Page 94 of Dark Desires

“Take him to the room on the third floor,” Domenico says. “I’ll let Christian know we have him.”

With that, the guards grab me and drag me up the stairs to whatever bedroom they have ready for my imprisonment.

With a shove, I’m pushed inside.

The door slams shut behind me. I’m locked in.

It’s a prison disguised as a luxury suite. I can’t help but find it grimly amusing that I’m now in the same position Isabella’s been in so many times—locked in a room, trapped, needing to get away.

Only this time, there’s no easy way out.

I pace back and forth, trying to force the fury down, but it’s hard. Anger burns in my chest, but I have to keep my head. If I can’t get out of here, then everything falls apart.

All the planning, all the sacrifice—it’s a bust.

I hear footsteps approaching the door. I stop, tense, ready to react. The door opens, and there’s Stephania. The last person I thought I’d see.

She enters, shutting the door behind her

Her face is a mask of controlled emotion, but her eyes—they betray her. The relief in them when she sees me isn’t something she’s trying to hide.

“Alexei,” she says. “Are you okay?”

I manage a half-smile. “Yeah. I’m fine. Not the most productive meeting with your uncle, but I’m still in one piece.”

She chuckles, but there’s no real humor in it. “It’s not like we planned for any of this. You know that, right?”

“Yeah. You didn’t plan for me to be here.” I let out a sigh, leaning against the bed frame. “But here I am.”

Her gaze softens, and she steps closer. “You shouldn’t have come. You should’ve stayed away.”

“Would you have wanted me to?” I ask, cocking my head. I can’t help but push a little. “Would you have just let them lock me up without a fight?”

She sighs, looking down, then back at me. “No, I couldn’t. But now everything’s a mess.”

“You think I don’t know that?” I snap. “They’ve got plans, and none of them involves us walking out of here free. Domenico’s about to make the worst fucking deal of his life, and Isa’s going to be the one to pay for it.”

Stephania shakes her head, her eyes flickering toward the door as if she’s waiting for someone to burst in at any second.

“I need to get out,” I say. “And you need to help me.”

“You’re not going to get out, Alexei. Not with Domenico here.”

“Stephania,” I say, my tone softer now. “I’m going to tell you something, and it’s important. It’s about Isabella.”

Her brow furrows as she looks at me. “Isabella? What do you mean?”

“She’s pregnant and I’m the father.”

Stephania’s eyes widen in shock. “She’swhat?” She pauses for a moment. “Wait, she’s been dressing in super-baggy clothes recently and has been really cagey in general. It all makes sense now. She didn’t tell me.”

“I figured as much.” I cross my arms, watching her closely. “But I’m telling you now. It’s true. And it changes everything.”

She sighs, sitting on the edge of the bed.

“I knew something was going on between you two. I could tell.”

“Yeah. We didn’t plan it, and it happened just before our engagement was set. I’m sorry, Stephania.”