Page 32 of Deceptive Vows

That was also where I went wrong. When you’re under attack and ambushed like we were, the chances of survival are next to nil. It’s like flying blind while your enemy has you in a trap under their thumb.

Although I took down a lot of the snipers, I got shot twice before I made it to Felipe. He was trying to escape, but I gave him a good chase. I reached him when he jumped into his truck but couldn’t get close enough. I didn’t notice the detonator in his hand until it was too late. He released the trigger on a bomb that should have killed me.

It was a miracle I survived. I was told one of our allies found me in the debris. After that, while my father was investigating, he kept my survival quiet to allow everyone to think I died.

Of course, no one found Talia. Felipe’s men would have taken her while I was down. That’s the part that broke me. I couldn’t have done anything to save my mother. Part of me knows I couldn’t have done anything to save Talia either, but because I had a chance, I keep wondering what I could have done differently—or what I could have done better.

That night, Father, Ivan, and Sophia were supposed to be with us but weren’t because my father had a bad reaction to some medication and couldn’t make it.

Sophia was taking care of him at the time, and Ivan had to go to the office to cover meetings my father couldn’t attend during the day.

The ballet was one of the only times we would haveallbeen together out in the open. That is why I think the assassination attempt was on the whole family. If we were all there, we would have all been gunned down like animals, which would have wiped out the entire Baranov leadership.

With no heirs to the Dmitriyev fortune left. Ivan and I are the last men left in the bloodline. Sophia never remarried after a tragic car accident years ago that claimed the lives of her husband and three kids.

If we’d all died that night, the result would have been chaos. It would have opened the door for Raul and whomever to take control over our brotherhood and the extensive wealth linked to our company.

Things are chaotic now, and they will continue to be so until I get to the bottom of this shit.

10

Natalia

As the sun’s rays spill through the window, I wake up and glance at the clock on the wall.

It’s six o’clock, and the space next to me is as empty as it was when I went to bed. I can’t sense anyone else in the room with me.

Mikhail didn’t come back last night before I went to sleep, and from what I can tell, it doesn’t look like he slept in here.

I think I’d know if he had.

I gaze through the long French windows at the radiant sun, my first New York sunrise. Beautiful as it is, I have no idea what’s going to happen today.

I already feel like I’ve aged a hundred years over the last few days. It’s morning again, day two of me being in this house, my new prison.

Last night was the first night I slept in Mikhail’s room, in his bed.

Thankfully by myself.

I was so sure he was going to make good on his word to fuck my brains out, and after the way he handled me yesterday, I imagined him to be violent and cruel.

I figured after I ate dinner by myself and night fell, I may not see him again for the day. Again because of our encounter. When he didn’t return, I was grateful for the small mercy.

At the same time, the worrying part about not seeing him means not knowing what’s going on.

When you can see your enemy, you can keep your eye on them and be ready when they strike. When you can’t see them, you have no idea what sort of ammunition they’ll be gathering against you to wipe you out.

My guess is he probably came home and slept in a different room.

Or maybe I’m being naïve again because the alternative for men like him is the possibility he spent the night in another woman’s bed.

Why would he sleep in another room in his house because of me?

What I need to do is get my head together and keep on my toes.

I wish I knew when José was coming here. Having him around would help.

Right now, I don’t know if I’m going to see him again. If I don’t, I’ll be flying blind, never knowing when the other shoe’s going to drop, and my secret will be out.