Page 102 of Darkest Desire

She turns to me. “Don’t attack my husband ever again.”

“Or what? It’s his fault that Sasha is in this predicament.”

“You’re not wrong,” she admits. “But I am the only one keeping Mikhail from killing you right now. Did you know that Sasha and I went to Denis for help and he wouldn’t give it?”

“I know that I went to him for help and he said we’re done. No more alliance with your uncle.”

“What does that mean for Sasha? I know you married her to get your alliance with Denis.”

“It was never Denis I wanted. Sasha is safe with me.”

Natalya sighs, dropping her eyes to the ground. “Sasha did tell me that. She feels safe with you. She trusts you. If she trusts you then…”

“That means you trust me?” I ask, raising my eyebrows.

“Don’t put a gun to my head ever again and we shouldn’t have any problems.”

I nod at Mikhail, who’s still glaring at me across the room. “Tell that to your husband.”

“I will. I always wanted to keep Sasha safe and I couldn’t. She married you. I thought I had lost her forever but… I see now that I was wrong. You were fighting hard to get her back. She said you saved her many times. I know she’s safe with you, Nico. Why can’t you put aside your hatred for Mikhail and make a deal with him? It would keep both me and Sasha safe. Mikhail wouldn’t go after you like he did before and you would have to promise to do the same.”

I scoff. “A deal with Mikhail?”

“Why is that so absurd? You made a deal with Denis and he screwed you over.”

“Mikhail shot me in the fucking back a year ago.”

“I know. But it seems to me that you’re running out of allies. Maybe making a deal with him would benefit you. It would keep Sasha safe. Mikhail doesn’t want to hurt her because of me. You know that. If you can trust anyone to try and keep her safe, it’shim. You can trust me to do the same. You’re not going to get a better deal than this, Nico, and you know it.”

Make a deal with Mikhail? It’s not the worst idea in the world…

“I hate his fucking face,” I mutter.

“You’re going to let your pride and ego win? When you have the chance to keep Sasha safe?”

“If she makes it out of surgery alive. If she dies, then all bets are off.”

She raises her hands in surrender. “Fine. If Sasha survives, consider making peace with Mikhail. And just so you know, I’m just as worried as you are about my sister, maybe even more so.”

“Impossible.”

“Is that so? I’ve known my sister my entire life. I’m her big sister. It was my job to protect her and I couldn’t. It was also your job to protect her and you couldn’t. We’re in the same boat. If anyone understands, I do.”

I lean against the wall, crossing my arms, shielding myself from Natalya’s truth. “Why don’t you return to your husband? He still looks like he wants to come over here and kill me.”

“I will. Just think on what I said. I’ll talk to Mikhail about it too. Get him to see reason.”

“You would really choose to work with me?” I ask.

“If it means keeping Sasha safe, then yes. She believes that you’re good for her. So I’m inclined to believe it too. I have no reason to not believe her. She’s always been stubborn and hotheaded. When she says something, she means it. Consider what I said.” She walks back over to Mikhail and he wraps a possessive hand around her shoulder like I’m going to steal her away.

I’ll give Natalya this: she has impressed me. That’s a hard thing to accomplish and she has done it.

If Sasha survives then…

Then maybe I need to rethink everything.

Sasha