and my family.”

“Oh? Then why are you standing here upset about the fact that your family hates me?”

She doesn’t know how to answer that question. “I told Rob about Jennifer,” she blurts out, pivoting hard so that she doesn’t have to confront her feelings for me.

I decide to allow it this time, if only to prolong this meeting. I’m not ready to let her go again so soon.

“Let me guess: he refused to believe you?”

“He thinks you’ve brainwashed her. Actually, correction: he thinks you’ve brainwashed me and you’ve threatened her.” She rolls her eyes at the distinction. “Apparently, he doesn’t believe she’s as naïve or impressionable as I am.”

The resentment is obvious. In just two days, her siblings have eroded a lifetime of bonding between them. Sowed the seeds of distrust.

Now, it’s up to me to reap them.

But fuck, it infuriates me. What they’re doing to her. The foundation of her life is built on the love of her family, and even if I think it’s a useless concept,shedoes not agree. It means something to her.

And they’re ripping it to pieces.

“I suppose he thinks I threatened to kill Jennifer if she didn’t tell you the story I forced her to?”

She frowns. “You don’t even need me. You have all the answers.”

“Because I know how men like Robert and Donald work. It’s what allows me to be two steps ahead.”

“Except you didn’t see me escaping,” she jabs. “Did you?”

“What does it matter?” I reply. “You’ll come back.”

She looks flabbergasted for a moment. “You think I’ll come back to you?”

“I know it.”

“Fine, I’ll bite. How did you come to that unsurprisingly narcissistic conclusion?”

“Because despite what you think, therearesides in this war, Olivia. You chose the wrong one when you ran. And I think you’re already regretting it.”

I can see the truth of my words in her eyes. She’s still not skilled enough to hide her innermost thoughts from me. I watch her, the way she wrings her fingers together as though she doesn’t know what to do with them.

“You’re a good liar, you know,” she says, trying to justify her choice. “You and Jennifer. Both of you.”

“Truer than you will ever know. But we’re not lying about this.”

“And I’m supposed to trust that?”

I nod. “Unless you want to help a bad man cover up his sins.”

“I’m not so sure who is the bad man in this case.”

I move closer still. She’s inches away. Close enough to touch, to kiss, to smell.

“What is your gut telling you, Olivia?” I whisper.

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