Page 161 of Ruthless Creatures

He ignores my blistering sarcasm. “Whoever it is, you can’t trust him. He’s only trying to get close to you to find out information about me—”

I interrupt loudly, “I know. I’m caught up there, too. It’s been a laugh a minute the last few days, let me tell you.”

He crouches down in front of me, grasping my clammy hands and staring into my eyes.

“Tell me who contacted you. Tell me what’s happened. Tell me how you got here—everything.”

He must be able to see that I’m about to gouge out his eyes with a nice sharp jab of my thumbs, because he adds softly, “Please.”

I can smell him now that he’s so close. That old intoxicating mix of spice and sandalwood. Sweet and creamy, smooth and warm, it wafts into my nose like a siren’s call.

How I used to love that scent. How comforting it used to be.

Emphasis on “used to.”

Instead of feeling surprise or pain that his voice, scent, and lingering gaze no longer have the power to move me, I’m incredibly relieved.

It’s going to be so much easier to tell him to go to hell now that I’m not in love with him anymore.

The image of Kage’s handsome face flashes in front of my eyes. When I forcefully blink, it vanishes.

“You first, lover boy. Tell me why you left me the day before our wedding without so much as a goodbye. Massive case of cold feet? Or did you hit your head and remember you were already married?”

He draws a deep breath, then releases it, bowing his head to rest on our clasped hands. Unlike mine, his forehead is cool and dry.

He murmurs, “I never wanted to hurt you. I’m so sorry, Natalie.”

“Great. Skip to the good part.”

He exhales heavily, presses a soft kiss to the back of each of my hands, and releases them, rising. He returns to the sofa opposite mine and sits.

“I take it you know I was involved with the mafia.”

“Yes.”

“I was an accountant for the New York syndicate. I reported directly to the big boss.”

“Maxim Mogdonovich.”

David nods. “It was a desk job. I didn’t get my hands dirty. I never harmed anyone.”

“Whoopee for you. Keep talking.”

He pauses to grind his jaw for a while. He doesn’t like the new bossy me.

“They recruited me right out of college with an offer of a ridiculous salary. At twenty-two, it was impossible for me to resist that much money. So I took the job. I told myself I wasn’t doing anything wrong. I wasn’t hurting people. But after almost a decade of working for them, I changed my mind. I was an accomplice to their violence, even if I never shed a drop of blood. My skills helped them thrive. So I decided I wanted out. Permanently.”

He seems sincere, but this man is an accomplished liar. I slept with him for years and never had a clue he wasn’t who he said he was.

I gesture for him to continue.

“Except there isn’t a way out of the Bratva. You can’t submit your resignation and walk away. I had to make a careful plan, which I did.”

“So you turned Mogdonovich in to the government.”

“Yes. I gave them everything they needed to nail him for enough crimes to put him away for life. In return, they gave me a new identity, relocated me, and wiped my existence off the books. Those were things I couldn’t do myself.”

I look at him, so stuffy and studious. So different from Kage.