He would just kill me now.
When he releases me, and I take in the disgust on his face, my priorities shift.
I stagger backwards and catch my breath as the person inside me who’s still Natalia de Leon fights against the thought of him believing she’s as evil as those devils.
The feeling is so strong that I shake my head and allow instinct to guide me.
“I’m not like them,” I blurt. “I’m not evil. I swear to you, I’m not. If you knew me, you would see.”
I don’t know if what I say has any effect at all because he doesn’t answer. He just walks away and leaves me standing there in the cold.
It’s a repeat of last night, except I feel he hates me more than he did then.
9
Mikhail
I’m not like them.
I’m not evil.
Her words seep into me as I walk away, leaving her in the snow.
I never allow anything to linger in my mind longer than necessary. Or people to get under my skin the way she has.
Nothing about this woman, however, seems to be following my usual set of rules. Of course, it wouldn’t, because essentially, she’s my captive and I’m forcing her to marry me.
I’ll have her ring tomorrow, and in two days, I’ll give it to her. That’s when things are going to feel stranger than they already are. Especially since I hadn’t seen marriage in the cards for me any time soon. Or at all. As to what we’ll do once we’re married, I don’t know, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.
I expect Sebastian to be back with José in a few days. I am, however, going to leave a few of my other subordinates there to keep things under control.
That’s Mexico taken care of for the moment. After the wedding, I’ll head back there to see how things are going, and I’ll take the princess with me—as my wife.
Aleksander meets me in the same businesslike manner I like him for when I walk into the dining room.
He’s worked for me for the last eight years and does what he’s told to do without expressing an opinion. Unless I ask for it. I trust him enough to ask sometimes.
I can tell he’s wary of Adriana and cautious of the situation here. I am, too, if I’m honest.
The whole Raul situation has me on edge. When I left my father, I put things in motion to continue my own personal investigation. I have my street guys checking things out, and a friend from the Voirik Brotherhood is meeting me tomorrow morning. He’s the last ace up my sleeve. If he investigates and tells me there’s nothing more to find, I’ll follow my father’s orders and focus on the cartel but keep my eyes open.
“Was the girl any trouble?” I ask.
“No. She doesn’t seem to be. Sorry the dog got loose. It doesn’t like being left alone.”
“No apologies necessary.”
“I just wasn’t sure if you’d be okay seeing her play with Talia’s dog.”
“I’m fine. Let her play with it. It’s not a problem.”
He dips his head. “Are you heading out again?”
“Yes. I have work to finish up at Dmitriyev Ltd.” That’s my work Ivan was taking care of while I was out of commission.
“You’ve had a hectic time. Are you sure you want to get back into the office today?”
I nod firmly, and he knows not to push me. “Yes. It’s best I go.”
