Chapter 68 Episode 68
1592 Words
Between the little Nikolai and Xena had each told me, Ilearned about what Giorgos had done to gain power. If hecould kill his own parents in order to become the boss, whatwould he be willing to do to me?
“You there, Belle?” Xena asks. “I’m sticking my neck out foryou. I need to know if you’re going to pull out.”
“I’m not going to pull out.”
She sighs. Even without seeing my face, she can tell I’m torn.“You’re living in his house now. You can’t let him get to you.He’s manipulative.”
I take a deep breath. Is that what Nikolai’s admission was lastnight? A manipulation to keep me close and cooperative? Ifso, he’s an evil genius.
“I know. I’m not letting him manipulate me.”
“You say that as if you’d know it was happening,” shemurmurs. The bitterness in her voice is hard to miss.
“I’m sorry about the wedding,” I say quietly. “I know it mightnot matter, but I didn’t ask him to call it off or anything. I’ve
been asking for him to let me leave. I didn’t reach out to him. Idon’t want to be here.”
“You’re done apologizing, okay?” she adds, her voice a littlesofter this time. It’s a lesson we’ve gone over before, morethan once. “You and me, we’re the same. People don’t expectanything from us. They’ll try to steamroll us if we let them.”
“I know. s**t, I know.”
“No one is going to look out for people like us except for us,right?”
That’s what Xena has said to me from the beginning. Nikolaiwants to protect me, but I have to learn to be on my own. It’sthe only way I’ll really be free. And Xena is willing to help memake that happen.
She knows what it’s like. She’s been controlled by the men inher family her entire life. But she has the desire to make thingsbetter for herself.
And now, finally, so do I.
Even if that means denying my feelings for Nikolai.
Even if it means running away and starting over.
If I can take care of Elise, it will all be worth it.
“You said Nikolai is out of the house, right?” she asks.
“I think so. I haven’t seen him since last night. He took off,and I never heard him come back. But I haven’t left my roomyet.”
She lets out a short sigh of frustration. I’m not as good at anyof this as she is. “Okay. Well, once you’re sure he’s out of thehouse, you should break into his office.”
I frown. “Why? Won’t that raise even more suspicions? I wanthim to think I’m content living here, not trying to escape.”
“This isn’t just about you anymore, Belle.” Her voice crackslike a whip, and I can’t help but flinch. “He called off the
wedding. My family’s deal with him is s**t unless we can getNikolai and the Bratva back on our side. To do that, we needleverage.”
It takes me a second to put the pieces together. “You want meto spy on him?”
“Just look through his office and try to find me something Ican use.”
I groan. “I don’t know.”
“You’re just snooping. Everyone knows how to snoop.”
“I’m not sneaky, and I’m a terrible liar. I don’t even knowwhat I’m looking for.”
“You need a little motivation?” she asks. “You being useful tomy brother is one of the only things that stands between youand your sister and certain death.”
My eyes widen. Xena may be accustomed to talk of death, butI’ll never get used to the casual threats they throw around.
“But you said you’d help me escape.”
“And I’ll keep trying to do that,” she assures me. “But there’sonly so much I can do. It would be a whole hell of a lot easierif you could help yourself a little, too.”
My brow furrows. “I left once I knew you existed. I stayedaway from him. I’ve been doing my best, but when he decidesto drug me and throw me in a plane, there’s only so much I cando, Xena.”
“I know, I know, sweetheart. I’m just saying… Make yourselfuseful. Show that you’re on our side. Maybe then, ifeverything goes wrong and my brother is given the chance tokill you, he’ll choose to spare you instead.”
I’m not sure whose side I’m on anymore. Nikolai may be acriminal, but the Simatous aren’t any better. It just so happensthat Xena is the one offering to help me escape.
And really, if the Simatous weren’t in the equation at all, Ithink things would be different. Nikolai confessing his lovemight have changed things. Maybe I’d be able to stay here
with him. Maybe we could live together. He could help meraise our child and take care of Elise.
Maybe… we could have been happy.
Maybe, maybe, maybe. A whole field of maybes, each one asworthless as the last.
“Okay. I’ll do it,” I say softly. “But I’m not going to riskgetting caught. The only reason I’m doing any of this is toprotect myself and my sister. If it gets dangerous at all, I’mout.”
Xena lets out a low whistle. “Atta girl. About time you found alittle backbone.”
Her compliment, as backhanded as it is, shouldn’t matter tome, but I find myself smiling anyway.
“Snoop around while he’s out, gather what you can, and we’lltry meeting again tomorrow.”
“Tomorrow?” The confidence I felt a minute before fades.“You don’t think it’s risky to try again so soon?”
“No. This time, I’m sending in someone more capable ofgetting the job done properly.”
An image of the two dead men flashes across my mind. Iquickly try to shove it away. I don’t want to be responsible foranyone else taking a bullet to the head. “Who?”
“You? Xena, do you think that’s a good idea? If Nikolaicatches you—”
“He won’t,” she interrupts. “Life amongst all these uselessmen has taught me one important lesson: if I want somethingdone right, I have to do it myself.”
We say our goodbyes and hang up. I sit in the closet for a longfew breaths, steeling myself to do what I just promised I’d do.
Then, when I can’t wait anymore, I stand and get to work.
The house is silent as I move down the hallway. I stop outsideNikolai’s doorway. I don’t hear any movement from inside.
And after a minute with my ear pressed against the door, Ifinally feel confident enough to crack it open.
The room is dark, but I can make out the rumpled bedding anda sleek wooden dresser standing against the back wall. I canalso tell the bed is empty. It’s a good thing, but I wouldn’thave been disappointed to see a sleeping Nikolai. It’s been toolong since I’ve seen him without a scowl on his face.
I consider looking around his room, but as soon as I open thedoor, I’m immediately overwhelmed by the peppermint citrusscent of him. Standing in his bedroom doorway is like beingwrapped in his arms.
I close my eyes and inhale. When I’m gone, I’ll miss thissmell.
Ridiculous tears well in my eyes, and I spring back into thehallway before I do something stupid like flop face-down onhis mattress to breathe him in.
After checking to make sure the library is empty—andblushing when I see the shelves Nikolai shoved me against justyesterday, my handprint still marked in the dust—I moveacross the hall to his office.
Like his bedroom, his office smells like him, but it’s disguisedby the scent of leather and old books. The room looksremarkably similar to his office at Zhukova Incorporated.There’s a large desk in the center of the room, bookshelvesalong the back wall, and a filing cabinet and bar cart off to theside.
Also like his office at Zhukova Inc., it is next-level neat. Ihalf-expect to see a “For Display Purposes Only; Do NotTouch” sign planted somewhere.
“Don’t touch anything,” I mutter to myself. I try to step lightlyacross the plush carpet. He’ll probably notice the footprints Ileave behind.
I push the door mostly closed, leaving a small crack forplausible deniability in case I’m caught, and then tip-toearound his desk.
The top right drawer has a lock in the center of it, so I go for itfirst. To my surprise, it slides right open when I pull. Inside isa stapler, some blank sticky notes, and a bundle ofhighlighters. It looks like any normal person’s desk. Like myold desk, back when I was a run-of-the-mill accountant andnot a sleaze-trap bartender.
The rest of the drawers are equally as mundane. A stack ofprinter paper, some empty manila folders, a book of stamps. IfI didn’t know any better, I’d look through this desk and thinkNikolai was actually the CEO he pretends to be—as opposedto the murderous don I know he is.
Five minutes into searching, it’s obvious that, wherever thepaper trail is for all of Nikolai’s many sins, it isn’t here. Thisroom is giving up a whole lot of nothing.
With a groan, I flop back in his desk chair and twirl around.And that’s when I see it.
- Writer
