Page 86 of Her Darkest Possession

"Nothing you want is silly," I say firmly. "Tell me."

She takes a deep breath. "When I was helping Amara finish up her essay to Columbia, I got this idea in my head..." She bites her lip. "That I'd like to go back to Columbia. And I know last night I was the one who told you that there was no way for me to go back to a life before I met you. But I'd be lying if I haven't been thinking about it ever since I left two years ago."

"If that's what you want, then that's what you'll have." I feel my face break into a smile. "I can make it happen."

"But will there even be time once the baby comes?" she asks, her hand resting on her stomach. "I don't know if I can be a mother and a student at the same time."

"We'll find a way to make time," I say, meaning every word. "You deserve finish what you started, Indigo. Bratva queen or not."

"Finish what I started," she says and looks back at the paint drying on the wall.

Suddenly,there's a knock on the nursery door. I turn around and find Roma standing in the doorway. There's an alarmed look on his face, and his lips are pursed in a line.

"What's wrong?" I put down my paint roller.

He steps into the room and glances briefly at our half-finished walls before talking.

"Ryan Bennet is dead. "

"What?" This wasn't part of the plan, not even close. "How?"

"Not sure. But apparently he was pronounced dead in the hospital a few hours after I left the gift this morning."

Then, right on cue, my phone rings. It's Vassily.

"Chto?" I ask, fighting to keep my voice steady despite the sudden thundering of my heart.

"Cops are gearing up for a big operation." Vassily's voice is hushed, urgent. "They're coming to arrest you under suspicion of murdering Ryan Bennet. They'll be at the mansion in a little under an hour."

Fuck, they move fast.

"Thanks for the update, Vasya. Come home now."

I hang up and meet Indigo's questioning gaze. Her eyes are wide, the paint brush frozen in her hand.

"What is it?" she asks, her voice barely above a whisper.

"The police are coming to arrest me for Ryan's murder."

"But you didn't do it!" Indigo puts down her brush, alarm spreading across her face. "You were with me all night. We can tell them?—"

"It doesn't matter whether I did or not," I say, cutting her off gently. "They won't give a shit."

I look around at the half-painted nursery—our vision for the future suddenly interrupted. The yellow walls that were supposed to welcome our child now feel like a distant dream.

"What are you going to do?" Indigo asks.

I run my hand through my hair, thinking fast. "I'll have to go with them."

"What?" Indigo's face pales. "You're just going to let them take you?"

"For now." I step closer to her, keeping my voice calm despite the storm brewing inside me. "I can't fight the cops. That would only make things worse."

Indigo grabs my arm, her fingers digging into my sleeve. "Then I'm coming with you. I can testify that you were with me all night."

"No." My tone leaves no room for argument. "Absolutely not."

"But—"