Page 140 of Dance of Defiance

Yeah, she’s already figured it out. I don’t know the Bratva worldthatwell, but I know how hyper-hetero it is. Which means, yeah, bad for Roman if Dasha were to go tattling to Pavel. But it would be badfor her, too.

A previous engagement to a gay man? In that world?Yeah, she can go ahead and consider her future marriage optionslimited, to say the least.

“Why thefuckwould you tell me to come over here to see this?” Dasha yells. Her eyes drag to Roman, who’s looking at the floor in utter shock and horror, totally frozen.

It's okay.He’llbe okay, once I navigate us through this.

“Because,” I smile at Dasha. “I have a favor to ask you.”

She scoffs. “Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

“Which is?”

My lips curl. “Call off the wedding. End your engagement to Roman.”

She barks a laugh. “Do you have any idea how my world—howourworld—works?!” She points at a catatonic Roman. “I can’t just?—”

“I know you’re fucking your head of security.”

It’s like cutting the marionette strings holding her up. Dasha just…deflates, her face turning white as she stares at me in…well…the same way Roman is staring at the floor, like it might swallow him up if he was lucky.

I hold my hands up. “That isn’t a threat. Promise.”

“What…” She swallows heavily, looking horrified. “Why are you doing this?”

“Because,” I smile, “I want to offer you a deal. You don’t want to marry Roman, and—shocker—he doesn’t want to marry you. Everyone understands that none of this is personal, yes?”

She nods.

“Good. Let's talk deal.”

Dasha drops her gaze to the floor again. But then, I see a look wash over her face, transforming it from stunned shock and horror to…

I grin.

Calculating.

Excellent.

I did my homework on Dasha. She’s smart as fuck. Oxford undergrad, then Wharton for business school. Hell, she orchestrated and finalized half the deals her father made last year.

“You want me to be the one to end this becausehe can’t,” she says evenly. “Because his father wants this even more than mine.”

I tap my nose. “Bingo.”

Dasha smiles a Cheshire Cat smile.

“Then let’s talk about my exit package.”

Attagirl.

Roman finally stirs from his stunned silence. He blinks, fumbling for his shirt and yanking it on. His brow furrows as he looks across at Dasha.

“Exit package?”

“Roman,” she shrugs. “Come on. We both know how our world works. You think I can justendan engagement my father set up for me, and everything goes on as normal? If I could, don't you think I would have done that months ago, when I was first told about this whole thing?”