Empire of Sin (Empire #2)(89)

But as I stare at Papa, I know my fate is sealed, because he’s already made a decision about this marriage and I have no say in it.

Unlike me, however, Damien isn’t fazed. If anything, he appears bored. “What’s with everyone matchmaking me? I’m not husband material last I checked… Or am I?”

“Just do it.”

“I can’t.”

“Why not?” Papa asks.

“Because Rai matchmade me with some Yakuza princess and I might have given her father my word to go along with it. Now, I’d drank too much vodka at the time, so I don’t really remember the details, but Abe’s already acting as if I’m his son-in-law.”

“I never agreed to that marriage, so consider the agreement null and void. You’ll marry a Russian.”

“Fine, but you’ll get Abe off my back. He’s a bit clingy, so good luck with that.”

“Leave it to me. I’ll take care of it.”

“Wait a minute.” Damien faces me, his expression turning serious. “I have a very important question to ask first. Do you drink vodka?”

“A little.”

“Better than nothing. Now, if you don’t need me, I’m out of here. And, Pakhan, do us both a favor and only call for me in the evenings from now on.” He starts to leave, then leans in to whisper so only I can hear, “I’ll give you a chance to ruin this marriage before I ruin you, Nastyusha.”

Then he stands to his full height and gives me a sadistic smile before he stalks out the door as lazily as a giant black cat.

“Start preparing for the wedding,” Papa says as soon as the door closes behind Damien.

“Papa, please. I know you’re mad at me and that I did something unforgivable, but you don’t have to do this.”

“On the contrary, I should’ve done this a long time ago. If I had, you wouldn’t have had the chance to be a thief and a backstabber.”

“I didn’t backstab you, Papa. I was only looking out for the woman who took care of me when you weren’t there, when you didn’t even know I existed and I had to hide from my stepdad so he wouldn’t hit me with a belt.”

“So you’re blaming me now? Am I at fault for taking you away from that life? For offering you a better one?”

“It’s not better, Papa. I can’t…I can’t live in the midst of danger all the time. I can’t stay on my toes and avoid the outside world because I could be attacked at any second. I might survive the first time or the second, but what about the rest of my life? What about when you’re gone and I become an even bigger target?”

“You’ll be no target if you marry Damien. Everyone is too scared of him to even think about attacking him.”

“I don’t want to, Papa. Please.”

“Then what do you want? A certain lawyer who’s currently going against us in court?”

My lips part. “How…how do you know about him?”

“Adrian told me everything.”

Of course, Adrian would be playing both sides. I was foolish to believe he wouldn’t.

“I also heard you want him to win.” His expression becomes closed off. “Against us.”

“He’s defending a physical and sexual abuse victim, Papa, just like my mother was. If she ever meant anything to you, if I mean anything to you, please stop interfering. You killed an abuser once. Don’t let this one walk free.”

“So you want me to think you’re doing this for the girl, not a certain…” he trails off, staring at a file in front of him. “Knox Van Doren.”

Something slashes my insides at the thought that Papa already has a file on him. Was it Adrian again? Or maybe Kirill?

“He has nothing to do with this,” I murmur.

“He better not or he’ll be collateral damage.”

“Papa, don’t…please.”

“He’s not what you think, Nastyusha.”

“What do you mean?”

“This case is personal to him.”

“How could it be personal? He doesn’t know either Sandra or Matt.”

“No, but he’s well-acquainted with Sandra’s circumstances since he went through something similar himself. My people went to a lot of trouble to get me this information since his foster father practically buried it, but he couldn’t have hidden it from me.”

“What are you talking about, Papa?” I realize I’m shaking, my fingers clasped together and sweat gathering between my brows. “What information are you talking about?”

“His mother was a prostitute and a drug addict.”

“He already told me that.”

“Did he also tell you that when her body no longer had any value, she prostituted her two children to pedophiles?”

I gasp, my hands going to cover my mouth. The information Papa just revealed ever so casually crashes against my ribcage and splits it open.

Despite my attempts to reject it, to tell him it’s not true, many pieces of the puzzle fall into place. Like how Knox doesn’t like to have sex from the front, Teal’s overprotectiveness, and especially his stiffness ever since he met Sandra.

I thought it was him being an asshole, but it must’ve been because she triggered him somehow. Because her story brought back awful memories from his own past.