Page 164 of Sinful Lord

When he starts to walk away, I panic.

“Stop!”

Whatever Krol’s planning on doing to me, it’s about to happen—unless I can stall him just a little bit longer.

Someone will come for me. They have to.

Rian. Roz. Maksim.

Tytus… please…

“What is it now?”

To my shock, Krol actually stops before he can disappear back into the darkness.

“I… uh…” I stammer, trying to think of anything to keep him talking. “How… did you even find me? Us?”

Fortunately, that seems to pique his interest.

“My brother isn’t as discreet as he thinks,” Krol growls.

I guess that’s the key. Just get him venting about Tytus and he could talk for hours. Hopefully that’s enough to save me.

“What do you mean?” I pitifully ask.

It’s hard to tell if Krol knows what I’m doing or not, but it doesn’t take him long to give into the temptation.

“Your little flame. Tytus Ryzdon. For all his plans and his schemes, it only takes one unexpected move for him to turn into a wild bull. He was making unnecessary noise the moment he stepped in Berlin. Before that, I’d been hopelessly scouring the globe for him. So when I heard rumblings that he could be here, I raced over as fast as my broken legs could take me. After that, he wasn’t hard to find… And then he led me to you. The only hard part was figuring out exactly what the two of you meant to each other. At first, I didn’t think much of it. My brother is notorious for using women. But the more I watched, the clearer it became. I’d been wondering how I’d hurt Tytus for what he did to my father—you gave me the answer. I’d just hurt you.”

Looking down at the plastic sheets covering the floor, Krol seems to consider something in silence.

All I can do is watch, heart in my throat, as he shakes his head.

“Tytus needs to feel the loneliness I feel. The helplessness. The horror.” That pale eye glares back at me. “I’m going to cut you up, nice and pretty, and deliver you in pieces to those who love you most. That means Rozalia and Gabriel too. They won’t miss out on this suffering and I’ve heard you three have become fast friends—but it will all start with Tytus.”

My stomach fills with dread.

“Tytus doesn’t love me!” I shout, overflowing with desperation. Anything to buy myself just one more second.

But my lie is so unconvincing that Krol hardly even flinches.

“I only have one eye left, and even I can see that he does. It will only make my revenge all the more delicious.”

He’s right.

Tytus loves me.

And I love him back.

So why didn’t I say anything when I had the chance?

Without another word, Krol starts to disappear back into the dark doorway.

I sob, despair pulling hot tears down my cold cheeks.

But it’s not just the fear of what’s to come. That seems unavoidable now. What hurts even more is what brought me here.

Tytus didn’t want to leave. But I pushed him away. He opened himself up to me, and I shut him off.