Page 86 of Nikola

33

SKYE

Icracked the door of my parents’ guest bedroom at the Nikolaevs’ manor and peeked in to find my mama seated on the couch, reading a magazine, and my papa passed out on the bed.

As if she sensed me, Mama lifted her head and our gazes locked.

“Is Papa okay?” I cocked my head toward where he lay, his arms sprawled, mouth parted, and a single shoe hanging on for dear life.

“He will be.” She put the magazine down, then waved me over. “He got drunk off moonshine and then sedatives did the rest.”

I winced. “Sedatives?”

She nodded. “He was ready to rip the Russians to shreds after getting that text from Nikola.”

“Isn’t combining moonshine and sedatives dangerous?”

“Isabella administered them, so it’s safe.”

I shut the door and made my way over to sit next to her, finding a spot on the wall to fix my gaze. My plan with Nikola had all seemed well and good until I had to facethe consequences of my actions. Now, my shame and guilt enveloped me. Even though I knew they hadn’t seen anything too scandalous and that I wasn’t identifiable in any of the shots. That Nikola sent it to them and told them it was me though…? Well, that was enough to make me want to disappear.

She clutched my shoulder and forced me to look at her. “So you and Nikola, huh?” I nodded.“Is he the one you were referring to when you told me there’s someone you liked?”

“Yes.” I was scared back then that she would disapprove if I told her the truth, but right now, I regretted lying. Everything might have gone differently. “Mama, I don’t want to marry Amadeo Marchetti.”

“You don’t say,” she signed with a wry expression. “But there were other ways you could have gone about it rather than making that tape.”

I grimaced. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“Didn’t you promise Papa when you were a little girl that you’d always tell him what’s bothering you?”

The memory of our conversation long ago in my pink room came back to me, and my shoulders slumped.

“I tried.”

“Not very hard,” she pointed out, and rightfully so. “You should have sat us down and told us your heart’s already spoken for.”

“It was too late once I saw the signed marriage contract. It would have gotten you in trouble with the Marchettis,” I signed. “At least this way, it’s all on me.”

She shook her head. “First, you know better than to think that. Our family’s actions reflect on us all. And second, if Papa knew you loved Nikola, he would have done everything in his power to make it right for you. We want you to be happy. To have what we have.”

Okay, hindsight was a bitch, but the ship had sailed and there was no turning back time, so I did the only thing I could.

“I’m so sorry, Mama.” I sat up and hugged her tightly. We remained like that for a few minutes before I settled next to her once more.

“Are you terribly mad?” I hated seeing disappointment on her face. It gutted me harder than anything else, because I wasn’t used to being the cause of it.

“No, but your papa is furious. Especially under the influence, he was scheming how to slice up the poor boy.”

“He can’t kill Nikola.”Just the thought had me choking on my own breath.

“So you do love him? It’s not a temporary infatuation?”

“There's nothing temporary about it.” My cheeks burned, and Mama’s expression softened. “I’ve had a crush on him for years.”

“I wish you'd told me.”

“Well, I did ask Papa to marry me to Nikola before I bolted.”