Page 152 of Deceptive Vows

“Thanks so much for doing that.”

“It’s okay. You don’t have to thank me for that.”

“I’m very grateful.”

“I know you are, and I’m sorry for your loss. It’s strange. In the end, he was the only person I trusted to take care of you. I knew he didn’t have any other agenda besides making sure you were safe. Natalia, I didn’t want to tell you what happened to him until you were stronger. You’re right, though. I can’t make those types of decisions for you. So, I’ll tell you what happened.” He pauses for a moment then turns slightly so he can look at me. “I found José at the warehouse with his throat slit, but he was poisoned before that happened. Meaning someone killed him and took him to the warehouse to make it look like he was attacked.”

“My God.” I pull in a breath and bring my hand to my heart.

“It‘s reasonable to assume he saw something. Things are getting out of hand, and I’ve been thinking about how best to keep you safe.”

“I’m safe with you, aren’t I?”

“No. You aren’t,” he answers, and the hole in my heart widens. “You were never safe with me. So, after the leadership is announced, I’m sending you away.”

That’s the day after the funeral.

“That’s four days’ time.” It’s too soon.

“The sooner you leave, the better it will be for you. I’m sending you to L.A.”

“L.A.?”

He nods. “I have friends there who can make sure you’re safe.”

“That’s so far away.”

“That’s the point, princess. Nothing like this has ever happened. I feel stuck. I have the best people working for me, yet all I have are assumptions. I can’t just walk up to my brother and kill him based on assumptions. I also know the problem isn’t just about him. Everything is too carefully constructed so he’s a step ahead of me. No one person can do that. So, it’s not safe for you to be here anymore.”

“But I love—”

“No.” He shakes his head and stands up. “You weren’t supposed to love me, Natalia. I’m the villain here, so I don’t get the happily ever after with the wife I love, or the future I want with her. No matter what anyone says, what’s happening is my fault. I could have just killed Raul and Felipe. If I weren’t a monster, I wouldn’t have taken you or José. If I hadn’t, he’d still be alive. You can’t tell me that’s not true.”

I don’t know what to say to him because he’s right, and I don’t want him to be.

The truth is something I never had a choice in changing, and neither does he.

43

Mikhail

José’s funeral was early this morning.

I had to watch Natalia break all over again. Only time can heal that kind of heartbreak. There’s nothing anyone can do to soothe those wounds any quicker.

Every thought and memory of the person you loved and lost will feel like salt pouring on raw, open wounds.

It’s still like that for me and continues.

The rising sun heralded the ticking clock over my head. A countdown on the time I have left with my wife.

I have two days now. Tomorrow, the day of the inauguration, and most of the day she will leave me for good.

The only people I’ve told she’s going away are my father and Sophia, but I purposely didn’t tell themwhereNatalia was going, so I could keep her location secret from Ivan.

My father and Sophia think Natalia will be staying at one of our safe houses until the problem is resolved. As an extra layer of security, it’s protocol that none of us know where each other’s safe houses are located.

So, they have no idea where she’s headed, and they don’t know about my plan of Natalia to never return to me.