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“I made the mistake of trusting you and letting you go. I won’t do it again.”
I clenched my jaw. “I should’ve killed you instead of your mother.”
Although this little game of ours was fun, his distrust of me was getting on my nerves. Granted, I hadn’t told him of my plans, nor did I disclose everything I knew from the beginning, but some things weren’t meant to be shared with other people. My burdens were mine only.
Instead of getting angry at my statement, he laughed it off. “As if that would’ve saved you from me, little lion.”
“All right.” Dominik cleared his throat, disgust in his voice, though his face remained passive. “You and Ilya can walk behind us, but give us the privacy that Ekaterina wants.”
My neck ached from looking up, but the burning staring contest we were having wasn’t something I wanted to lose. A clenched jaw, creased brows, and rapid breathing greeted me. He blinked, but the intensity in his eyes remained. It made my heart skip a beat and my hands tremble.
Fuck it.
I looked away.
Dominik took over behind me and started pushing me down the hall. Ilya and Adrik kept close, way too close, but it was the best outcome. I knew that Adrik harbored hatred towards me, no matter how much he didn’t want to utter those words out loud.
There was a thin line between love and hate, and we were constantly jumping from one side to the other. It was as exciting as it was tiring. Neither of us could ever predict what tomorrow would bring, and that was the best part of it all.
“So.” I spoke first, making sure that my voice was low. “I have a favor to ask of you.”
Dominik sighed. “This is the first time you’ve ever asked me for a favor. Let’s hear it.”
“That man that Adrik imprisoned seemed tough, but you and I both know that under the pressure and torture Adrik will subject him to, he’ll crack open like a beer bottle. We’ll know about Bogdan’s plan soon enough.”
“On with it, Kaya.” He was cranky. If he hated anything, it was people beating around the bush.
“I’m sure you and Aleksei will both be… aware of it, and that means that we’ll have a battle soon. But I’d like you to take care of Rhea.”
I could feel the eyeroll behind me. “What do you want me to do?”
“Transfer her to a hospital in New York. Helios is still nowhere to be found, so I can’t count on him at all. Send a few guards, and, until this is all over, she is to be on a complete lockdown.”
“She won’t like that.”
“I don’t care.” My response was immediate. “Her safety beats her comfort. She’ll suck it up for a few weeks or months.”
We stopped in front of a room. Before he opened the door, he paused and looked at me, confusion on his face. “You could’ve hired someone else to do this.”
But playing cupid was so fun. “I don’t trust anyone besides you.”
“That’s flattering but also a lie.”
Damn it.
Then, he sighed. “I’ll do it. But once all of this is over, I’m revoking your right to ask for favors.”
I grinned. “Oh, come on. It’s not that bad.”
Dominik blinked twice. “Not that bad? Ekaterina, the two of you are my worst nightmare. And one of you is an annoying ray of sunshine that is getting on my nerves.”
I gave him the look, which he ignored completely.
As soon as we were inside of the room, Rhea’s smile greeted me, though it didn’t quite reach her eyes. Even from a distance, I saw the bags under her eyes. Her broken foot was in a bandage, and she had nasty bruises all over her face.
“Hey, soldier,” I joked. Dominik pushed me closer to her bed. As if he was uncertain about leaving us alone, he merely distanced himself and sat in the corner of the room. The room itself was spacious, so we were able to get some privacy.
“Hi.”
