Page 75 of Darkest Game

I only shrug. I don’t blame my mom for any of this. Denis had her under lock down just as much as me and my sisters were.

“I can’t believe Liam is allowed to stay,” Sasha mutters. “He kidnapped you, Irina!”

He and your husbands made a deal, I write.

“You like him?” Natalya asks. “Actually like him?”

I know that I’m drawn to Liam. I know that I feel safe with Liam. I know that I want him in my life.

But there’s still so much I don’t know and with my family hovering over me, I’ll probably never get to find out.

“Yes,” I say. “I do like him. And you can like him too.”

Sasha huffs. “I’ll never like the guy who kidnapped me and Natalya and you. I had to kill people the last time Liam kidnapped us. I’ll never like him and I have no idea how you even like him.”

“I was going to be… raped,” I explain. “Liam saved me.”

All of their eyes widen.

“Well, shit,” Sasha says after a second.

“Maybe we just stop harassing Irina right now,” Mom offers. “And let her rest. Clearly, she and Liam has some sort of connection. We don’t know all that she went through. Let’s not judge her for liking her husband. You two like your husbands.”

Natalya flushes while Sasha averts her gaze. They both know our mom has a point.

“Let’s let Irina rest. She’ll be able to come home tomorrow. We’ll celebrate the good news.”

Mom ushers all my sisters out of the room, leaving me alone. Though not for long. Liam arrives. Nico watches from the doorway, probably making sure Liam doesn’t try to kill me when I’m vulnerable. I sigh. Will they ever trust Liam like I do?

“Hey,” Liam says, sitting in the chair by the bed. “I’m sorry, Irina.”

“Sorry?”

“For not saving you the way I should have. For putting you in danger. My mom is still here. She wanted to talk with you. If you’re up for that.”

I have this, I write, waving the notepad and pen at him.

“I’ll go get her.” Liam walks past Nico. The two men share a glare before Liam leaves the room.

“I don’t know what the hell you see in him,” Nico mutters.

“He’s a good… man.”

Nico stares at me for a second before scoffing. “Liam is not a good man. But frankly, neither am I. Neither is Mikhail. Don’t let your feelings for him blind you to that fact. He might have saved your life but that doesn’t make him good.”

“Then what does it make him?”

Nico doesn’t have an answer for me.

Liam comes back with his mom, shooing Nico away. With a grumble under his breath, Nico finally leaves.

“Hi,” Liam’s mom says. “I’m Ashely. We haven’t been formally introduced yet.”

I take her extended hand and she cups my hand between hers.

“My son was telling me how he feels for you. I told him to fight for you if he cares about you. It seems he does. I’m sorry I wasn’t at your wedding.”

“You didn’t even know about it,” I rasp.