Page 138 of To Catch A Rogue

Those dark eyes flattened. "I don’t."

Lark stopped right in front of him. "And I think you’re lying. You do care, just a tiny bit. You remember too, don’t you?"

"Memories don’t keep you warm at night."

"If you want to be warm at night, then find a woman. Maybe Nadehzda, since she seems to be the only one of your Black Wolves who’s not frightened of you—"

"What do you want?" he asked sharply, leaning forward and resting his forearms on his knees. "Because I warn you that you’re skating on thin ice."

"I want vengeance upon Sergey," she hissed. "Hemurderedour family."

"He couldn’t have. He was the one who found me."

"How convenient."

"He protected me," Nikolai spat between gritted teeth as he pushed to his feet and strode past her.

"Strange. He must have wanted something from you. A new lapdog, perhaps? Because I saw him cut their throats, Nikolai. He murdered your family too."

"And now I have new family," Nikolai murmured, pouring himself a goblet of blood. "Spare me the sentiment, Irina. It does not keep one’s head on their shoulders. I learned that when I was young. And you're wrong. It was Dmitri who betrayed us."

"Then where is he?" she demanded. "Because the only one who seemed to profit from the slaughter of our parents is sitting on their damned throne. How can you not see the truth? Sergey betrayed us. And then he used you."

Lark wanted to sweep the whole bloody display off the altar; cross, miniature ivory carvings of the saints, and the chalice he placed there.

Nikolai was the key to their entire plan.

Without him, it would never work.

"I don't even know you. Why would I trust you?"

"And I don't know why I ever thought you would honor our family. The only thing that warms your cold, dead heart is clearly money and power," she ground out through her teeth.

He slowly stroked his gloved hand over the back of the kitten crawling across the altar. "Careful, Irina. I allowed you to come and go freely last time. Your sharp tongue might cause me to reconsider. If Sergey knew another wore themarque, he would be... quite interested."

"And then he'd kill me and my blood would be on your hands. Is that what you want?"

He looked away, his lashes shuttering his eyes. "No. I want you to leave Russia. You and the man who thinks he’s your brother. You are not welcome here."

"Help me rescue the Duke of Malloryn and Ava, and I’ll be on the next airship out of here."

His eyelids shuttered. "I fail to see what this plan gains me."

"If Sergey dies, you are the only one alive who still bears themarque du sangof the Grigoriev family on their back. Do you want to remain Sergey's pet forever? You could be a prince."

"Is Sergey going to die?"

"There’s a strong suspicion he might."

He turned away. "I don't want to be prince. I don't want...." Nikolai stilled. "I never wanted any of this."

"Then Sergey dies, and so does the House of Grigoriev," she whispered.

He said nothing, but his hands curled into fists. "I rule theChernyye Volkinow. They are my new family. I have no need of anything else."

"It seems you don't quite rule them all. Charlie said a pack of your men kidnapped our friend, Ava, and one of your Wolves ran them off."

The muscle in his jaw ticked.