Page 19 of Trust

Silvano smiles at me, not put out by my tone. “You might want to think that through, Ilya. I’d normally encourage pursuing whoever you’re interested in, but I agree with Cristiano that it’s a bad idea.” He tilts his head at me. “Come to Club Alpha with me. I know you’ll be popular there.” He glances at Cristiano. “Is Ilya a Daddy? He’s got the vibes, doesn’t he. But a bear for sure. We could find a brat for him at Club Alpha.”

Daddy? Bear? I have no idea what Silvano is talking about anymore.

“I don’t want to be Micah’s father,” I say, my confusion breaking through the annoyance. “I want to save him from that man.”

Cristiano has turned that scathing look back on Silvano. “I’ll explain daddies and bears another time, Ilya. For now…” He trails off, considering as he slides back into business mode. “Are yousurehe doesn’t want to be with the cop?” His lip curls in distaste.

“According to Kyran, Micah was near tears,” Silvano says. “But we’ve known a few good actors in our day.”

My fists clench. “It wasn’t an act. Thatmudakterrorized him. Micah did not want to go with him. I’m sure of it.”

Memories of my mother’s terrified face rise to the surface, so similar to how Micah looked.

“So what do you want to do about him?” Cristiano asks. “The cop, that is.”

“Kill him,” I say flatly.

It would be a pleasure to kill the bastard who scared Micah.

It would feel so much better than killing Artyom had.

Silvano shakes his head. “I’m not against a good murder, you both know that?—”

“Do we?” Cristiano mutters.

“—but murdering a cop would bring more scrutiny on yourself than you want,” Silvano continues.

He’s right. I know he’s right. That’s why he interrupted the argument the other night, too. I am a powerful man, but I have my own weaknesses. My situation in the US is not secure. I could be deported, or jailed.

Better a jail here than in Russia, but I have no intention of being locked up again.

“Fine. Then what do I do?” I ask, feeling more helpless than I care to admit.

“If Micah can be convinced to leave on his own…” Silvano suggests. “That’s easier than cleaning up a messy cop murder.”

“Do we have any reason to think he’d feel safe doing that?” Cristiano asks pragmatically. “If Micah was in tears at having to go with him but did it anyway, it might be more complicated than him simply leaving.”

My thoughts plummet into darkness.

I know what it means to be scared of going home.

I know what it means to be even more afraid of leaving.

“I have to make him see,” I growl, although I know how difficult it will be. “Even if his partner is a cop, I’m safer.”

What a joke.

I murdered a man I once called a friend.

I have killed so many others.

I’m a convict, a criminal. I make my living by taking advantage of others.

But I would treat Micah better than that asshole does.

“He might still love him,” Cristiano says quietly. “Loyalty is hard to shake.”

It hadn’t been hard to shake for Artyom.