Page 141 of Unforgiving Sinner (Starukhin Bratva)

I hesitate as I debate whether to send it. I hold the phone in both hands as if chanting a prayer over it and staring into the screen. All the things Nikolai said to me—loving things that make me forget what he is—and then he ran off after reading the text on my phone.

Nothing has changed.

He’ll never change.

Nikolai uses his charm to keep me in check.

But what if he really meant it?

Maybe I shouldn’t do this, and my thumb hovers over the text to delete it. It wasn’t that long ago my dad attacked a boy for kissing me at a party, and Nikolai has done a lot more than that.Sending the text is definitely a bad idea, but a sudden knock on the door startles me before I can delete it. I fumble my phone, which lands on the floor as the door opens.

Dominika’s concerned face appears in the doorway. “Eden, are you all right? I saw Nikolai rushing down the stairs, and then he went out with Pavel.”

“I’m fine,” I stammer awkwardly, trying to sound calm as I tell a lie. “He had a call, that’s all.”

She eyes the messy covers and nods, accepting a lie she would’ve questioned a month ago. “If you need me, just say so.”

The door shuts softly, and I don’t understand why I’m on edge. I grab my phone off the floor, and my heart leaps into my throat as my world shatters in front of me.

The screen displays a message I never intended to send.

A green balloon with my stupid words in it mocks me. Another bad decision made.

“Shit!” The curse blasts out of my mouth. I’ve always been over my head in this relationship, if I can call it that, and now, I’ve just poured gasoline onto a raging fire.

I hit Nikolai’s number, waiting for an answer. But instead, a generic voice mail with his number answers my call. I try again, over and over, tapping the end button as soon as I hear the voice mail and hitting send again.

But the result is the same.

Each time his voice mail plays, my anxiety grows until I can barely stand it.

“Pick up, Nikolai. Please,” I whisper into the phone, praying he’ll hear me somehow.

I can’t stand here and wait for the results of my stupidity to manifest.

In my own inability to decide, I’ve pitted them against one another, and I have to stop it now. My reckless text is all the excuse they need to kill each other. I won’t be the reason! I refuse!

I storm out of the room and down the spiral stairs.

“Anton!” I shout as I enter the kitchen. “I need your help!”

Anton looks up from a late-night snack, a thick sandwich in his hands, and his dark eyes fill with concern. But Dominika is the one who answers me, “What’s wrong, Eden?”

I huff impatiently. “I have to find Nikolai. Right now.”

Anton hesitates and assesses my demand as Dominika watches him. “You’re not allowed to leave the penthouse without Nikolai Gennadyevich’s consent.”

“Please, Anton,” I get in his face and plead. “Nikolai’s life is in danger. My f—Zakhar is looking for him. I have to stop them. I must do it, or one of them will die.”

He places his sandwich on the plate and taps his phone. When he gets no answer, a string of Russian curses tumbles from his lips.

“All right,” he relents, understanding the severity of the situation. “But we have to be careful.” His expression hardens as if he’s become another person. Much crueler than the one I know. “You can’t get hurt. And youmustlisten to me.”

Relief momentarily washes over me, making my legs weak. We hurry to the elevator, and I follow behind his hulking form. “Stay close,” Anton warns in a menacing tone that I’m not used to.

In the parking deck, we walk toward the huge SUV that resembles an armored tank, and I try to call my dad, hoping he’ll pick up. I text him to call me ASAP, but there’s no response. Each time, it goes to voice mail.

“Dammit, Dad,” I whisper, struggling to keep my emotions letting loose. “Answer me.”

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