Page 42

Margot

I wake up to the smell of coffee. Matty sits on the edge of our bed holding a mug. A smile breaks out on my lips at the sight of him.

I sit up, ready to accept the liquid elixir of happiness.

“Good morning, sweetheart.” He presses a kiss on my forehead and hands me the cup. His touch is warm and steady. But when I look at his face, I notice the bags under his eyes. The paleness of his complexion. The sadness lingering there.

A pang of concern hits me. Did he not sleep? Is he getting sick?

Then yesterday’s events come crashing back to me.

I’d forgotten, but it sweeps over me like a tidal wave. A hollow ache settles in my chest, but there’s no fear. Not with Matty here. Not when I know he won’t let anything happen to me.

He saved me.

“Hey, sweet girl. How are you feeling?” His gentle voice matches his expression .

I know he’s not asking about my body. He’s asking how I’m doing emotionally. He’s genuinely worried about me.

“I’m still a little shaken, but I feel safe with you.

It didn’t get too far, and I’m just… I’m grateful you came for me.

And Roman too.” I pause, exhaling slowly.

“I think yesterday hit me so hard because of what could’ve happened.

But now that I’ve had time to process it, I’m doing better.

” I give him an encouraging smile, even if my hands tremble around the mug.

Matty shakes his head. “No, sweetheart. Stuff did happen. Even though it didn’t go further, you still have a right to be upset. What you went through was traumatic. I’m sorry I didn’t find you sooner.”

His voice is so sincere, his words so grounding, that my eyes sting with tears.

His expression crumbles. He takes the coffee from my hands and pulls me into his chest, murmuring soft reassurances against my hair.

“I’m not crying because of yesterday. I’m crying because of you. Your patience. Your support. It means everything to me.”

He studies me, searching for deception, but he won’t find it. When he finally believes me, his features soften. But his next words come cautiously.

“Sweetheart, I hate to ask you this. And if you’re not ready, we can talk later. But I need to know, so I can keep you safe. Can you talk about what happened?”

I nod, understanding. He deserves to know. I’ve dragged him into something. But the problem is… I don’t know what. I don’t have answers.

“I’ll tell you everything, but I don’t even know what happened,” I admit. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, sweetheart.” He takes my hand, his thumb tracing slow circles over my skin. “Start from when you got to your house. Tell me everything. ”

So, I do. I recount every moment I remember. Matty grips my hand, squeezing tightly at every hesitation, every painful detail. His expression twists with every word. By the time I finish, he looks devastated.

“Thank you, sweetheart. You did so well. This is helpful.”

“It’s not helpful at all. I don’t understand anything.” Frustration seeps into my voice. “Who were those men? Why were they after me? They knew my name.”

Matty exhales, jaw clenching. “What do you know about the Bratva?”

“The what?”

“The Bratva. The Russian criminal organization.”

I stare at him. Criminal organization? “I don’t know anything about it. What does that even mean? Why are you asking me this?”

“Because the Bratva is after you. That’s who those men were. Do you know why they’d want you?”

My stomach lurches. “The Russian mafia was after me ? Why?”

“They think you know something about their operations. They’re worried you went to the authorities. They wanted to question you about what you know and who you told. What do they think you know, sweetheart?”

I open my mouth in confusion, but then realization slams into me.

“Oh my God. Oh my God! I was right. Oh my God!” My stomach drops. “No, this can’t be. That’s ridiculous. I was just doing my job.”

Matty straightens, suddenly on high alert. “Margot, what do you know?”

“The day you took me I was supposed to meet with my boss about a discrepancy I found in our bookkeeping.” My voice shakes.

“I work for Northern Hemisphere Cargo. There was a company, the Koschei Group. They paid a huge amount of money for small shipments. I checked the invoices, but all I found was the name. Nothing else. There wasn’t even payment information.

It made no sense. I looked into them, but nothing came up.

No company website, no records. It felt off.

So, I emailed my boss, said I’d be willing to talk to authorities if needed.

That morning, I was meeting him at the coffee shop. ” I hesitate. “Then you happened.”

Matty doesn’t speak for a moment, absorbing it all. His fingers tap against his thigh in a calculated rhythm, piecing things together. “Did you talk to the authorities?”

“No. I turned off my work phone over the weekend, then woke up to a ton of missed calls from my boss. When I got here, he called again, asking to meet. But before I could answer, one of the guards grabbed my phone and ended the call. I haven’t heard from him since.

” I swallow hard. “That has to be it, right? I stumbled onto something I wasn’t supposed to? Koschei… it’s a Russian legend.”

“Yes, sweetheart.” His voice is grim. “That’s what they were after.”

“I’m so sorry I got you involved. This is my mess. I–” I stop mid-sentence, his words echoing in my head. “Wait, what do you mean, ‘ it aligns with what they said?’ When did you talk to them? How did you know the Bratva was after me? How do you even know what the Bratva is?”

Matty stills. Then, carefully, “Roman and I interrogated the men who attacked you. After some… encouragement … they told us they were sent to bring you in.”

My stomach plummets. “Encouragement? You mean torture?”

He doesn’t answer.

Then an even more alarming thought slams into me .

“Oh my God. You killed another man. The one on top of me. Oh my God. This time it wasn’t self-defense! You really are a murderer!”

I jolt back, scrambling away, but the sheets tangle around my legs. Matty moves instantly, pinning me down.

He straddles my hips, trapping my wrists above my head. His hold isn’t cruel, but it is firm. Controlling. Unyielding.

“Stop fighting me, Margot. Let me explain.”

My pulse hammers. I should be afraid. I should be terrified. But I’m not. Because it’s Matty. Because I don’t want to run. Because he’s already saved me once.

“Listen to me. He was hurting you. I will never apologize for protecting you.” His voice is dark and certain. A lethal promise. “I will always choose you. I will always protect you. Do you understand?”

I exhale shakily. “Thank you for saving me.”

His eyes darken. “I will always save you. You are mine.”