Page 10

Chapter

Ten

DIMITRI

I carry Evie into the house and place her on the couch. Seeing her passed out because she was drugged enrages me. I killed those fuckers Boris and Arthur, but Abram still got away.

So did Tatiana.

I know she’s the reason Evie was almost raped and killed tonight. I know she drugged Evie. There was no one else. She was at the club, not her father.

Even though Tatiana annoys me, I always gave her the benefit of the doubt. She’s a young woman who I did screw over; I’ll admit that. But now, she’s taken things too far.

She’s just as dangerous as her father and needs to be dealt with.

But the thing is—I’ve never killed a woman. In all my years as a Bratva man, I’ve never been in a position where that needed to happen. The only reason it’s happening now is because I married Evie and put a target on her back, and Abram and Tatiana want their revenge.

I know the solution. Let Evie go. If we’re not married, then Abram and Tatiana will stop going after her. There’s still the problem of Dima but I can always place a guard on Evie to keep watch over her. I can still keep her safe …

… just not with me.

“What happened?” Katya asks, appearing in the living room. “She had too much to drink?”

“No,” I growl. “She was drugged.”

Katya’s eyes practically bug out of her head. “What!? How did that happen?”

“Tatiana.”

“Oh, Dimitri. That bitch is becoming a problem.”

“She already is a problem. I thought I could control her and Abram. I thought if I just married someone else, then Abram would drop the issue. But he hasn’t stopped, and now, Evie is in danger.”

“She’s been in danger ever since she met you.”

“You brought her to my club,” I snap at her. “I told you not to come to that party, and yet you came anyway.”

“I never thought you’d set your sights on my best friend. I thought we’d just dance and then leave. But then she was freaking kidnapped. Which, fine, I’ll admit, I put her in that position, and you saved her. Thank god for that. But I never asked you to marry her!”

“You didn’t seem bothered by the idea.”

“Because I thought I would have my best friend here all the time. But, Dimitri, Evie has been hurt and kidnapped so many times since she’s met you. She’s not a Bratva girl. She’s just a girl who’s dreamed of being a librarian her entire life. One who lost her dad. One who just wants to be happy after everything she’s been through. But you don’t make her happy.”

I give her a sharp look. “How do you know? Has she told you that?”

“Well … not in so many words. But I know, Dimitri. She’s not happy. She’s scared and restless, and you’re not protecting her like you claimed you would. You’re the reason she’s in danger.”

I run a hand down my face and sigh deeply. “You want me to let her go.”

“Yes. ”

“Don’t sugarcoat it.”

She sits down on the couch and places Evie’s head in her lap. “She’s my best friend, Dimitri. I need to know that she’s ok. You can’t protect her, not when Abram keeps coming after her.” She looks at me harder. “What else happened tonight? I can tell you’re not telling me everything.”

“It’s better you don’t know.”

“Then I need to know.”

“Fuck, Katya.” I pace back and forth, my mind whirring. How did everything come to this? I just saw a pretty girl and thought she was the solution to my problem. But instead, I became the problem for her. “Tatiana brought Evie to Abram. He tried to kill her again, but I stopped it.” I don’t tell her how I saw Boris and Arthur touching her. Arthur’s hand on her breast. Boris’s hand on her leg, inching closer to her pussy.

Katya doesn’t need to know.

“This has to stop, Dimitri, and you know it.”

I know she’s right. I knew it before she even said it.

I have to let Evie go. I never even got the chance to kiss her properly, and now, I have to remove her from my life. It’s the only way to keep her safe.

EVIE

My head is pounding when I wake up.

For a long moment, I don’t know where I am, and then it registers—Dimitri’s living room. The comfy couch underneath me. I could sink into this couch forever.

But then I remember—Tatiana in the club restroom. Forcing me to drink that water. Then everything went hazy.

I sit up, my heart pounding like a madwoman, and frantically look around.

“I’m here.” Dimitri’s voice washes over me. He sits down next to me but not too close. Actually, there’s a large distance between us on the couch .

“What happened?” I sound like I’ve swallowed rocks. Swallowing doesn’t help at all.

“Evie, I have to tell you something. It’ll be good news for you.”

“What?” Even though he says it’s good news, it doesn’t feel like it. Dread forms in my stomach.

“I’m letting you go.”

I blink. His words don’t make any sense. “What?”

“Tatiana drugged you and brought you to Abram. He tried to kill you again, but I stopped him. He got away, though. Do you remember any of that?”

“No,” I whisper. I have no memory, and that’s terrifying.

“At first, I thought I could control Abram, but it’s gone too far. He’s not going to stop coming for you. I married you to protect you from Dima, but I just threw you to the wolves when it came to Abram. It has to stop. I may be an asshole, but I can’t see you die. Not on my watch. So, I’ll give you what you want. A divorce. You’ll be free of me.”

“I …” He’s talking like it’s good news, but for some reason, all I feel is emptiness. “What about Dima?”

“I’ll make sure you always have a guard watching you. But that guard won’t stop you from living your life. He’ll just be there in case Dima tries anything.”

“You’re really doing this? You’re really letting me go?”

“I am.” His face is like marble. Beautiful yet hard and cold.

It’s everything I’ve wanted since meeting Dimitri. To have my own agency again. To have my own life again.

So, why do I feel disappointed?

“I’ll take you back to your stepmom’s house,” he continues. Can’t he see the shock on my face? But I shouldn’t feel shocked. I should only feel happiness.

I should, I should, I should.

But I don’t.

“Just like that?” I ask.

“Yes. Evie, you were almost killed by Abram again. I know when to cut my losses. ”

“That’s all I am to you? Just a loss?”

“No,” he says gruffly. “You mean so fucking much to me, Evie. That’s why I’m doing this. I can’t watch you die. I fucked up when it came to Tatiana and Abram. And I didn’t care. I didn’t care that I hurt her or him. I didn’t care that you could possibly get hurt because I thought you would be safe. But I’ve seen it now. You’re not safe with me. So, for once in my life, I’m going to do the right thing and let you go.”

It's honorable of him. Too bad it’s also the first time I can actually see a future with Dimitri. He’s showing he can be good, which makes me want him even more.

Just as he’s pushing me away.

“What if I wanted to stay?” I whisper.

His brows furrow. “You would want to stay?”

“I don’t know. I’m just asking.”

“Then I would say you’re kind of crazy. Like me.” There’s that charming smile of his, and then it’s gone in a heartbeat. “But you’re not crazy like me. You’re smarter. I’ll take you home.”

For some reason, I want to say that his house is my home.

But we both know it’s not. I don’t belong in this world. I never did.

So, I nod. “Ok.”

I don’t have any belongings at his house, so it doesn’t take long for me to prepare to go.

Katya hugs me goodbye as we stand in the foyer. “This doesn’t change anything. I’m still gonna harass you at the library.”

“I wouldn’t want anything else.”

Dimitri gently touches my arm. “We should go.”

Katya offers me a smile, and then I follow Dimitri out of their house. As I walk away from it, a startling realization hits me—I was beginning to find a family in Katya and Dimitri. I haven’t had a family in a long time. Not since my dad died. Juno has never really been my family.

And yet, she’s the one I’m going back to.

Dimitri and I are silent on the drive. We’ve already said all there needs to be said .

The sight of Juno’s house—well, my dad’s house, technically—is not the welcome sight I thought it would be. It just looks sad and drab. Not because it’s not grand like Dimitri’s mansion but because I know what awaits me behind those walls. A life with Juno.

And a life without Dimitri.

The urge to ask him to let me stay is on the tip of my tongue. Even though I’m scared of the life Dimitri belongs to, it’s also been the most thrilling week of my life.

I remind myself I don’t belong in his world. I never have. So, now, it’s time to leave it.

“I’ll send a guard over right away,” he tells me. “He’ll be stationed outside at all times so if Dima shows himself, he’ll handle him. You’ll be safe.”

“I know. You’re good at keeping me alive.”

His smile is warm, but it only lasts a small moment. “I’m sorry, Evie, that I pulled you into my shit. It wasn’t fair to you.”

“You’re right. It wasn’t.”

“Don’t hold back how you feel.”

A sudden flare of anger courses through me. “You know what, Dimitri? I am mad at you. You forced me into a marriage I didn’t want and then you charmed me into liking you. And now, you’re pushing me away. You didn’t even ask me if this was what I wanted.”

“I just assumed. You’ve been wanting to leave me ever since we got married.”

“I know that. But you still could have asked.” I open the car door, but before I can leave, he grabs my hand.

“I’m asking now: Do you want to stay with me?”

It’s right there. On the tip of my tongue. Just say it. Say you want to be with him.

But I can’t force the words out because, despite how I feel, I know Dimitri is right. I can’t stay with him. It’s not safe.

It’s never been safe.

There’s no point in telling him how I feel when it doesn’t matter at the end of the day.

“Goodbye, Dimitri.” It’s easier to say that then to lie to him .

He lets go of my hand. “Fuck, Evie. I’ll miss you. I’m not afraid to say it.”

“See?” I whisper. “Not fair.” I hurry away before I can cry. Dimitri doesn’t call out for me, and I’m grateful. It’s easier this way.

Juno is watching some reality dating show when I enter the house. The spare key is hidden under a flower pot, which contains a collection of dead roses in it. I used to take care of them when I lived here. Guess Juno didn’t do the same.

She gasps when she sees me. “Evelyn? What are you doing here?”

“I’m back home.”

She scrambles out of her seat and rushes over to me, surprising me with a hug. “Home for good?”

It would seem that way. “Yes. Dimitri let me go.”

“Oh, thank goodness. That man never should have taken you in the first place.”

“Didn’t you offer yourself up for him to marry you instead of me?”

She waves a dismissive hand. “That’s all in the past. What’s important is that you’re here now.”

“Really?” Tears sting my eyes, and my throat chokes up.

“Yes, really. You must be exhausted after everything you’ve been through. Let’s get you to bed.”

“I do have a headache.”

“Let me take care of you, Evelyn. It’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”

I can barely believe Juno’s words, but I don’t stop them. I need comfort right now. I need to know I’m not alone.

I change into my pajamas, and then she tucks me into my bed like I’m a little girl. It reminds me of how my mom would do it. I haven’t felt this safe in a long time.

She kisses my head. “I’ll take care of you now.”

“Where are you off to?” Juno asks. It’s the following day, and I feel much better. My headache is gone. The drugs are out of my system. I’m back in my own clothes.

I’m starting to feel like myself again.

Dimitri’s face enters my mind, but I push it away. He doesn’t get to hurt me again.

“The library,” I tell her. “I need to explain to Sally and the others where I’ve been. I’m sure they’re worried.” Sally is one of the librarians who took me under her wing when I first volunteered as a teenager.

Juno scrambles out of her chair and hurries to my side. “But—but what about us? I thought we could spend the day together.”

“We can spend some time together later. I just really need to get to the library now.”

“But I thought we could try the police again. You could tell them about Dimitri.”

She isn’t wrong about going back to the police. I have the photos of Dima’s house I need to give them.

I sigh. “Fine. You’re right. Let’s go talk to Detective Johnson again. I can show him the photo’s I took of Dima’s house. Hopefully, then, he’ll do something about it.”

“You’re not going to press charges against Dimitri?”

Instantly, I know I can’t do that. “I just want Dima found.” I walk away before Juno can make me feel weird for not wanting to press charges against the man who forced me into a marriage.

I should hate Dimitri, but I don’t, and there’s no point in denying that.

We go back to the same police station, and I ask to speak to Detective Johnson. I tell the officer behind the desk that it’s very important.

“What do you have for me?” Johnson asks once we’re at his desk.

“Here.” I hand him my phone. “I went back to the place that Dima, your serial killer, took me to. This is it.” I swipe through the photos. “Here’s the basement he took me to. Where he strapped me up and almost killed me. You have proof. You need to stop him. ”

He stares at the phone for a long time before looking at me. “How did you get these photos?”

“I went back to his place.”

“Wasn’t that dangerous?”

“It was. He was there, and he almost hurt me again, but I got away.”

“How?” I don’t like the look in Detective Johnson’s eyes. Like he doesn’t believe me again.

“Dimitri saved me,” I admit.

“Ah. Dimitri Ivanov again. Still no new information on him to give me?”

“No. We’re not together anymore. There’s nothing for me to tell. What I can tell you is that this man”—I point to my phone— “Dima is your killer. You have his address. You can look into it. I am an actual witness. It’s worth looking into, and you know it.”

He sighs deeply and takes my phone. “All right. We’ll look into it. But if he’s innocent …”

“Trust me. He isn’t. You have no reason not to believe me, so why don’t you believe me?”

“A pretty girl like you is probably just looking for attention. We hear it all the time.”

I lean forward in my seat, my hands curled into fists. “Well, I’m not lying. He tried to kill me. You have no proof I’m lying. All you have is me saying what I went through, which if I was a detective, would make me look into it. So, look into it.”

“I don’t take kindly to little girls bossing me around.”

If I were Dimitri, I would lunge across this table and shake Johnson for being so stupid.

But I’m not Dimitri. I was never even actually with Dimitri.

“Please look into it,” I say, trying a different tactic. “You have his address. Photos of his basement. There’s no denying that.”

“Fine. I’ll keep your phone, though.”

“But I need it.”

“Well, I need it more.” He sits back in his seat. “Was that all?”

I look at Juno, who’s been sitting next to me, quiet this entire time. She didn’t come to my defense once. I sigh and nod. “Yes. That was all.”

Juno and I leave the station. “I still think you should have pressed charges against Dimitri.”

“No,” I snap, harsher than I intended. “Now, the police have the information they need. I’m heading to the library.”

“We came in the same car.”

“I’ll walk.” It might not be safe, but I know Dimitri has a guard watching me. Even with Dimitri not in my life anymore, he’s still present.

I’m not sure how to feel about that.

The library is exactly the same as it was before my entire life changed. Of course, it would be. It’s an unmovable building.

But seeing it look the same makes me feel steadfast and secure. I’m safe as long as I have the library and my books.

“Evie?” Sally asks, slowly walking toward me. She’s constantly wearing flowy, floor-length skirts and bangles on her wrists, giving her a boho, hippie vibe, and the sight of her fills me with warmth.

“I’m back.”

“Where have you been? We’ve been worried. I considered filing a missing person’s report, but I spoke to your stepmom, and she said you were alive.”

“I … had a family emergency, but it’s been taken care of. I know I should’ve called you. But it all happened so fast. I hope I’m not fired. I’d love to still work here.”

“Of course, you’re not fired. You’re one of the best employees this library has ever had. I’m just glad you’re safe.” She pulls me into a long hug, and I know right at this moment that Dimitri letting me go was for the best .

DIMITRI

Letting Evie go was the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.

Because now I miss her, and it’s only been a fucking day.

Needing a distraction, I go to Nikolai’s favorite bar and find him in his private booth. There’s nothing better than pissing Nik off.

“I’m sad,” I say, sliding in across from him.

His glass is halfway to his lips. “And you think I care because …”

“Because we’re business partners, Nik. It’s what we do. We can talk about our feelings.”

He snorts and takes a drink. “No. We don’t talk about our feelings. In fact, I’d much prefer for you to not talk about your feelings with me.”

“You’re no fun.”

“I get that a lot.”

“You’re not at all a little bit curious why I’m sad?” I raise my hand for the bartender to get me a drink.

“No.”

“Ouch, Nik.” The bartender brings me a scotch, and I nod my thanks. “The reason I’m sad is because I lost my girl.”

“Your girl? I heard you got married.”

“Yes. I did.”

“Is she dead?” Nik actually sounds concerned. He’s a married man himself, so when it comes to woman, I know he cares more than he lets on.

“No. I just let her go.”

“You … let her go? Why? Because she couldn’t hold up to your impossibly high standards for women?”

“I don’t have high standards.”

“I know. I was being sarcastic. You’ll sleep with any woman who throws herself at you.”

“Well, Evie never threw herself at me.” I stare into golden brown liquid of my drink. “That’s why I liked her. She treated me differently. She didn’t bat her eyes at me. She scolded me. I liked it.”

Nik only shakes his head, but there’s a small smile on his lips. That’s the thing about Nikolai Petrov—he’s a hard man to make smile. I feel accomplished that I managed even that.

“But I let her go because of Abram. He keeps trying to kill her. Fucking bastard. Now, he’s in the wind. I need your help in finding him.”

“Killing him, you mean.”

“Obviously. What else would I mean?”

“I don’t want to get into a war, Dimitri. It’s why I agreed to go with you and Maxim to talk to Abram in the first place. I don’t want bloodshed. I’ve caused too much of it myself.”

“If we just kill Abram real quick, then no more blood need be shed.”

“What are you, fucking Edgar Allen Poe?”

“That’s more you. You’re so …” I wave my fingers at him. “Broody.”

Nik frowns deeper, proving my point.

“Help me kill Abram,” I say. “All of this can end, then.”

“If you can get Maxim on board, I’ll get on board.”

“Great.” I tap the table. “Um … there’s just one extra thing.”

“What?” he asks flatly.

“We also need to kill his daughter, Tatiana.”

“The one you fucked?”

“Yes.”

“No. I don’t kill women, Dimitri.”

“Well, I can kill her. You can just watch.” I flash him my most dashing smile, but it does nothing to him. Wrong crowd.

“No,” he growls. “I don’t participate in the killing of women. I have a code.”

I groan, dropping my head back. “That’s right. Your fucking code. Well, I have news for you. She drugged my wife and gave Evie to Abram. He then tried to kill her, but not before letting his men try to rape her.” Nik looks up sharply. “But I stopped it. I saved her. The point is, though, Tatiana has gone too far. She’s not a good woman. And she needs to die because of it. ”

Nik runs a hand down his face, then sighs deeply. “You can kill her. I won’t. But I’ll help you catch her.”

“Great.” I extend my hand. “We have a deal?”

“I’m going to regret this, but … we have a deal.” He shakes my hand in return.

Once we’re done, I drive away from the bar … and straight to the New York Public Library. I know it’s irrational. I’m not going to find Evie.

She’s probably inside, hidden away somewhere. She deserves to find a man who’s also a little dorky like her. She doesn’t need a man like me in her life.

But it’s taking everything in me not to run inside, grab her, and bring her back home with me.

I know I’ll never be able to get Evie off my mind. She’s planted herself inside my head, and she’s stuck there.

I’m about to drive away when I see her leave the library. She’s so fucking beautiful; it hurts. She doesn’t notice me. For the first time since meeting her, I can tell she looks more at ease. It’s a good look on her.

I just wish I could make her feel that way with me.

Then I spy him.

Dima.

He’s sitting on the front steps of the library. His back is to Evie, so she doesn’t see him.

But I know I have to act. I get out of the car before I can stop myself.

I’m off to save Evie once more.