Chapter Three
Tiana
“It’s me! Open up, dammit!”
The door swings open the second time I bang on it. It happens so abruptly that I almost stumble into the room.
“Babe! What the hell?” Roxie stares at me dumbfounded, her hand still on the doorknob.
I push past her, head into the room, and sag onto the bed, sinking my head into my hands. It’s not the first time I’ve done this in the past twenty-four hours. Roxie shuts the door and walks over to stand in front of me.
“Thank God you’re okay,” she exhales. “I’ve been worried sick about you. Where did you go? I didn’t think you’d be back and-”
I hold up a hand. “Long story.”
“I bet.” She sits next to me, her shoulder pressing against mine. “Want to talk about it? I really hope you do, coz I’ve got like a billion questions.”
I inhale a deep breath and bite on my lower lip to stop it from wobbling. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
What do I tell her? That the FBI is investigating the man I’d just decided to marry? Or that his wife popped out of the woodwork to throw a spanner in the works?
“Start from where you climbed out of the window like a lunatic.” She shoulder-bumps me. I glance up at her.
“Right.” I inhale deeply. There’s no way I can tell her about what happened in that van. It’s not safe. It’s bad enough that I’ll be up to my neck in shit if Kirill finds out about it. I can’t drag Rox into it too.
“Fuck,” I groan, twining my fingers into my hair. “This is such a fucking fuck-up.”
“Three fucks in one sentence, huh girl?” Roxie shoulder-bumps me again. “Is it really that bad?”
“You have no idea.” I turn my head to look at her. “Rox…”
“Spit it out.” She nods encouragingly. “Is this about the baby? Did you tell him?”
“No.” I shake my head. And then I blurt, “Kirill is married. And he has a son.”
“What?!” She almost chokes on the word. “The guy is hitched? With a kid?”
“Yeah.”
I still can’t believe it myself. And I don’t know if I want to break down and burst into tears or rush back in there and kick the man in the nuts. How dare he lie to me like that?
Though I guess he didn’t lie. He simply didn’t tell me.
Same thing.
“Just after I got back here, I was talking to him… ironing things out. And she walked in and announced herself.” A sob bubbles up my throat and escapes.
It must be all the stress. I haven’t slept all night, I was kidnapped by the freaking FBI, then I found out that the man I was falling for is married to another woman.
And they have a son. Oh, and let’s not forget that I’m pregnant from a married man.
So, my body has decided on tears instead of nut-kicking because the next thing I know is that I’m crying.
“Holy fucking shitballs.” Roxie straightens and stares ahead for a second before looking back at me. “You’re sure? I mean, it wasn’t some sort of misunderstanding?”
“She literally said the words ‘I am Kirill’s wife,’ Rox. And he acknowledged. It couldn’t have been clearer.”
“Well, fuck me.” Roxie shakes her head from side to side slowly. “Who would have guessed?”
“Obviously not me!” I swallow hard.
“So what did he say about it all?”
“He didn’t deny it, but he seemed pretty pissed.” I have to admit that much. It didn’t seem like a joyful reunion. Although the chemistry between them was undeniable. So much fire. I don’t even want to think about what they must have been like in the bedroom.
“Pissed. Huh!” She snorts. “I’m not surprised. I’m betting she fucked up his little party with you, for sure. I bet you never thought you’d ending up screwing around with a married man, did you?”
Screwing around with a married man.
I want to be sick.
“How could I have been such an idiot, Rox?” I choke out. “I really thought…”
“Thought what, Tee? You were trying to get out of here and run away from him the last time I saw you. Now you’re shattered to find out that he’s got a wife and a kid?”
I nod as I fight more tears. “I know. It’s… messed up. I’m so confused.” My chest heaves as I suck in air and then let it out in shuddering breaths. “I really… I just…” I drop my head into my hands again. “I was lying to myself. I care about him, Rox. Too damn much.”
“Okay. I guess that’s your female prerogative. We’re girls. We’re allowed to change our minds on a whim. Everyone knows that.”
“I just wish I wasn’t such a fool.” I wipe my face with the edge of my T-shirt, trying to get control over my emotions. “Why-” I hiccup, “Why did I believe any of this could work in the first place? I mean… the man bought me for fuck’s sake? What was I thinking?”
“Sometimes we want to hold onto the hope that we can live the dream, Tee, even when we know it’s probably not a good idea.
” Roxie pats my shoulder. “We’re human; people make a mess of things.
It’s life, and you can’t blame yourself for screwing up.
Although come to think of it, you should probably take a few deep breaths and calm yourself down.
I’m sure all this freaking out like this isn’t good for the baby. ”
I stop mid-breath and stare at her. “Shit,” I husk out. “I never even thought about that.”
“Well, you’re going to have to start. It’s not just you anymore. You have to start thinking like a mom.”
The weight of Roxie’s words sinks in, and now I could kick myself even more. “Jesus, you’re right! I’m so selfish.”
“Nah. You’ll get used to it eventually, right? I mean, you’ve got like eight more months or something, don’t you?”
“I once read somewhere that pregnancy is actually ten months.” I’m taking deep calming breaths to settle my racing heart. Trying to think clearly.
“Ten? What kind of journalism do you read?” Roxie frowns. “Look, whatever; it’s a lot of time, and you’ll be able to get your head straight by then. You’ll have to do that if you’re planning to raise this baby alone and—”
“Alone? You think I’ll raise my child alone?”
“Aren’t you?” My friend tilts her head. “It’s not like you’re going to be sticking with that asshole now, are you?”
“Well… shit.” I rub my eyes. “I don’t know what to think anymore. It all came as a shock. I just never expected him to be hiding something like that from me.” Other things, sure. Like actual crimes that the FBI is investigating. But a wife?
What else could he be hiding?
God, how did I end up in this mess?
“I can imagine.” Roxie pauses for a moment and then turns to me, her expression serious. “Look, there’s something I need to tell you-” She puffs out her cheeks. “And… you won’t be happy about it.”
“It couldn’t be worse than all this shitshow.” I’m sure her revelation couldn’t be any more devastating than my own.
“Shit…” She rubs her forehead. “Look I know this is probably not the right time, but you must know. I… um…” She reaches for the coverlet and starts plucking at a loose thread.
“Just spit it out. That’s always what you say to me, right?”
“Kirill… well, he kinda hit on me,” Roxie says bluntly.
“He did what?” I shoot up so quickly, I’m almost certain I’m going to hit the ceiling.
“I’m so sorry, babe.” Roxie’s plump lips compress. “It was… Fuck. I don’t know how to say this.” She looks away.
I feel like the blood has drained from my face. I didn’t think life can shit on me more than it already did, but it seems I was wrong again.
He hit on my friend?
“But how… when…?” It makes no sense. She’s barely been here a day.
“He came in here this morning after you bailed last night. I told him you were gone, and he… well…” She splays her hands. “He was eye-fucking the hell out of me when I opened the door.”
My mind goes back to what she’d been wearing when I saw her last – the sheer negligee, the revealing robe. My throat works. “I see,” I husk out. “I guess any man would probably look.”
“I wish he just looked , Tiana. But he freaking propositioned me.” Roxie’s eyes narrow. “Like totally expected me to fall into bed and fuck him or something. The man’s a prime dick.”
“I don’t… Jesus.” I’m struggling to find words. “He propositioned you?”
“Obviously, I told him where to get off. You’re my best friend, after all. And sure, he’s hot, but he’s like really, really old, you know?”
“Sure.” I feel like even more of a fool. I still can’t find words and my tears just keep flowing like a river. I’m no longer trying to fight it. I’ve been sold like cattle, I was impregnated, then I got crapped on over and over again. Nobody should be put through this. Ever.
“It’s not your fault, babe. How could you have known that the guy was some sort of creeper?
” She’s looking at me, but I can’t seem to meet her eye; my gaze is focused on my hands, which are fidgeting on my lap.
I’m battling down another little hiccuping sob.
“Ah geez, Tee. Don’t be like that. Maybe it was my fault.
I was still in my nightdress. Maybe he got the wrong idea? ”
“Your fault?” I shriek. I’m still trying to process this. “How could it be your fault? He’s a grown fucking man! He should be able to control himself!” I grit my teeth and force down the next stupid sob because I refuse to be that girl anymore.
“Yeah. That’s kinda what I was thinking too. It’s not like he’s some sort of horny kid or anything. Though you never would have thought that from the way he was pawing at me. I couldn’t believe how—”
“Stop!” I raise my hand. “I don’t want to hear it.”
“Right. Sure. Shit… I didn’t mean to make this any harder.” Roxie huffs a breath. “You deserve better than that pig, Tee.”
I shake my head, still staring down at my hands. I’ve applied a lot of words to Kirill Vyronov since I’ve known him, but “pig” wasn’t one of them.
Roxie reaches for my hands and stops them from twisting. “You know you can do better, right? Yeah, the guy’s got money and all the fancy stuff that goes with it. And I guess you could say he’s good-looking, in a rough kinda way. But that doesn’t mean anything when you can’t trust the dude.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m serious, Tee. If he’d do it to your own best friend, who else is he going to be fucking when your back is turned. You’ll never be able to trust him.”
“You’re right,” I whisper. It doesn’t sound like I’m agreeing with her at all, even though every part of my brain is telling me how wrong this all it.
“Tee… you can’t possibly be thinking of sticking around until the baby is born. No white wedding. No happy families. The man’s not just a monster, he’s a sleazeball on top of it.” She clasps my hands firmly. “And you deserve so much better, babe. You really do.”
I finally force myself to raise my head and look into my best friend’s face. She’s pretty. Even more beautiful if you look past the bleached blonde hair and the over-made-up eyes. What man wouldn’t want her? Especially Kirill, who’s basically a walking bundle of testosterone.
“Thank you for telling me.” I lift my chin, finally pulling myself together. “Guess I dodged a bullet, huh?” I give a mirthless laugh. “In more ways than one.”
“What are friends for, babe?” Roxie releases my hands and flicks a wave of hair over her shoulder. Her eyes move to the door and then back to me. “At least you can get out before things get too complicated.”
“Yeah,” I scoff. “I suppose that now his wife is back, he won’t expect me to stick around and have his babies.”
“Exactly. You should be good to go. The guy’s loaded. I’m sure he won’t be bothered about the money he spent to buy you. You can take the million he promised and finally start a life on your terms.”
I suppress a shudder. The money. Through all of this, I’d almost started to put that option out of my head.
As if Kirill and I could be a regular couple without all that auction shit hanging over us.
Had I really believed I could ever have a future with him without that “little” detail coming up again?
Not likely.
And yet, I still love him. In spite of Zoya, and the FBI, and the impossible way things began for us… he holds my heart. And I’m pregnant with his child.
His second child!
What the hell does all this say about me?
“No, I doubt he cares about the money,” I murmur. “I’m sure he’ll be glad to see the back of me.”
“And it’ll be good for you too. Why would you want to stick with some jerk who keeps his wife and kid hidden from you and hits on your friends?
You’re better off without him.” Roxie puts her hand on my arm.
“If you’re worried about him letting you go, I can try and talk to him.
” Her shoulders lift. “Make him see sense.”
I give her a side-eye. “No,” I say simply.
A day ago, I would have laughed out loud at what Roxie just said, but now, I’m not so sure anymore.
I’m not sure of anything. Aside from the fact that I’m an idiot.
I’d been about to tell Agent Thomson and the others to get lost. And where did that get me?
Stuck with a man who piles lie upon lie.
Betrayal upon betrayal. Even all those moments together, when he’d touched me… when he’d made me feel things…
My breath shudders again.
It had meant nothing to him. I was all an illusion.
“You okay, babe?” Roxie nudges me gently. “Need a hug?”
“I’m fine.” My voice is firmer than I’d expected.
“So what are you going to do?” she asks as I take in a breath and stand up.
“I don’t know yet,” I tell her, because I really don’t.
I’m shocked, sleep deprived and my mind is a clusterfuck of confusion.
Maybe I should just rat him out to the FBI like they expect me to do.
Dredge up enough information to sink him once and for all, take up that offer for witness protection and get myself and my baby as far away from this mess as possible.
But where would that get me? Raising my child alone and running for the rest of my life from the man who stole my heart?
Something tells me it won’t be that simple.
Maybe I just need to get some sleep to clear my head first.
But as I think though all this, an idea is formed. An idea that might save my sorry ass without having to look over my shoulder for the rest of my days. If I play it right, that is.
“You’re going to have to figure something out.” Roxie chimes in. “This problem isn’t going to go away on its own.”
“I know that.” I try not to snap. “I just need to—” My words are cut off as the sound of footsteps ring down the hallway. A firm determined stride that it’s impossible not to recognize.
Kirill is outside.