Page 99 of Twisted Pact

“When’s the meeting again?”

“Nine sharp. Be ready to defend your position.”

He hangs up before I can respond. I stare at the phone, already planning tomorrow’s fight.

Tomorrow, I’ll have to convince my men that saving Leonid Andreev isn’t sentiment, it’s strategy. And I’ll have to do it while Dmitri questions every call I’ve made since I met Mila.

Mila is still pacing when I return, using every second of the five minutes I allowed. Her face is pale, but fire burns in those hazel eyes.

“You need to sit down.”

“I need to know what’s happening with Papa.”

“The planning’s ongoing,” I say, exhaling hard.

She stops pacing and faces me. “You promised you’d rescue him.”

“And I will.”

“When?”

“When the tactical situation allows it.”

She snorts. “That’s politician speak for ‘I don’t know.’”

I close the distance and cup her face in my hands. “I’ll get your father back. But you have to trust that I know what I’m doing.”

Tears pool in her eyes, and she blinks them away. “Idotrust you. That’s not the issue.”

“What is?”

“Feeling helpless,” she says quietly, “while everyone else makes decisions about my life. About Papa’s. About ours.”

The edge in her voice slices through me. Powerless is the one thing she’s never been, and I’m the bastard who’s making her feel that way.

I brush my lips against hers—soft, fleeting, a peace offering I don’t deserve.

“I’m sorry,” I murmur. “For this world. For the danger that comes with wanting you.”

“Alexei—”

“Let me finish.” My voice roughens. “You deserve better than this life and a man who can’t promise you safety.”

She shakes her head and steps back. “Stop apologizing for things you can’t change.”

We stand two inches apart with everything unsaid hanging between us.

Then my phone vibrates, with Boris’ name flashing across the screen like a gunshot to the moment. The goddamn timing couldn’t be worse.

I roll my neck and exhale hard. “I need to coordinate with the team. Will you rest while I’m working? Please.”

“Will you tell me what you learn?” she teases, that wicked grin curving her mouth.

“Some of it. The parts that won’t spike your blood pressure.”

She drops onto the couch with a huff. “Fine. But if you’re keeping me in the dark, at least have one of the guys bring me something to read.”

“Done.”