Chapter 29
Cara
Holy shit.
I can’t believe it. Dmitri actually did it.
Or…did I?
“Wait. Why?” I shake my head. “I thought…I’m confused,” I tell Dmitri, stumbling over my own words as I try to process what he just said.
Dmitri hooks his arm around my back, holding me close to him as our faces linger so close together. “I told you that I didn’t want her.”
I’ve seen the quiet agony in his voice and the weight of defeat on his shoulders when he talked about Annika. Marrying her would’ve turned him into a shell of the man he is now.
“What about your family? And hers? You just… blew up an alliance?” I ask him, needing him to paint a full picture for me. I shouldn’t even give a damn now that my mission is accomplished, but there’s a part of me that needs to know.
What truly pushed him to do something so drastic?
Dmitri shakes his head. “Artur isn’t happy, but I don’t care. I couldn’t go through with it. An alliance with him can’t possibly be worth it to me in the long run.”
“Does Annika know yet?” I ask, already picturing her tantrum in my head. She’s the type to lash out when she doesn’t get what she wants, so he might want to watch his back for a few months.
Unless Annika’s father gets to him first.
Oh God. What if I just signed his death warrant?
“I blocked her number and my men know she’s not welcome at the office or my penthouse,” Dmitri says, not seeming wary or bothered in the slightest. Honestly, he seems relieved.
I breathe in slowly, my mind becoming a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts. Now that I’ve done my job, I should leave and make sure that my father never finds me again. I should be throwing my hands up in victory.
But I can’t do any of those things right now.
I should step back. I should put distance between us.
Instead, I lean into him.
“What’s wrong?” Dmitri asks as his brows knit together in confusion. “I thought you would be happy.”
“I am,” I blurt out before pulling my hand away from the back of his neck. I rest my hands on his chest, feeling his body tense. “I just can’t help but wonder what this means for you. Are you going to be safe? Is someone going to come after you for backing out?”
Dmitri’s face softens a hint. “Are you worried about me?”
My heart forgets how to beat for a second as I gaze up at him, seeing the genuine curiosity in his deep blue eyes.
“I can’t help it,” I whisper.
And that’s the most dangerous truth I’ve ever told him.
“You worry about me. Not my money, or power, but me.” Dmitri’s eyes roam over my face for a few moments before his gaze settles on my lips. He suddenly leans down and kisses me, stealing the air from my lungs.
My thoughts scatter as his hands frame my face, his lips brushing against mine slowly. Tenderly. I gladly melt into him, knowing that I’m counting down the moments.
Dmitri strokes my cheeks with his thumbs as our kiss deepens, his hold on me remaining firm like he doesn’t want to let go. Part of me doesn’t want him to.
But everything comes to an end.
“I have some things to do today,” Dmitri says as he rests his forehead against mine, his hands not leaving the frame of my flushed face just yet.
“I can come with you,” I tell him. My main job might be done, but I can still work with him until it’s safe for me to leave.
The corner of his mouth curls up a little. “Not this time. I want you to do something else for me today.”
I frown at him. He can’t possibly want me to just organize files and sit around the office, right? His entire world is going to implode after the decision that he just made!
“I want you to go to your place and pack a bag,” Dmitri tells me before reaching into his pocket and pulling out his wallet. He slips cash into my hand. “Go to my place. One of my men will let you in. Order us some takeout around six o’clock. Whatever you want.”
I raise an eyebrow at him as I tuck the hundred dollars into the front right pocket of my pants. “You’re paying for dinner too?”
Dmitri smirks. “Well, you’ll need your strength for what I’ve got planned for us tonight.”
Warmth stirs low in my stomach as my mind conjures up plenty of scenarios. I have no idea what to expect, but I can only assume it’s going to be amazing after yesterday’s encounter in the office.
One night won’t ruin anything.
That’s what I tell myself.
“You’re loving this arrangement, aren’t you?” I ask him with a teasing smile, unable to quell the excitement within me. If he needs me to take his mind off things, I’ll gladly do so tonight.
I need a temporary distraction too.
“Very much,” Dmitri replies before pressing a lingering kiss against my lips. “Now, go on. I’ll see you tonight.”
I wonder what he’ll do today besides getting my money. He didn’t even hesitate when he saw my price.
“Be careful,” I tell him seriously. If he gets confronted by his family or the Suyunovs today, I need him to keep himself safe.
“I will,” Dmitri assures me before opening the door for me.
With a small smile on my face, I walk out of the bathroom and past some of his men to leave the antique shop. The driver who picked me up is still waiting outside in the black sedan that I rode in.
“I need a ride back to my place,” I tell him before giving him the address.
With a nod, he pulls away from the sidewalk and drives toward the other side of town, where my temporary apartment is located.
Eagerness thrums through me as I think about tonight and all that will happen.
Everything will change soon, and I’m so ready to free myself from being crushed under my father’s thumb.
When we arrive at my apartment building, I thank the driver before heading up to my unit, thinking ahead and planning on what to wear to his place. These work clothes won’t do. I need something…irresistible.
I step inside my apartment and drop my things off on the kitchen counter, my eyes doing a brief sweep of my temporary home. I head into my bedroom and rifle through my closet for something to wear, filtering through all the dresses that I’ve bought while working for Dmitri.
Red and tight like the gala gown he picked speaks to me. I pull the dress off the hanger and lay it on my bed, only to pause and inspect my nightstand. The drawer is slightly open. I know I shut it.
It’s only by an inch at most, but I swear that I shut it fully this morning.
Uneasiness stirs within me as I walk closer to check the contents of the drawer. Everything looks untouched. That doesn’t mean it is.
I glance over my shoulder, my eyes sweeping over my bedroom. Everything seems normal, but an uncomfortable sensation creeps up the back of my neck that I can’t shake. I swear that it feels like someone was here.
Someone who shouldn’t have been.
I take my phone out of my pocket as I consider calling my father and asking him if he went as far as to send his men to poke around my apartment too. If he had the gall to have them kidnap me off the street, this wouldn’t be too out of scope for him.
My eyes sharpen as I stare at his contact, familiar anger burning within me. He’s crossed the line too many times, and I let him. I’ve let him push me around, use me, and degrade me.
No more.
It won’t be long before word spreads about the marriage falling through and reaches my father. I don’t want to wait around too long and see what he has in mind for me next.
I toss my phone onto my bed and get changed, turning my attention to tonight. This may be the last night of peace that Dmitri and I will both have for a while.
If so, I plan to burn it into my memory.