Page 148 of Konstantin

“We all have a choice, lubov moya.” He tosses a stack of papers on my lap.

I look down, my stomach dropping as I see files and photos.

Oh my God…

Pictures from my FBI graduation. Me with Nate, laughing in his uniform. A full dossier on my life. My name, my face, my badge.

“Who sent this?” I glare up to find him watching me intently.

“Anonymous.”

“Gerardo…” I whisper.

His head jerks, eyes narrowing. “Who?”

“Never mind.”

But I know it was him. Who else could it be? Maybe he sees me as a loose end, worried I’ll remember he killed that cop years ago. Maybe he got tired of waiting to see if I would.

In one swift motion, Konstantin’s fingers tighten around my throat, cutting off my breath.

“Don’t do that.” His thumb grazes the underside of my jaw. “You’d better tell me everything before my devotion for you turns into something much, much worse.”

I swallow thickly, closing my eyes.

He’s right. At this point, I have no choice. I have to tell him everything and face the consequences.

He releases his grip, settling across from me with a calm that onlyirritates me. “Talk.”

Glancing up at the ceiling for a moment, I start at the beginning.

“My brother, Nate. He’s the cop in that photo.” I lift it for a moment, releasing a sigh. “He was accused of killing his partner, Tim. My boss, Gerardo, made me believe one of your brothers, or even you, was the one who killed him, and I had no reason not to believe him, especially when we found a connection between your organization and Tim.”

Konstantin’s chest rises sharply, but he stays silent.

“You have to understand, Gerardo practically raised us. So when he said it was most likely you, I believed it too. That’s why I came here, looking for proof to clear Nate’s name. I was even ready to trade his freedom for yours.”

He chuckles, sending a chill through me. “And how exactly were you planning to do that?”

Leaning back, I cross my legs and raise an eyebrow. “I was going to pin a cold case on you. Steal some of your DNA and plant it.”

“Wow.” He claps slow. “Bravo. You really are a lioness, aren’t you? No wonder you impressed me from the start.”

I fidget in my seat, unable to really gauge how mad he truly is.

“Please, continue. I’m deeply intrigued now.”

“After I…” I hesitate, unsure if he’ll believe the rest.

His gaze turns to a sharp slit. “Tell me. I want to hear it all.”

Clearing my throat, I shift in my seat. “After I started to have feelings for you, I was relieved to find no proof linking you to Nate. It felt like I was waiting for permission to want you.”

His body visibly tenses at that, but he says nothing.

“I’d say I’m sorry, but I’m not.” I laugh bitterly. “Because Nate’s the only real family I’ve ever had. Everything else I told you about my past, my mom, it’s all true. She was shit, Konstantin. I spent my childhood imagining a different life, one with decent parents, but I didn’t have that. I had Nate.”

I run a hand down my face, waiting for him to say something, anything, to acknowledge what I just told him. But he doesn’t, so I go on.