Total pages in book: 108
Estimated words: 100416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 100416 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 502(@200wpm)___ 402(@250wpm)___ 335(@300wpm)
Dmitri met her gaze steadily. “Do you want to know the truth or the pretty lie?”
“The truth.”
“I would have made an example of him thoroughly enough that no one would have come near her for the rest of her life.”
She should have been horrified. But all Keira could think was that maybe that would have been better than Cillian shooting the fucker. Killing him had left its mark on her brother, and she would have spared him that if she could have. He had protected Olivia and Hadley—and he would have done it all again if it came down to it—but the killing had changed him.
She set her napkin aside. “You almost killed James Halloran because my sister chose him over you.”
“Nyet.” A sharp shake of his head. “She broke her word to me, and I clearly outlined the consequences of doing so.” He shrugged one shoulder. “James’s brother would have struck regardless of whether he thought he had my support. If your sister hadn’t broken her word, he wouldn’t have had my support. It’s a simple as that.” His lips quirked. “I can’t say I’m sorry she did, though.”
If she hadn’t, it would have been Carrigan sitting across from Dmitri right now instead of Keira. Maybe she should be bothered by that, but what-ifs didn’t matter—only what actually happened. Dmitri and Carrigan hadn’t so much as kissed, and who gave a fuck even if they had?
Me. I’d give a fuck.
She swallowed hard and stood. “Then there’s—”
“Moya koroleva, are you going to insist on laying every one of my sins out in the open? There are many, even if you’re only listing the ones associated with your family.” He stood as well. “The O’Malleys were a threat and I proceeded accordingly. It became personal over time, but it didn’t start that way.”
She licked her lips, her gaze dragging over his suit. It fit him well, hugging his shoulders and tapering to his narrow waist. She wanted it on the floor. Keira took a deep breath and tried to focus. “If you could go back and do it again, would you?”
“I don’t make a habit of second-guessing myself.”
“That’s not an answer.” He always spoke like that when he didn’t want to answer a question directly, and it made her furious. He made her furious, though she still wasn’t sure if it was a good thing or a bad thing.
Dmitri shook his head. “I don’t have an answer for you. Did I underestimate your family repeatedly? Da. But if you think for a second that I regret the path that brought us to this moment—with you as my wife—then you’re mad.” He rounded the corner of the table and took her hand, tugging her against him. “I would commit unforgivable sins as long as it ensured this same endgame. I will make no apologies for that, Keira. Not a single fucking one.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
Dmitri waited for Keira’s condemnation. He expected it, considering what he’d just admitted. Perhaps he should have played things smarter, should have wooed her with soft words and sincere promises, should have kissed her to distract from their conversation and let things progress physically from there.
That wasn’t who he was.
He didn’t hide in the shadows. He didn’t flinch at what was required of him. He simply took care of business and moved on.
Still, it was a small leap of faith to lay that before her so baldly. She was right to accuse him of the shit he’d done to her family, because it was all true. He made no apologies, though. They brought him to her, and she was worth every single action. Despite everything, he’d never directly hurt a single person she cared about, and that was the only thing he couldn’t come back from.
Keira ran her hands down his chest and back up again. “I don’t know if I’m more disgusted with myself or with you that none of that is enough to make me turn away.”
He exhaled slowly. “There is no turning away from this.” It wasn’t strictly true, but she fit too well into this life to do anything else. She’d had her chance to get out—several of them over the years—and she’d never taken that step. Because she didn’t want to.
That, at least, he was sure of.
“Then I suppose I had better embrace it.” She undid his top button slowly and dragged her fingertips down to the next to repeat the action. “I’m still not sure I like you very much.”
“No lies between us.” He trapped her wrists, holding her hands against him. “You like me very much.”
She blinked those big hazel eyes at him. “I like parts of you, at least.”
Dmitri laughed, the sound surprising him. “I suppose a man has to start somewhere.”
“I know the perfect place.” She extracted her hands from his grasp and undid his slacks.