Page 85 of Gilded in Blood

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Thank you.”

He pulls me tighter against him. I tuck my head under his chin, breathing in his scent.

“I know I’ve said this before,” he murmurs against my hair, “but I’m sorry for lying to you.”

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “As long as you promise you’re not going to lie to me again. No more lies between us.”

He kisses the top of my head. “Never. I’ll never lie to you again.”

I smile against his chest, a small, tired smile, and let myself relax fully in his arms. I yawn, eyelids growing heavy, and slowly drift off to sleep with a smile still on my face.

The next day, as the time for the meeting with my brothers gets closer, I’m a bundle of nerves.

I pace back and forth across the living room, unable to sit still. Not only will Kirill have to open up and tell them he’s been working against them this whole time, but I also have to tell them I’ve been sleeping with him.

That I’ve crossed every line with the man they assigned to protect me. Knowing my brothers, they’re going to lose their minds.

They might even try to kill him. What if they hurt him? What if they do something irreversible in their anger?

Perhaps I shouldn't tell them about us having sex? No. I can’t hide this from them. I won’t. I can’t lie to my family. Especially not about something this big.

My brothers have always been there for me and Calina. Even though they’re not the most openly affectionate, I know they care. Deeply. And it would break their hearts if they found out from someone else.

But man, my brothers are prone to anger. What will they do? Would they really try to kill him?

Kirill is lounging on the couch, watching me with calm eyes. “Will you calm down? You’re going to wear a hole in the carpet with all that pacing.”

I stop for a second, turning to him. “How can you be so calm? For all we know, my brothers might kill you by the end of this meeting. They might actually kill you.”

He shrugs nonchalantly. “And?”

I stare at him, incredulous. “And? You want to die? You want to die and leave me? Is that your plan?”

I start spiraling, words tumbling out faster than I can stop them. “What if they shoot you the second you tell them the truth? What if they don’t even give you a chance to explain? What if they think you’re still working for Michael and decide you’re a threat? What if they take you away from me? What if⁠—”

Kirill stands up and walks over to me, placing his hands firmly on my shoulders. “Milana. Breathe.”

I stop talking, staring up at him.

“Take a deep breath,” he says, voice steady and calm.

I do, inhaling slowly.

“Now exhale.”

I let it out, shaky but slower.

“Nothing is going to happen to me,” he says, eyes locked on mine. “I promise.”

I want to believe him. But I've seen what my brothers do when they're angry.

“You don’t know that. You don’t know my brothers. You don’t know what they’re capable of when they’re angry. The moment they hear that you’ve been lying to them this whole time, they’re going to lose their shit. And that’s before they find out I’ve been sleeping with you. Yeah. They’re definitely going to try to kill you.”

He reaches out, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “They won’t kill me. They need me. Calm down. Nothing is going to happen to me.”

Just then, his phone rings. He picks it up, listens for a second, and says, “They’re here.”

I start pacing again, nerves making my hands shake. A few minutes later, Kirill buzzes them in. My brothers step into the living room, filling the space with their presence.