Page 69 of Thorns of Death

Isla let out a soft groan but didn’t answer as she continued ascending the stairs. My cell phone buzzed with confirmation that my boys were safe, so I made my way out of my office and into the hallway where I expected the two women to show up at any moment.

And sure as shit, there they were. Isla’s attention wasn’t on me, instead she shifted slightly, murmuring soft words to Tatiana.

I announced my presence. “I must say, I didn’t expect two of you here.”

Both women shifted and Isla stumbled forward with a soft whimper. “Ouch.”

I knew they were playing me, but fuck, hearing Isla’s pain—that was clearly feigned—had my insides reeling. Instinctively, I took a step forward to help her, my gun out of my holster and in my hand. It was pointed at the pale blonde woman whom I spared on Konstantin’s behalf a year ago.

So much had happened in the past year. We killed Adrian, Tatiana’s previous husband. He had been sending incriminating videos to the members of the Omertà, threatening to bring down our organization. However, the problem was… they didn’t stop once he died.

“I wouldn’t,” Tatiana said coolly, unfazed by the fact that I was holding a gun pointed at her. The woman had courage, I’d give her that. “Not unless you want to see Isla’s guts scattered all over your white marble.”

My movement stilled, the images of Isla’s body on my marble floor hit me with such a volatile feeling that it stole my fucking breath away.

Jesus Christ, had I fallen that hard for a woman who could easily walk away from me? The time for those questions wasn’t now.

“What do you want, Tatiana?” I suspected I knew. The woman had been restless ever since her husband’s death, seeking answers.

She met my gaze head-on, keeping her shoulders straight. She was brave, but not foolish. She understood what I represented and was smart to be scared. After all, she grew up in the underworld.

“I told you I’d come after you when you killed my husband.” So she remembered her accident. Good for her. “Here I am.”

She was dumb to keep looking for answers about Adrian instead of thanking all the saints for her current husband. She was only alive thanks to Konstantin. He vouched for her, assuring me she didn’t know what Adrian was doing to all of us. I, on the other hand, didn’t like to leave loose ends for this exact reason.

I gave her a cold smile. “But your new husband is alive. In fact, he just landed in Paris. My guess is he’s headed here.”

“I guess that means we only have a short amount of time to get this over with, then.” The woman was as stubborn as a mule. “Don’t even try to move,” she warned Isla, pushing the gun harder against Isla’s back. I couldn’t stop the growl from forming in my throat, even as Isla’s eyes flashed with mischief. “Now, Marchetti, unless you want to see your blood or Isla’s staining these floors, you’re going to give me some answers.”

God save me from crazy women. I seemed to be surrounded by them.

“Are you a cold-blooded killer?” I drawled, challenging Tatiana.

She shrugged. “Aren’t all Nikolaevs?” She was dodging my question. Maybe I should call her out on her bullshit. “Kind of like you and the men you work with, huh?”

I put my gun away, for now, then slipped my hands into my pockets. I leaned casually against the wall as I studied both women. If Tatiana wanted answers, I’d give them to her. However, at the end of it all, I’d have Isla. She’d hear the story and my gut feeling warned she’d run. Well, there’d be no running for her.

“Men?” I asked, glancing around pointedly. “What men?”

Annoyance flared in her eyes as she narrowed them. “I don’t give a shit about your men,” she spat, glaring at me. “I want to know what happened.”

“A lot of things happened,” I retorted dryly. “You’re going to have to be a bit more specific.”

“Why did you kill him?” Compassion filled Isla’s expression, and something about it bothered me. I wanted her always on my side, not caring about others. But I suspected maybe it was exactly that which attracted me to her. She had that innocent aura about her, but also a strength. “What had he done to find himself on your hit list?”

“You sure you want to know?” I finally asked, giving her one last out.

She let out a frustrated breath. “That’s why I’m here.”

Well, if we were going to do this, we might as well sit down. So I extended my hand, pointing to my office. “Please, enter.”

“I’m not going into your bedroom,” she sneered. “I’m not here to fulfill your fantasies. I’m here for answers.”

A sardonic breath left me. “I’m starting to see why Konstantin is so obsessed with you.”

My eyes flickered to my own obsession, then returned to Tatiana Konstantin. The newest pain in my ass. “Last chance, Tatiana,” I warned her in a cold tone. “Certain things are best left in the past.”

She shot me a dark look. “Just tell me so we can be on our way.”