Page 59 of The Mistake

I felt my cheeks heating. “Can we just eat good?”

“Charlotte, I’m being serious. You and I both know that being shot at is scary, it’s real fucking scary, but we’ve lived through it.”

“Yeah, we’ve been shot at but wehaven’t been the main targets. I was a main target tonight.” I was trying to distract my sister.

“I know you were one of the main targets, but—and this is the big but—you weren’t the only target. Tonight, you weren’t afraid for yourself. You kept staring at the door. The moment Ive walked in, you threw yourself over to him. That means you have feelings for him.”

I shake my head. “It doesn’t.”

Cassie sighed. “You don’t have to be afraid. It’s good to have feelings, but I think you’re trying to pretend they don’t exist because you’re worried someone is going to take it from you. Dad always did that to you. It’s why you stopped trying to care about anything. Dad is gone.”

“I know.”

“He’s not going to take anything from you. Never again.”

I looked down at the table. “I know he’s gone.”

“What is it?” Cassie asked.

“He has a lot of enemies, Cassie. He’s Volkov. It was a name that even made Dad scared.”

“I remember.”

“What if someone takes him away?” I asked.

Cassie reached across the table. “I wish I could say that’s never going to happen, and believe me, I hope it doesn’t. People die, Charlotte. They get sick. They have accidents, and then of course, people kill them.”

Just the thought of it filled me with fear.

“But there is always that risk. You cannot live in fear, and if you have feelings for Ive,you can’t hide from them. You can’t ignore them, otherwise one day you’re going to wake up and life will have passed you by.”

I didn’t getthe chance to respond. Cassie pulled her hand away as Ivan, Rage, Hubert, my husband, and the mystery stranger approached the dining room table. Hubert left to grab the rest of the food. Ive sat at the head of the table, while Ivan took the other seat. I tried not to look at my husband, but felt very much aware of Cassie looking at me.

Lifting my head, I caught Ivan’s eyes, and he stared at me quite intently so I forced a smile to my lips. It was then that I noticed the new black eye Rage was sporting.

I had no idea what was going on, but it must not have been too bad since they all sat around eating food. Turning my attention to my husband, I saw he had an equal shiner on his face. What happened?

After the food, I found out that the mystery stranger was called Vlad, and he worked for my husband. There was no time to get to know him because Ive ordered everyone out, including Hubert.

I stood with Ive as we saw everyone out. Ivan was the first to leave. Rage and Cassie left together, followed by Vlad and Hubert. Once alone, Ive turned toward me.

“It has been a long night.” He stepped toward me and cupped my face. “I think you need to get some rest.”

I nod. I can’t argue with him. He doesn’t let go of my face.

“Can I sleep with you tonight?” I asked.

Ive frowned.

“Not sex, I mean, erm, just sleep next to you, if you don’t mind?” How stupid and childish did I sound?

I didn’t want to sleep close to him for comfort. I wanted to sleep next to him so I could keep an eye on him. Ive couldn’t be taken from me. And that felt even more messed up to think so.

“Yes, you can.”

ChapterThirteen

Ive

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