Page 74 of Savage Little Lies

I don’t want to give her up, which means the wedding can’t happen. The marriage can’t happen. The deal has to fall apart, and I already know that the consequences of my choice won’t be pretty.

They have to be better than a lifetime of misery, though.

“We don’t have to be enemies,” I urge him, despite knowing that my words are falling on deaf ears. The hatred on his face is clear.

Artur steps over the glass on the floor, coming dangerously close to me as it crunches under his heel. “Like I said, you’ll regret this, Ivanov.” We’re apparently no longer on a first-name basis. “You’ve fucked over the wrong person this time. You’ll never be named Pakhan now!”

Good.

Still, I glare at him for blurting out Bratva confidential information as he walks past me, his shoulder knocking against mine. I slowly curl and uncurl my fingers as I watch him leave the bar.

It’s over with. The deal is dead, and it looks like I’ve made enemies out of the Suyunovs instead of close allies.

If Pakhan dies with this deal, so be it. It was my father’s dream, not my own.

Frustration still pulses through my veins as I storm out of the bar soon after, the humid night air failing to lessen the angry heat radiating off me. Why did I have to be dragged into this mess in the first place? There are other single men in my family that could’ve married Annika, but it had to be me.

I had to be the one to sell my life and my happiness. Now, I’ve finally put my foot down and chosen myself.

My phone goes off in my back pocket, making me slow down as I head down the sidewalk without a destination in mind. I grab the device to see that Gabe’s calling, a sharp exhale leaving my nose.

It might be important.

“What?” I snap.

“I looked into the information Cara found on Enrico Ferro today,” Gabe tells me. “She made a note about him being a big fitness guy, and she had an idea of where he might live, so I did some recon to see if I could spot him. And I did.”

I pause in the middle of the sidewalk under the soft glow of a nearby streetlight. “Right now? You have eyes on him?”

“Through the window of the local gym he frequents,” Gabe replies. “He’ll probably finish up soon.”

It’s dark, and he’ll be tired from working out. We won’t get a better opportunity than tonight to question him.

“Is he alone?” I ask him.

“Yes. None of his men are around,” Gabe tells me.

“Call a few other guys and text me the address. We’ll grab him tonight,” I say, my anger shifting into adrenaline. I need to take my mind off the fact that I just blew up my life.

“Will do,” Gabe replies before ending the call. Less than a minute later, he sends the address of the gym to me.

I call my driver to pick me up, using the few minutes of silence while waiting for him to gather myself. I went back and forth today about backing out of the marriage, trying to decide what was the best option in the long run. The answer was crystal clear, even if it might make my life hell for right now and the foreseeable future.

Not marrying someone who doesn’t care about me. Who doesn’t excite me. Who drags me down instead of supporting me.

I’d rather have Cara by my side at work and in my bed at night than deal with a wife who just wants my money. That’s the choice that I made, and now I get to deal with whatever consequences come next.

Whatever it’ll be, it won’t be forgiving. That’s for sure.

I won’t regret this decision, though, no matter what happens.

As soon as my driver pulls up next to me in an SUV, I climb into the passenger’s seat and show him the address. “Hurry.”

With a nod, he hits the gas, leaving behind Crowne and the mess that I made there.

28

Dmitri